D2.2. Validated context assessment framework

DigCBA focuses on supporting the use of technology to deliver humanitarian assistance in refugee crises. Humanitarian assistance is often provided to refugees through traditional in-kind assistance, cash-based assistance (CBA), or a combination of both. CBA refers to all programs where cash (or vouchers for goods or services) is directly provided to beneficiaries. While supporting local markets and the economy, CBA provides opportunities for refugees to make their own choices (according to their priorities and needs) about what essential goods or services they wish to buy. The importance of delivery of CBA has become prominent since the grand bargain in 2016, but the main challenge is with the digital transition from traditional cash assistance to digital CBA (i.e., delivering cash and voucher transfers by means of digital technologies such as mobile money), particularly in the Global South contexts where there is an extreme vulnerability. Considering the need of beneficiaries (refugees) at the center, it is highly vital to determine their needs and preferences and map the contextual factors that have an impact on the choice of a digitalized delivery mechanism for the CBA implementation.
This deliverable, thus, reports the validation of Task 2.2 (i.e., validating the assessment framework). The task is built upon the earlier findings from WP2, particularly Task 2.1 and D2.1.
The deliverable D2.2 is mainly composed of the findings from the field visit and a workshop held by interviewees as participants in Kampala- Uganda.
Although many contextual factors for implementing the digital CBA program were identified according to the humanitarian organizations' reports that addressed this issue with previous experiences in implementing digital CBA programs, the validation process results indicated a different order of importance for each contextual factor. The possibility of overcoming the difficulties of the implementation requirements must be explored according to the local context. Because the priority of "implementation requirements factors" varies according to the context, it is difficult to generalize the extent of implementation possibility based on a single specific experience.