2016 ICT4D Conference

As the humanitarian aid sector has moved more towards choice-based provision of assistance, cash modalities have come to the forefront. While cash programming provides the benefits of flexible spending and promotes use of local market systems, new challenges have arisen about cash utilization and beneficiary tracking. Donors want assurance that funding is actually allocated to preferred types of assistance, but tracking cash use is complex. Additionally, while provision of cash is preferred, often affected locations in humanitarian crises have experienced disruptions in basic banking infrastructure. The RedRose One System provides an integrated e-marketplace platform, which can function both online and offline, and integrates beneficiary and vendor management, finance, and MEAL data on an online dashboard.
CRS in DRC launched, in October 2015, a six month emergency food assistance pilot project targeting 509 vulnerable returnee HHs near the city of Goma. The RedRose (RR) pilot aims to transfer a total of $141 to each beneficiary HH through smart cards (e-cards) using the ONEsystem RedRose platform. CRS/DRC began with a market study and, based on HHs' food preferences, 39 food commodities were integrated into the RR platform. Similarly, price data for all commodities was collected and included in the platform to avoid overcharging by vendors. The project remains flexible: based on beneficiaries' expressed needs NFIs were added to the assistance package. Commodity and NFI prices in the market are monitored weekly, which allows CRS to readjust the prices of the vendors if necessary. A post-activity monitoring tool will also be integrated in the field telephones for the RR platform.
CRS in Nigeria has utilized the RedRose One System in emergency food security programming and markets-based WASH programming, first utilizing the e-marketplace app on smartphones for vendors to makes sales to program participants who utilize smart cards, and second collecting data for pre and post intervention Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) surveys and post distribution monitoring (PDM).