Social Cash Transfer Scheme



_________________________________________ Social Cash Transfer Scheme in Zambia - Brief Introduction ________________________________________ The Social Cash Transfer scheme is administered by the Department of Social Welfare under the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, through the Public Welfare Assistance Scheme. The scheme is currently being piloted in 5 districts in Southern and Eastern province. Context The risks Zambians face have multiplied over time, turning life into a daily struggle and creating a vicious circle for development. Zambia ranks 163 out of 175 countries on the Human Development Index, the country frequently experiences droughts and food shortages and has one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the world, producing more than 1 million orphans and decimating to a great deal the productive generation of working age in Zambia. Due to these social economic changes in society, many households cannot mitigate adverse risks because nobody is fit to work, medical expenses peak and more children have to be looked after, fed and clothed. Malnourishment, absenteeism in school and the sale of valuable productive assets are often adopted as the last coping mechanisms that deprive households of the potential to invest in their future. In addition to being more prone to external shocks, these households are furthermore disadvantaged by the present landscape of development activities. Public works, agricultural programs and training modules for the unemployed fail to target these incapacitated households who are not able to work. Scheme objectives & design The Zambian Pilot Social Cash Transfer Scheme has the following objectives: To assist the most destitute and incapacitated households in society meet their basic needs, particularly health, education, food and shelter Generate information on the feasibility, costs and benefits and all positive and negative impacts of a SCTS as a component of a Social Protection Strategy for Zambia The scheme was officially launched in Kalomo in May 2004 and was up scaled to the cover the entire district by the end of 2007. In 2005, MCDSS extended the scheme to Kazungula and in February 2006 to Chipata district. In early 2007 the scheme was also extended to Monze and in September 2007 to Katete district, where it is being piloted as a Universal Age Based Pension targeting all individuals over 60 years.		_______________________________________ - NEWS - _______________________________________ A study evaluating targeting mechanisms for Social Assistance to highly vulnerable groups and a perception study of the Katete Old Age Pension have been completed and are available on the website The MoU governing support to the social cash transfer scheme between government and donors has now been signed. This has led to the introduction of basket funding for all the five pilots, unlike in the past where funds had to be accounted for separately with different donors. The 2007-2008 Implementation Framework Action Plan has been developed for the period September 2007-2008 and details activities to be undertaken in preparation for the decision to up scale the pilot schemes in December 2008 The Department of Social Welfare is now implementing the Social Cash Transfer scheme without direct technical support from CARE and GTZ, in all the five pilot districts The GTZ/Social Safety Nets officially phased out in December 2007. GTZ however, continues to provide periodic backstopping support to the Department of Social Welfare headquarters The official Zambia Social Cash Transfer documentary has been launched and can now be downloaded for from this site ________________________________________ Contents of the website ________________________________________ SP in Zambia: overview of the social protection sector in Zambia: 1) the social protection strategy and other studies that were commissioned to design the strategy, 2) the institutional setup including the social welfare structure in Zambia and the 3) monitoring and evaluation system for the social protection sector Cash Transfers: list of publications on the concept of cash transfers and the experience gathered worldwide Scheme Documents: 1) reports on the development and changes of the design, the progress made, challenges faced, 2) outlines all procedures, roles, guidelines and necessary forms in the scheme & 3) includes material for the training of social welfare officers, the district training, the training of trainers and the community training M&E: displays the database, documents the M&E system, and evaluates the feasibility, effectiveness and the impact of the social cash transfer scheme Studies: have been carried out to shed light on implications as well as design choices for a national cash transfer scheme Media Review: list of publications that report on the scheme TWG & Coordination: overview of other stakeholders who are actively engaged in social cash transfers in Zambia as well as the common implementation framework for upscaling, which has been developed by the Technical Working Group on Social Assistance Advocacy activities: events and measures undertaken to lobby for cash transfers as well as social protection in Zambia Capacity building: overview of capacity building needs as well as capacity building initiatives undertaken in the area of cash transfers and social protection. Includes now the programme as well as all presentations of the social protection trainings with the University of Maastricht and University of Zambia L'stone Conference: all presentations and speeches given at the intergovernmental regional conference on basic social protection that took place in Livingstone from March 20 - 23, 2006. Picture Gallery: a selection of pictures of the stakeholders, procedures and beneficiary households of the scheme Q&A: a question and answer session that responds to the concerns that are most often expressed around cash transfers Contacts: contact details for officers at district, provincial and national level of the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services

MCDSS