1. Community study on Cash Assistance
August 2017

2. Community study ToT Starts Ends Module 08:30 09:00
Overview of joint cash study and community study, research questions
09:30
Focus group discussion, role of facilitator and note-taker
10:30
Review focus group discussion questions and probes
10:45
BREAK
11:15
Review focus group discussion questions and probes (continuation)
12:00
Lessons learned from community study pilot
12:45
LUNCH
13:30
Role-play exercise
13:45
Exercise de-brief
(review exercise, identify issues and ways to mitigate, review questions/probes)
14:15
Roles and responsibilities of Team Leaders
(during training, during data collection, after data collection)
15:00
Data collection planning, Questions

3. Joint cash study: 3 components
Market study
Price and stock information of basic items
Traders’ supply capacity and constraint
Community study
Access to markets
Familiarity and acceptance of cash-based assistance
Preference for cash-based modalities
Risks and safety issues
Financial service provider study
Overview of existing financial service providers
Capacity and coverage
Types of cash-based modalities offered, e.g. voucher, e-cash

4. Community study
Focus Group Discussions

5. Research Questions
What are the factors influencing population access to local markets?
What are the barriers for beneficiaries to access assistance through financial service providers? 
What is the community familiarity and acceptance for cash-based modalities?
What are the community preferences for cash-based modalities and delivery mechanisms?

6. Research Questions
What are the negative/positive impacts of cash-based assistance on household and community relations?
What are the potential risks associated with cash-based assistance on the safety and security of recipients ?
What is the likelihood and severity of identified risks or negative impact?
Can the identified risks/negative impacts be mitigated?

7. Community study districts
Governorate
Low Access to Markets
High Access to Markets
Agency
Abyan
Khanfir (ACF) Zingibar (ACF)
ACF
Aden ?
UNHCR(INTERSOS)
Al Bayda
Rada' (NFDHR)
At Taffah (NFDHR)
NFDHR
Al Dhale'e
Al Azariq (ACTED)
Al Husha (ACTED)
ACTED
Al Hudaydah
Al Garrahi (NRC)
Ad Durayhimi (UNICEF) / As Sukhnah (UNICEF) / Al Munirah (ACF)
UNICEF / NRC / SCI / ACF
Al Jawf
Al Humaydat (ACTED)
Bart Al Anan (ACTED)
Al Mahwit
Bani Sa'd (Mercy)
Mercy
Amanat Al Asimah
Bani Al Harith (UNHCR/ADRA)
At Tahrir (UNHCR/ADRA)
UNHCR(ADRA)
Amran
Dhaifan (UNHCR/YRCS)
Amran (UNHCR/YRCS)
UNHCR(YRCS)
Dhamar
Wusab As Safil (YFCA)
Mayfa'at Anss (NFDHR)
NFDHR / YFCA
Hajjah
Ku'aydinah (SCI) / Hayran (Oxfam)
Abs (Oxfam)
Oxfam / SCI
Ibb
Ba'dan (ACTED)
Ibb (ACTED)
Lahj
Al Madaribah Wa Al Arah (NRC)
Tur Al Bahah (ACF)
NRC / SCI / UNHCR(INTERSOS) / ACF
Marib
Medghal (ADRA)
ADRA
Raymah
Mazhar (ACTED)
As Salafiyah (ACTED)
Sa'ada
Al Dhaher (ACTED)
Saqayn (ACTED)
Sana'a
Bani Hushaysh (ADRA)
Manakhah (Mercy)
Mercy / ADRA / UNICEF
Taizz
Al Ma'afer (SCI)
Al Mawasit (NRC) / Al Mudhaffar (Mercy)
SCI / NRC / Mercy /Oxfam

8. Focus group discussion
What is a FGD? Roles of facilitator and note-taker

9. What is a focus group discussion?
A focus group discussion (FGD) is a qualitative data collection method in which several participants meet as a group to discuss a given topic, in order to explore their perceptions, opinions, beliefs, and attitudes towards it

10. What is a focus group discussion?
FGDs are structured around a set of carefully predefined questions but the discussion is free-flowing
Small group of 4 to10 people
Discussion is led by a facilitator
Note-taker records discussion in detail, including non- verbal/body language
The ideal amount of time for a FGD is 45 to 90 minutes.

11. Why FGDs? Answer open ended questions
Establish detailed context-specific information
Give a broad range of different views on a specific topic
Data is collected in a dynamic way as participants influence each other during the discussion

12. Role of a facilitator Introduces, moderates and closes the FGD session
Facilitate discussion
Ensures the FGD debriefing form is filled
Provides debrief to the team leader

13. Role of a facilitator Introduce the FGD:
Welcome participants and thanking them for their availability and time
Introduce yourselves
Explain the purpose of the focus group
Provide information on how long the FGD will last
Assure that the focus group is confidential

14. Role of a facilitator
Ground rules they should respect during the discussion:
Only one person speaks at a time
There are no right or wrong answers
When participants have something to say, they may speak
Participants do not have to agree with the views of others in the group

15. Role of a facilitator Facilitate a discussion using: Questions:
Start the discussion on a particular topic
Sometimes general to collect initial opinions on a given topic
These questions should be read to participants
Probes / Follow-up Questions:
More specific and help to dig deeper into a given topic
Do not read probing questions, facilitator adapts them as necessary
Make sure though that all of them are covered by the discussion

16. Role of a facilitator
Leading the discussion:

17. Role of a facilitator Close the session:
Thank participants for their time and availability, as they are all volunteers
Inform participants that their opinions will be very valuable for the research
Ask for participants’ comments on the FGD process
Communicate contact details for participants to get in touch to provide feedback/complaints on the discussion

18. Role of a facilitator A good facilitator . . .
Practices active listening (eye contact, questioning, remembering, reflecting)
Shows flexibility
Shows sensitivity
Has a sense of humour
Links ideas together
Makes participants feel at ease
Encourages participation from everyone

19. Role of a Note-taker Note down: Key answers participants give
Disagreements between participants
Specific discussions
Body language
Details that may cause big change and lead to more probing
If there is a template, ensure it is properly filled
Notes need to be clear with reference to questions – so translator can understand and know which notes belongs to which questions

20. Role of a Note-taker
Complete the debrief form: a short half page form for demographic information of participants to be administered before the FGD begins
Giving numbers to the participant (e.g. “Participant 1”) can help to identify who said what during note-taking

21. Review of Questions and Probes
Linking FGD questions, probes and note-taker template

22. What is cash-based assistance?
Cash-based assistance is the form of humanitarian assistance where families are provided with money instead of the items or food itself and are able to choose what the money is spent on

23. Cash modalities, delivery mechanisms
Physical cash handed out directly to recipients by humanitarian agency
Physical cash handed out directly to recipients by a formal or informal intermediary
E-cash
Mobile money or a SMS code that can be cashed out at retail or other outlets
Deposit in personal bank account
Pre-paid card usable at cash machines
Smart card or a plastic card with a chip usable at retailers with point- of-sale devices
Voucher
Paper voucher, a paper token which can be cashed at designated outlets
Mobile or e-voucher, SMS with voucher code or plastic card used at retailers with point-of-sale devices

24. Question route Market Access Cash Access
Support during financial difficulties
Cash Assistance
Preference for types of cash assistance
Risks on safety and security
Impact of cash assistance

25. Question Route
2. Tell me about the local market you usually go to and how you travel there. (Try to involve every participant in the discussion)
Probe / Follow-up question:
Which local market do you usually go to?
Is it a village market / district market / governorate capital market?
What type of market it is? What are the main items sold in the market?
Do you go to another market to buy other basic items (such as hygiene or houseware items)?
How far is it (in kilometre)?
How long does it take to travel there (in minutes)?
By which mode of transport?

26. Note-taker template

27. Question Route
3. Since the conflict started, what changes have you experienced in your ability to travel to the local market and buy basic items? Probe / Follow-up question: Were there any specific issues before? Are there any specific issues now that had not existed before? Do you go to the local market as often as you used to go before the conflict? If no, why? Did any of you change your mode of transport (e.g. walking instead of taking the bus) since the conflict? If yes, why? Did you have to rely on others to buy basic items for you? If yes, why? Did any of you go to different or other markets since the conflict? If yes, why?

28. Question Route
Probe / Follow-up question: Are basic items that you normally find in the local market still regularly available since the conflict? Please give me some examples of items that are no longer available as regularly as they are used to and the substitute items that you have used instead. Have prices in basic items changed a lot since the conflict? If yes, in what way? Can you still find items of the same type / quality like before in the local market? If you still find items of the same type / quality like before in the local market, are you still buying them? Or do you buy items of a different type / quality because of higher prices? Can you give some examples of items where you have had to change item type or quality because of lack of availability or higher prices?

29. Question Route
4. What are the available cash providers or places to access cash that you can think of? Probe / Follow-up question: Banks? Post offices? Local shops providing credit? (Formal) Money transfer offices? Informal money transfer agencies? Microfinance offices (e.g. Al-Kuraimi)? Mobile phone companies (providing mobile money)? Others?

30. Question Route
5. What are the types of documents required to access cash through these cash providers? (Go through each of the cash delivery mechanism that have been mentioned) Probe / Follow-up question: National identity card? Family book? Birth certificate? Marriage certificate? Passport? Election card / Voter identity card? Driver’s license? Do you have at least one form of documentation? If no, please explain why.

31. Question Route
6. Let’s discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each of the cash provider that you have mentioned. Probe / Follow-up question: Familiar and easy-to-use? More confidential? What do you think about the safety of the site for accessing cash? Are you concerned about someone intimidating or physically hurting you because you have received money? Are there risks of leaving home and traveling to and from the cash provider?

32. Question Route
Probe / Follow-up question: Travel time or transportation cost? Fees? Need for documentation? Cash provider office or site is hard to access (for persons with disabilities)? Sufficient information or assistance from cash providers? Has access to any of these cash providers changed since the start of the conflict? If yes, how and why?

33. Question Route
7. Since the start of the conflict, what changes have there been in the ways that families can get support when they are in a sudden difficult financial situation, e.g. flood, loss of job, hospitalization of a family member? Probe / Follow-up question: What were the sources and types of support families were receiving before? Family remittance? Other types of financial support from family? Community support? If yes, please give us some examples, e.g. providing cash or food support? Store credit? Other forms of formal or informal ways of getting credit or a loan? Is it still possible to receive all the types of support identified since the conflict started? If no, why?

34. Question Route
8. Let’s talk about humanitarian or charitable cash-based assistance. What is the first thing that comes to mind? Probe / Follow-up question: The Social Welfare Fund? (Food) Vouchers? Physical cash? Mobile money? Livelihood assistance? Assistance for education-based activities? Anything else that comes to mind?

35. Question Route
9. Since the conflict started, food prices have increased significantly. Poor families receive food vouchers from a humanitarian agency. The vouchers can be used to buy food in selected shops. Is this form of assistance acceptable to you and most people in your community? If yes, why is that the case? If not, why is that the case?

36. Question Route
Probe / Follow-up question: Have you heard of this or a similar form of assistance? If yes, please tell us more. How is this different from receiving food items? Do you prefer food vouchers to food packages of the same monetary value? Can you explain your preference? Until you spend it, is it difficult to keep it safely? What are the main risks of receiving cash assistance on the safety and security of each family? Are you concerned about not enough shops accepting these vouchers?

37. Question Route
10. Another humanitarian agency has started giving each poor family cash to buy food. Is this form of assistance acceptable to you and most people in your community? If yes, why is that the case? If not, why is that the case? Probe / Follow-up question: Do you know of this or a similar form of assistance? If yes, please tell us more. Do you prefer cash to food items of the same monetary value? Can you explain your preference? Do you prefer cash to food vouchers of the same monetary value? Please help me understand your preference.

38. Question Route
Probe / Follow-up question: Would most people in your community prefer the same option? If no, can you explain why? Is there a difference between cash given to a family directly by humanitarian agencies and physical cash given indirectly by an intermediary (e.g. post office or money transfer office)? If yes, what do you think are the differences? Until you spend it, is it difficult to keep it safely? What are the main risks of receiving cash assistance on the safety and security of each family? Are you concerned about someone intimidating or physically hurting you because you have received money?

39. Question Route
11. Let’s imagine that there are five families given 10,000 YER worth of cash assistance in these different ways: Family 1: Physical cash only Family 2: Mobile money only Family 3: Deposit in bank account only Family 4: Prepaid / smart card only Family 5: Voucher only What would be the advantages or disadvantages for each family? (Go through each family scenarios)

40. Question Route Probe / Follow-up question: Easy and safe to receive?
Who will have to collect it and will this interfere with their other responsibilities (e.g. childcare, work)?
Easy and safe to keep before you spend it?
Are there risks of leaving home and traveling to and from the cash provider? Is there a need for companion?
Travel time or transportation cost?
Fees?
Need for documentation?
Number of service provider outlets?
Number of retail outlets (to cash out or buy items)?

41. Question Route
12. Let’s think about the five families we have discussed earlier, they have all received 10,000 YER in cash assistance from a humanitarian agency. What could be the impact of cash assistance on the family and its relationship with the rest of the community?
Probe / Follow-up question:
Who is likely to decide how the cash assistance will be spent?
Would the cash assistance affect relationship between the head of family and the spouse? If yes, in what ways?
What about relationship with other family members? (e.g. children, parents) If yes, please give an example of how cash assistance can affect the relationship.
What about relationship with friends? Neighbours?

42. Question Route
Probe / Follow-up question: With other people in your community? With people from other community (e.g. IDP and host community)? Among all these relationships, how likely is cash assistance going to affect one relationship compared to the others? (e.g. is the impact on relationships within the family more likely than impact on relationships with community members?) Among all these relationships, what is the relative size of the impact of cash assistance (e.g. is the impact on relationship with family members larger than the impact on relationship with community members?)

43. Lessons learned from community study pilot
Common responses, group differences, mistakes

44. Community study pilot UNHCR/YRCS (Amran), ACTED (Ibb)
Data collection: mid-June
Per governorate: 1 district “high access” to market, 1 district with “low access” to market
FGD groups (mixed age): Women IDPs, Men IDPs, Women Host Community, Men Host Community

45. Market access barriers
Lack of security
High prices
Lack of basic item availability
Liquidity crisis
High transportation costs as barrier
1 participant above age 60 cited age (“too old to go to the market”)
Some female participants mentioned harassment by bus owners and need for male companion

46. Item availability and substitution
Use of firewood instead of cooking gas
Lack of (drinking) water  substitute by carrying water (with donkey) from wells
For those living far from big markets, nearby small markets lack basic items

47. Familiarity with cash assistance
General association between cash-based assistance and “physical cash”
Some association with voucher due to prior experience (e.g. WFP in Ibb)
Some association with social welfare transfer, money exchange and bank transfer
Many discussed the usefulness of cash assistance to pay for rent, medicine and clothes

48. Preferences
Money transfer office most familiar and preferred, described as “safe”, “fast”, “has many branches”, “easy”, “confidential”
Some acceptance/preference for microfinance office, post office
Some acceptance/preference for mobile money after explanation/probing, participants preferred it because it is “more secure” and “confidential”
Conventional banks mentioned once: “money transfer office are better than banks because banks suffer from lack of liquidity”

49. Preferences Negative: Overcrowding at money transfer offices
Confusion over the term “intermediary”, e.g. “The participants prefer… physical cash handed out directly to recipients, or through money transfer offices and not through an intermediary or person because the amount would be manipulated”
IDPs and Women more likely not to have documentation  prefer direct cash due to lack of documentation

50. Safety risks (Amran)
Safety/security risks for themselves (and their children) more commonly expressed by women
Insecurity appears to be a prevalent in Raydah, a district where most communities travel for at least 45 min to the nearest market (and most likely FSPs)
violence
robbery
harassment
child safety
Female Host Community 1 2
Male Host Community
Female IDP
Male IDP
District = Amran (High Access)
District = Raydah (Low Access) 3

51. Impact
Overall positive impact on relationships with partner and other members of the family
Relationships with neighbours, friends, other members of community considered less relevant
Some discussed the issue of envy
(Note: lack of FGD data, probes to be revised)

52. Common/Potential mistakes
“High/Low Access” from agency’s perspective not communities
Mixed gender groups, Mixed IDP-Host Community
Ineffective questions, insufficient probes
Not enough probing during discussion by facilitator
Facilitator did not correct participants and provide further explanation, e.g. confusion over “intermediary”
For specific quotes, note-taker did not indicate which participant
Unclear notes or handwriting by note-taker
Phone contact details of facilitator and note-taker not provided to REACH for clarification on data

53. Role-play exercise
Conducting focus group discussions

54. FGD exercise Split into groups of 5-6 people
Assume that you are all part of a FGD, take turns to play the role of Facilitator and Note-taker
Use the following:
Facilitator Guidelines
Question Route
Note-taker template
The facilitator will use the probes provided for each question in the Question Route
The note-taker will fill in the Note-taker template

55. FGD exercise The note-taker will act as time-keeper
 not more than 15 minutes per FGD session
 after that others will play the roles of facilitator and note-taker
Try to cover different questions in each FGD session

56. Exercise de-brief
Identify issues/problems faced during discussion and suggest solutions to mitigate them
Review questions:
Were the questions easy to understand?
Did each facilitator explain the question adequately?
Which probes did you use? Were they helpful?
Did each facilitator use the probes properly?
Do you have any suggestions on revising the questions and probes?
Check each other’s note-taker templates. As note-takers, did all of you fill in the template properly? Explain your answer.

57. Responsibilities of Team Leaders
During training, during data collection, and after data collection

58. During training
Use training materials and facilitator/note-taker guidelines/templates prepared in Arabic for facilitator/note- taker training
Familiarize yourself again with today’s training and all guidance materials
If you have important questions during the training, please contact REACH as soon as possible

59. During data collection
Supervise the data collection process
Ensure daily/frequent data entry and data submission to reduce risk of data loss
Conduct a daily debriefing with facilitators (face/face, phone)
Discuss strengths and weaknesses of data collection
Compare findings, views and impressions
Gather observations or concerns not captured in data collection
Consider reliability of participants, facilitators and note- takers, include information in debriefing with REACH staff (phone / )

60. After data collection
Supervise data entry (in Arabic) electronically to debrief form and note-taker template provided (Microsoft Word document)
Ensure correct submission of completed debrief form and note-taker template to REACH (paper form and electronic form)
Provide REACH with the correct phone numbers of facilitators and note-takers (in note-taker template)
Report back to REACH on all issues raised during data collection

61. yemen@reach-initiative.org (Email)
Data submission
Send electronic debrief form and note-taker template (Word Document) and scanned copies or photos of completed note-taker template (all pages) and debrief form to REACH:
( )
(Whatsapp)
REACH is responsible for
Translation from Arabic to English
Data entry (in English) electronically to template provided
Data analysis

62. Data collection planning
Selection of districts, groups and participants

63. Selection of districts
Per governorate, select 1 district where most communities have “high access” to markets and where there are significant number of IDPs
Per governorate, select 1 district where most communities have “low access” to markets and where there are significant number of IDPs
“High access”: < 45 minutes travel time to market
“Low access”: > 1 hour travel time to market
*might differ depending on district

64. Selection of participants
In an ideal focus group, all the participants are very comfortable with each other but none of them know each other
Homogeneity is key to maximizing disclosure among participants, e.g. all-women group, teachers-only group
Participant inclusion/exclusion criteria should be established upfront and based on the purpose of the study. Use the criteria as a basis to screen all potential applicants.

65. Selection of groups 4 focus groups per district
2 districts per governorate: 1 “high access”, 1 “low access”
High/low access determined by most communities in the district’s travel time to market, e.g.
“High access”: < 45 minutes travel time to market
“Low access”: > 1 hour travel time to market
IDP
Host Community
High Access or
Low Access
District
Male 1 3
Female 2 4

66. Selection of groups
Other possible focus groups: Muhamasheen Men/Women, IDP Returnees Men/Women
Groups should be of mixed age: at least 1 above age 60
IDP
Host Community
Muhamasheen
IDP Returnee
High Access or
Low Access
District
Male 1 3 5 7
Female 2 4 6 8

67. Selection of participants
Key individuals nominate people they think would make good participants
Nominees are familiar with the topic, known for their ability to respectfully share their opinions, and willing to volunteer about 2 hours of their time
If participants will come from a large but defined group (e.g. an entire camp) with many eager participants, names can be randomly drawn from a hat until the desired number of verified participants is achieved

68. Selection of participants
Once a group of viable recruits has been established, call each one to confirm interest and availability
Give them times and locations of the focus groups and secure verbal confirmation
Over-invite in anticipation of a no-show rate of 10 to 20 percent, e.g. invite 9 or 10 participants if you want 8 participants in a group