UNDP dialogues with partners on harmonizing Social Cash Transfer

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); the Government of Liberia (GOL) and the World Bank (WB), Wednesday commenced a 3-day discussion on the harmonization of the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) programme implementation plan in Monrovia.

The SCT programme is a UNDP, World Bank supported initiative that seeks to transfer cash to labor constrained and Ebola virus disease (EVD) affected households. including EVD survivors in Liberia.

 A UNDP’s press release says the Programme targets at least 12,500 labor constrained and EVD affected households in eleven (11) of Liberia’s fifteen (15) counties.

 At the opening of the three-day work-plan workshop in Caresburg City, Montserrado County, Deputy Gender Minister for Children and Social Protection, Linda Mae-Sherman, said while the Ministry welcomes the coming on board of various partners for the SCT programme, it was equally important to ensure that the implementation process is properly harmonized to avoid duplication of services.

 “The harmonization will ensure that the desired goals of the SCT programme are achieved”, Madam Sherman said.

 For her part, Deputy Finance and Development Planning Minister for Budget and Development Planning, Tanneh Geraldine Brunson, said the Social Cash Transfers programme was the first step in helping labor constrained and EVD affected households in the country.

 Ms. Brunson emphasized that it was important to ensure that each partner is assigned a specific and defined role in the implementation process in a coordinated manner.

 The three-day brainstorming exercise seeks to among other things, share GOL/WB/UNDP harmonized rollout plan for implementation of the SCT programme; identify areas of harmonization and collaboration with partners/organizations planning to implement cash transfers; and explore options for agreement on minimum standards for one harmonized rollout plan.

 UNDP Assistant Country Director and Team Leader for Sustainable Economic Transformation (SET) Pillar, Dorsla Farcarthy, said,  the SCT programme is one of several programmes being supported by the UNDP and other partners to impact the livelihoods of the people of Liberia.

“UNDP sees the SCT programme as a critical part of Liberia’s post EVD recovery process in transforming the livelihoods of the people of Liberia” Mr. Farcarthy stressed.

 The Chairperson of the Superintendent Council of Liberia, Grand Bassa County Superintendent Etweda Cooper, pledged the council’s fullest support in the implementation of the SCT programme here.

 It can be recalled that during her visit to the three Ebola affected Countries in February this year, specifically in Bomi County, UNDP Administrator Helen Clarke, officially launched the SCT programme along with Liberia’s Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Julia Duncan Cassell.