Brian Kiswii's (UNICEF Malawi) presentation at the Transfer Project Workshop in Arusha, Tanzania on 4th April 2019.

1. NutritionCash for HHs
with Malnourished
Children in Mangochi
District
Part of DFID funded Lean Season Response

2. Why the
Project?
 Evidence that MVAC targeting criteria is not nutrition based.
 Nutrition needs for non MVAC benefiting HHs given the thin line in
poverty distances.
 Mangochi among districts with chronic malnutrition.
 Evidence on sharing (ration dilution) for OTP/SFP commodities at
HH level.
 Global evidence on nutrition CTs and reduced treatment periods
(nutrition outcomes).

3. The NutCash
Project
 3 months (January – March).Aligned to the lean season.
 3 cohorts (split into into 1, 2 and 3) with a total target of 5000
children.
 Transfer value of MKW 20,000 per cycle. 3 cycles planned.
 Transfer value calculated as a percentage of Cost of Diet estimates
(HH size 5) by ConcernWW for Mangochi.
 Nutrition messaging includes rational spend of cash on nutritious
diets.

4. Key
components
 The registration process (facility level).
 Active engagement of existing nut structures including Care
Groups.
 Targets SAM, MAM, RFU and CNST.
 Learning component limited to SAM cases only (treatment period
2- 3 months). MAM treatment takes longer plus follow ups.
 Complaint Feedback Mechanism (at registration and payment
points).
 Leveraged onWFP existing payment infrastructure (payment
points aligned to health facilities).
 Active engagement of DNCC andANCCs.

5. The learning
component
 Limited to SAM cases only in Cohorts 1 and 2.
 Cohorts 1 and 2 differentiated using admission dates (period
under treatment by the time of registration).
 Option to employ RDD or ComparativeAnalysis using historical
data depending on registered caseloads and therefore sample
size.
 Study variables majorly pathways rather nutrition outcomes (refer
learning framework).
 Food security indicators forms data points 1 (baseline) and 2 (end
line).

6. Limitations
 Planned againstActual Caseloads
 Fear that nut cash might have adverse effects (motivator)
 Short project period limits the transfer spacing; double payment
leads to huge cash payouts and utilization diversion.