Annex B: Lebanon Case Study

Cash and vouchers are increasingly provided as assistance to people affected by disaster and crisis. Studies and evaluations have firmly established that cash transfers can be an appropriate alternative or complement to in-kind assistance. Whilst some evidence exists on the Value for Money (VfM) of different emergency transfers, it tends to be
specific to certain countries or projects. Data has not routinely been documented or consolidated to determine useful cost metrics or cost drivers. To address this gap and inform its policy refresh, DFID is undertaking research on the Value for Money (VfM) of cash, voucher and in-kind transfers, which will lead to the development of DFID guidance.
Case studies were conducted in Philippines, Lebanon and Ethiopia. These contexts were selected because they represent different geographical regions and types of disaster (sudden onset disaster, refugee crisis and protracted food insecurity). For each country, a researcher contacted aid agencies to acquire data on cost and effectiveness and undertook interviews with individuals involved in planning and implementing
programmes using cash, vouchers and in-kind assistance. For the Lebanon case study, in-country research took place between 2 and 6 September 2014 in Beirut. More than 30 people, primarily from international aid agencies, were interviewed.