Publication: 2019
Linkages and Referrals System: A practical means to guide poor and vulnerable households to complementary services upon their needs
Cash Transfer Programs (CTPs) have global success in alleviating short-term poverty by providing direct, regular, fixed monetary assistance to households in need. These transfers reduce economic distress, enabling beneficiaries to prioritize essential needs like food, clothing, healthcare, debt repayment, and community involvement, fostering attitudinal changes and self-improvement.
While CTPs are vital for social protection, they alone cannot eliminate poverty or improve living conditions. Beneficiaries often require access to additional services and face limitations in information and service access. Ayala Consulting Group proposes a Linkages and Referrals (L&R) system to help CTP agencies systematically connect beneficiaries with complementary services in various sectors.
The L&R system aims to bridge the gap between CTP beneficiaries and Service Providers (SPs) in sectors like trade, agriculture, housing, labor, and more. It targets poor and vulnerable households, assesses their specific needs, and refers them to available SPs.
This paper outlines an L&R model based on international experiences and Malawi interventions by Ayala Consulting Group. Sections explore background experiences, previous Malawi initiatives, system design elements, implementation results, beneficiary and provider perceptions, lessons learned, and integration with other household registries.
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