The evaluation assessed relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability of cash programming using a mixed-methods approach. Data collection included 392 household surveys and 28 key informant interviews with NRC staff, community leaders, market actors, financial institutions, implementing partners, and GCT recipients.
Cash assistance was highly relevant, with 96.1% of respondents confirming its importance and 66.9% preferring cash over in-kind support. NRC adapted delivery to market conditions and engaged communities through consultations and market assessments. Challenges included inflation, donor preferences, and reliance on digital cash transfers, which limited access for some vulnerable groups, particularly IDPs, refugees, and women.
Cash transfers improved household wellbeing, with 86.9% of respondents reporting positive effects on daily life and 41.7% noting reduced negative coping mechanisms, such as debt and child labor. School, healthcare, and food expenditures were prioritized, and community relations strengthened. Operational challenges included liquidity constraints, network coverage issues, and transfer limits on digital platforms. NRC mitigated some barriers by expanding financial service providers and offering flexible delivery mechanisms.
Timeliness of delivery was high, with 96.3% of respondents satisfied. ICT-based tools (KOBO Collect, Bankak) improved verification and reduced fraud, though ID documentation gaps remained a challenge. Operational costs were higher than average due to logistics, staffing, and financial transfer fees.
Most interventions focused on short-term relief. While one-third of respondents used cash for debt repayment or savings, market actors and GCT recipients reported limited sustainability beyond NRC’s funding cycle.
The evaluation concludes that NRC’s cash programming effectively addressed urgent needs, strengthened livelihoods, and improved community relations, while highlighting areas for enhancing sustainability, efficiency, and inclusion.
