HSCT management and implementation structure

The HSCT is managed and implemented at four levels: national, provincial, district and ward. The MOPSLSW is the institutional home of the programme.

The Department of Social Services (DSS) housed within the MOPSLSW has overall responsibility for programme leadership, management and ensuring effective implementation of the HSCT at all levels. At headquarter level the DSS has key staff members dedicated to the programme: Senior Social Welfare Officer, Programme Officers, MIS specialist and an Accountant. The DSS Deputy Director oversees the work the CT staff. The primary tasks of the HSCT staff within DSS at headquarter level are: planning and control, verification of targeting survey data, capacity development, information management systems, finance and administration, and advocacy and partnerships. At central level DSS coordinates with UNICEF to contract and monitor private sector service providers who deliver specific components of the HSCT programme for example the payment delivery agency, and the agency that carries out the targeting survey. The DSS also ensures that implementation of HSCT is in accordance with the NAP and social protection, and social transfers policy guidance (ibid., 22).

The DSS provides the sub-national management and implementation structures and resources that drive the HSCT programme. The provincial offices guide, supervise and control the implementing district offices. The Provincial Social Services Officer (PSSO) oversees the HSCT programme implementation and management at provincial level. The district offices have overall responsibility for ensuring that all district level stakeholders implement the programme efficiently and effectively and in accordance with the manual of operations and official directives and guidance from national and provincial offices (MOPSLSW 2014:23-24).

67 The DSSO heads the district office and ensures that all district social services programmes are implemented in accordance with district plans, policies and manual of operations. The DSSO is assisted by a Social Services Officer (SSO), Assistant SSO and an Accounting Assistant (ibid.).

At the ward, village and household level the DSS is assisted to carry out its HSCT programme delivery mandate by the Ward Child Protection Committees. The WCPC structures were in existence before the HSCT scheme started. They work on a voluntary basis. Membership of the WCPCs varies but generally but generally consists of community members (MOLSS 2012:19). The number of members varies with context, community needs and the strength of social capital in a community. One WCPC had 12 members and another had 43 (ibid.). The WCPCs are part of the implementation structure for the HSCT programme at ward, village and household levels.

Within each WCPC are named focal persons who work collaboratively with, and in coordination with the district offices. According to the MOPSLSW (2014:44-46) the main roles and responsibilities of WCPC in the implementation of the HSCT programme are:

i. Assist in the verification of targeting census results and ensure that all areas of the ward and all households are covered.

ii. Passing information to beneficiary households for example on approval into the programme, date, time, and location of payments as well as general communications between household and communities at the ward and district levels.

iii. Assisting immobile heads of beneficiary households to access their payments.

iv. Assisting the payment process.

v. Follow up when households have failed to collect their payments.

vi. Inform the DSSO when the head of a household has passed away or has moved out of the ward.

vii. Inform the DSSO when a representative has to be changed.

viii. Assist and protect beneficiary households with special reference to child-headed households.

68 The WCPC focal persons were trained in various delivery aspects of the HSCT programme including targeting, community verification, and payment processes. The manual of operations states that in order to facilitate the execution of their roles and responsibilities on the programme the WCPC focal persons should be provided with three bicycles for transport to visit beneficiary households and to deliver forms to the DSSO; copies of manuals of operation, and a file containing blank copies of HSCT forms (ibid., 46).

UNICEF is a key part of the coordination, implementation and management structure of the HSCT programme. It has fund management and technical assistance roles on the programme. UNICEF manages the multi-donor basket of funds through which donors channel their funds to the programme. UNICEF is accountable to donors for the management and proper use of the HSCT funds, monitoring results and managing risks and handling all procurement activities in the HSCT, for example contracting the delivery and targeting agencies (UNICEF 2011:27). As a technical partner to the MOPSLSW, UNICEF provides bespoke technical assistance and capacity development support to the DSS. At payment distribution points UNICEF’s role is to observe the payment process, and where requested by DSS provide support in the actual administration of payments (MOPSLSW 2015b:1).

Table 2.6: HSCT at a glance Year started 2011

Status Active. Officially ending 31 May 2016 Programme

goals

Alleviate short-term poverty and encourage long-term human capital development

Geographic targeting of districts based on poverty incidence, and proxy means testing with community verification

Coverage Aims to reach 55,000 households in 19 districts Household benefits

Payee Head of household or registered proxy Payment

method

Physical cash delivery by a private sector agency (CIT) at selected cash pay points in targeted wards

69 Payment

frequency

Every two months

Duration As long as eligible. Retargeting every two years.

Additional benefits

Child protection referrals. School going-children from HSCT households qualify for education assistance (scholarship) under the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM).

Conditions None: HSCT is an unconditional cash transfer. Beneficiaries are free to spend the CT in any way they want. for the HSCT houses beneficiary information (names of heads of households and official proxy representatives) including verification and change management data; generates pay sheets; and stores reconciliation records.

2.4 Epworth settlement profile