Beneficiaries’ Assessment of the Performance of Kenya’s Cash Transfer Programme for Orphans and Vulnerable Children: a Case Study of Embakasi Sub-county, Nairobi.

Abstract

This study was designed to utilize Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation (PM&E) and its approaches in assessing the performance of the Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (CT-OVC) programme in Embakasi Sub-County, Nairobi County. Cash Transfer programmes have been initiated by Governments to support vulnerable groups such as children. Assessing the CT-OVC programme from the perspectives of the beneficiaries is essential in determining the extent of success of the programme, the challenges the beneficiaries face in accessing the programme benefits as well as the ways of addressing these challenges. The first objective of the study was to establish whether the beneficiaries of the CT-OVC programme in Embakasi Sub-County, Nairobi were aware of the programme‟s objectives. The second objective was to assess the beneficiaries‟ perceptions on the extent of success of the programme. The study utilized the qualitative exploratory research design to explore the views, experiences and perceptions of the CT-OVC programme beneficiaries and key informants. The study was cross-sectional as the beneficiaries were picked at a point in time. The study relied on primary data that was gathered from the caregivers of orphans and vulnerable children in the CT-OVC programme‟s beneficiary households within the study area. The study targeted households benefitting from the CT-OVC programme in the study area. The study used purposive sampling; a technique that allowed the researcher to use judgment to select participants who best provided the information needed to achieve the study objectives. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews with key informants and caregivers in the programme‟s beneficiary households. Content analysis was relied on to analyze the data by identifying thematic aspects of the data, categorizing the information gathered into the various groups and continuously filtering the data to understand deeply the outcomes of the study. The study established that the beneficiaries of the CT-OVC programme in Embakasi Sub-County, Nairobi were aware of the programme‟s objectives and that the programme beneficiaries perceived the programme as important; with benefits touching on health, education, nutrition and social aspects of the beneficiaries despite some challenges experienced by the beneficiaries with the programme. Some of the challenges cited by the beneficiaries and key informants included; the lack of proper communication channels especially on the dates when payments will be made and delays in receipt of the money; inadequacy of the amount given to the beneficiary households since only a few needs could be met using the money. Based on the beneficiaries‟ assessment of the programme‟s performance, the study recommended the following; that the amount of cash transferred to the beneficiaries be increased so that the programme may have more impact on the beneficiary households; that the programme implementers and policy makers develop a comprehensive and practical participatory framework for the programme through which beneficiaries can participate in the designing, implementation and evaluation of the intervention; that the programme implementers consider opportunities in information, communication and technology (ICT) for instance mobile money transfers in order to improve efficiency of the programme and the programme implementers to come up with a systematic and scheduled monitoring system at all levels for instance through ensuring community-based monitoring activities are conducted on a routine basis.