19-21 June 2023
Workshop

Rapid assessment of social protection data of the Palestinian National Cash Transfer Programme

Location
  • Ministry of Social Development, Ramallah, Palestine
Contact information
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ESCWA Social Protection team is organizing a workshop in Ramallah, Palestine to evaluate potential areas of improvement of the Palestinian National Cash Transfer Programme using the Social Protection Programs Rapid Assessment Framework (SPP-RAF). The assessment evaluates the proxy means-test (PMT) formula used by the Programme to target potential beneficiaries, cover vulnerable groups and the potential inclusion/exclusion errors, and determine the profiles of beneficiaries.

Outcome document

Coverage evaluation

In certain regions, it is necessary to train the social workers and create balance and counterbalance mechanisms to review the validity of the questionnaires to avoid including (and excluding people) from the program due to the way they fill the questionnaire and not due to their needs. 

Targeting criteria

The PMT formula needs to be more inclusive of vulnerable groups directly impacted by gender (e.g., female-headed households). It also needs to integrate a stronger geographical component, which will reduce biased coverage.

Beneficiary profiling 

It is recommended that the Ministry design a single scoring process (by improving the PMT), then create clusters for all beneficiaries, and finally use these clusters to produce benefit packages that support the multidimensional needs of each household in the group. This recommendation will improve the program’s impact and reduce double-dipping-related costs. 

ESCWA first presented some general comments from conducing the SPP-RAF analysis.

  • The evaluation focus on the new targeting criteria developed by the PA.
  • Currently, there needs to be more clarity on how the multidimensional poverty index (MPI) is used in the beneficiary selection.

Then, ESCWA shared some findings from the coverage evaluation.

  • The new PMT formula might exclude certain vulnerable people of certain regions, while including others whose vulnerability conditions are not that high in other regions. 

ESCWA also discussed the results from assessing the targeting criteria.

  • The new variables used in the new PMT will negatively affect the eligibility of small urban families led by female-headed households. 

Lastly, ESCWA presented the characteristics of cash transfer beneficiaries through the statistical analysis. There are some clear profiles such as:

  • Poor female-headed households in Gaza with high dependency on aid, deficient housing conditions, and high barriers to engagement with the labor markets.

Medium size households in Hebron and Jerusalem with access to land and livestock and irregular employment.

  • The new PMT formula might exclude certain vulnerable people of certain regions, while including others whose vulnerability conditions are not that high in other regions. 
  • The new variables used in the new PMT will negatively affect the eligibility of small urban families led by female-headed households. 
  • Poor female-headed households in Gaza with high dependency on aid, deficient housing conditions, and high barriers to engagement with the labor markets.

Medium size households in Hebron and Jerusalem with access to land and livestock and irregular employment.

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