Art Appraisal Blog

This case study by the Cash Learning Partnership (CaLP) examines Togo’s Novissi program, focusing on the collaborative role of the non-profit GiveDirectly. It includes discussions of remote targeting and data responsibility.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic caused countries throughout the world to adapt their social protection systems to a radically new environment. This Maintains report uses literature reviews and informant interviews to document the social protection response in Kenya, evaluating it in terms of its adequacy, coverage, and comprehensiveness. As of its writing, the government of Kenya was expected to deliver social protection to over 700,000 households as part of...

COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on women must be urgently addressed through the provision of digital financial literacy and access.

This technical brief explains how Namibia was able to successfully execute its emergency program with remarkable efficiency, distributing a one-time benefit to 747,000 screened applicants, requiring only 72 hours to process each application. The case highlights the value of having invested in an integrated digital National Population Register, housing the Civil Registry and the ID Production System with a very high coverage, and linking it with other government electronic databases.

Despite efforts from governments across the globe, the poor lack awareness of social protection and welfare delivery programs. This blog explores the intricacies of government communication using case studies. It also discusses mastering the elements of planning, research, content, and outreach channels to develop an ideal communication strategy.

Nations worldwide have responded to COVID-19 through 1,100 social protection programs to help 1.8 billion-plus people. Yet recipients are largely in the dark about the programs and do not know how to access funds. This blog examines the importance of better communication around social protection programs, particularly for the vulnerable population.

MSC conducted a research study to assess what the low- and middle-income (LMI) segments in Uganda understand about COVID-19 in terms of awareness, preventive measures being taken, gender dynamics at play in their households, and the use of digital financial services during this time. We present our findings in this report.

COVID-19 has seen governments across the globe walk a tightrope as they scramble to contain the spread of the disease while keeping the economy stable. In this unprecedented situation, ground-level data for evidence-based decision-making assumes critical significance. This blog looks at five key lessons from MSC’s research on COVID-19.

Social cash transfers to vulnerable households and individuals have been adopted at an unprecedented scale across sub-Saharan Africa. While most programs initially relied on manual cash disbursements, digital payment technologies have been on the rise since the early 2000s. Through a survey of 130 programs in 44 countries this paper offers a comprehensive overview of payment instruments and providers used in the region. Although cash continues to play a key role in the disbursement of social transfers, the adoption of electronic payments through private companies is increasing and further payment reforms and digitization efforts can be expected.

Advances in payment infrastructure are enabling governments to channel payments through multiple providers, giving people greater choice over how to receive payments. This is an important shift with implications for financial services providers, recipients of government payments and financial inclusion.