Post-Distribution Monitoring of Cash-Based Intervention 2023 [Tajikistan]

THE CBI PDM Household Survey was conducted in Tajikistan in January 2023. Tajikistan hosts the largest number of refugees in Central Asia, predominantly from neighbouring Afghanistan. While some progress has been achieved in areas such as access to health and education for refugees, livelihoods and self-reliance, though, continue to pose a challenge. As the result of Covid-19, refugees faced a myriad of challenges, including the loss of daily incomes and livelihoods to cover basic needs such as rent, food and health care. For refugees in Tajikistan, who largely rely on daily work, the impact of Covid 19 has been devastating as it has led to widespread unemployment. As a response measure, UNHCR jointly with its NGO partner provided Covid-19 cash assistance to 183 refugee households over the course of six months. The results from this survey suggest that cash assistance provided as an immediate measure to support vulnerable refugee households has had a positive impact on the lives of the respondents. Cash assistance predominantly has been spent to cover food, medicines and rent costs.

UNHCR uses Post-Distribution Monitoring (PDM) as a mechanism to collect refugees' feedback on the quality, sufficiency, utilization and effectiveness of the assistance items they receive. The underlying principle behind the process is linked to accountability, as well as a commitment to improve the quality and relevance of support provided, and related services. UNHCR increasingly uses Cash-Based Interventions (CBIs) as a preferred modality for delivering assistance, offering greater dignity and choice to forcibly displaced and stateless persons in line with UNHCR's core protection mandate. In order to ensure that the cash assistance provided meets the intended programme objectives and that desired outcomes are achieved, UNHCR conducts regular post-distribution and outcome monitoring with a sample or all of refugee recipients.

 The household survey covers the following sections:
1. Household demographics
2. Receiving and spending the cash assistance (basic facts)
3. Risks and problems: Did people face problems with the CBI? Did the CBI put POCs at additional risk?
4. Markets and prices: Can POCs find what they need, and at a price they can afford, in the markets?
5. Expenditure: What did people spend the money on?
6. Outcomes: What changes is the cash assistance contributing to in POC households?
7. Longer-Term Outcomes: Has the cash assistance helped put POC on the pathway to sustainable solutions?
8. Accountability to Affected Persons: Is the CBI intervention accountable to POC? (What preferences do people have over how assistance is delivered?)