USAID OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE Cash Consortium for (CCI) Harmonized Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance for Vulnerable Conflict-Affected HHs Semi-Annual Report: Submitted April 30, 2019

Implementing Organization: Mercy Corps [lead agency, Cash Consortium for Iraq (CCI)] Iraq

Donor: Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, Office of Food for Peace Project Reference: 720FDA18GR00301 Budget: $13,250,000 Grant period: August 1, 2018 – May 31, 2019 Reporting period: August 1, 2018 – March 31, 2019 Contact information: District level areas of intervention district, Ninewa governorate district, Ninewa governorate Telafar district, Ninewa governorate Shirqat district, Salah al-Din governorate district, Salah al-Din governorate district, Salah al-Din governorate Balad district, Salah al-Din governorate district center, district, Anbar governorate district, Anbar governorate Ana district, Anbar governorate Ru’ua district, Anbar governorate Al-Qa’im district, Anbar governorate , Anbar governorate

I. Summary of overall achievements During the reporting period, the Cash Consortium for Iraq (CCI) partners (International Rescue Committee, Norwegian Refugee Council, Danish Refugee Council, Oxfam and Mercy Corps, as lead agency) worked together to reach 6,874 unique HHs (approximately 41,244 individuals) across conflict-affected areas of Ninewa, Salah al-Din, Anbar and Kirkuk governorates (Annex 1) utilizing multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) as an effective emergency response modality. A total of 18,681 transfers have been delivered and this cash assistance totaled $7,472,400 distributed in cash directly to vulnerable HHs to enable them to meet their critical basic needs. Throughout the reporting period, CCI Post- Distribution Monitoring (PDM) data showed that 99.9% of cash recipients were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the service. In addition, the data showed that cash remained HHs’ preferred assistance modality in 99.9% of cases. Finally, 81% of HHs receiving the one-off transfer and 79% of HHs receiving multi-month assistance reduced their use of negative coping strategies. The review of the CCI’s vulnerability model was undertaken during the reporting period, after being initiated in April 2018 and partnering with REACH Iraq on data collection in July - August 2018. The final models were presented to the CCI Steering Committee and to the Cash Working Group (CWG) Targeting and Vulnerability Task Force in November 2018, then the full CWG in mid-November 2018. It received full endorsement by the CWG and assessment pilots began in February 2019. Drawing upon the CCI’s wider portfolio, the CCI continues to promote shared learning across its awards. The CCI’s DFID funded Value for Money (VfM) study was finalized and presented to DIFD in December 2018 (Annex 2), after starting with initial cost analysis in February 2018 and again in August 2018, followed by two months of results validation and report drafting. The report was presented to other donors and stakeholders and other interested parties in Iraq in March 2019. This research provides the CCI with a better understanding of what its programming costs, and what aspects of its programming contribute to better overall effectiveness, such as the targeting methodology and linkages to other forms of assistance. The CCI continued to promote a comprehensive community-based approach to interventions and increased access to relevant support to meet different needs. In December, four CCI partners provided 7,449 referrals to enable UNHCR to deliver winterization cash assistance to vulnerable HHs. Most of these HHs were located in OFDA/FFP governorates of intervention, including Ninewa, Salah al-Din and Anbar. II. Context a. Context/Needs Analysis: Please provide a local-level update on the context where you are responding for OFDA-FFP. Why are you responding in the abovementioned locations? What are the needs?

The context of Iraq is slowly shifting from being an emergency to that of recovery. However, needs still remain high in most areas of return, and unless vulnerable HHs are able to meet their critical basic needs then efforts to promote recovery will be undermined, incomplete, and characterized by drastically unequal access to assistance. Since the Iraqi Security Forces have retaken previous and Syria (ISIS) controlled areas, displaced families have been going back to their areas of origin. In certain instances, returning to their areas of origin has been a big challenge due to a number of factors, among them, lack of social services, mistrust between communities and Popular Mobilization Units (PMUs) tasked with the provision of security in some locations, contamination of residential areas with remnants of war, and destroyed houses.

Ninewa According to International Organization for Migration (IOM)’s displacement tracking matrix (updated February 28, 2019), Mosul and Telafar are among the four districts that received the largest number of returnees. Telafar district in Ninewa governorate has received 54,741 returnee families (328,446 individuals) and has received 161,881 families (971,286 individuals). Compared to 2018, the returns in these areas had significantly reduced by the end of this reporting period, mainly due to lack of basic services in return areas, infrastructural damage, especially shelters, lack of employment opportunities and relatively better living conditions in camps. More than 1 million people from Ninewa governorate remain in displacement status.

MERCY CORPS OFDA/FFP Semi-Annual Report 2018-2019: Humanitarian Response for Conflict-Affected Families in Iraq 2 In Mosul district, the needs among the existing population remain high. HHs lack livelihoods opportunities and still inhabit damaged shelters. Companies that used to offer employment to the local population were destroyed by ISIS and subsequently by the fighting that ensued. In addition, the prevalence of unexploded ordnances (UXO), as well as damaged infrastructure, remain an issue both inside West Mosul and in the surrounding areas. Security in West Mosul has been a significant concern for HHs living in the area, as well as for INGOs working in the city, especially during the second half of this reporting period. A car bomb explosion on November 8, 2018 near Abu Layla restaurant, as well as a vehicle-borne explosive device detonating on a car travelling between Mosul and Rabia a week later, left many INGOs on high alert. In February 2019, a number of Iraqi Air Force (IAF) airstrikes targeting areas around Mosul in which ISIS militants were suspected to be operating were reported, as well as an IED explosion in Telafar which resulted in fatalities. As security concerns remained high throughout the reporting period, populations in Ninewa governorate feel vulnerable when conducting day-to-day activities. Although the number of displaced families in Ninewa governorate still remains very high at 91,112 HHs (546,672 individuals), the overall number of displaced families decreased during the reporting period by approximately 8.5%. In , however, there was a slight increase of roughly 3.5% during the same time period (3,937 IDP families as of August 31, 2018; 4,076 IDP families as of February 28, 2019). In October and November 2018, Sinjar district received over 100 IDP families following camp closures in governorate and other parts of Iraq. These families were originally from villages surrounding Sinjar town but were displaced into Sinjar town because their farmland and houses were still contaminated with UXO and remnants of war, which are yet to be cleared by authorities. Salah al-Din In the areas of intervention in Salah al-Din governorate, the humanitarian situation has remained stable with the returns process ongoing. The slower rate of return observed in late 2018 and early 2019 was mainly attributed to lack-of or destroyed houses and public infrastructures in addition to the sectarian issues and isolated security incidents. In addition to the returns, two events in Salah al-Din during the reporting period – flooding and camp closures – increased the numbers of displaced families. In November 2018, Iraq experienced torrential rain in Salah al-Din and Ninewa governorates, leading to the displacement of several thousands of people, destroying homes and property. Apart from the flooding, government camp management reported 100 families left the Qadissya Complex in following eviction threats on September 16, 2018. Furthermore, when Al Alam Camp 3 (also in Tikrit) closed in November 2018, this triggered secondary displacements within and outside Salah al-Din. For example, some IDP families from Al Alam camp were displaced to center while others lived in host communities. Secondary displacement complicated the situation for IDPs and caused multiple needs. In , militia groups controlling the area began to allow more families to return to their areas of origin. By March 2019, areas in Baiji, particularly the sub-district of Al Siniah, had received at least 200 returnee families. Continuing threats of camp closure or forced consolidation by local authorities threaten to increase secondary displacement or forced returns in the district. Even for those who have returned to Baiji, the needs remain high due to destroyed houses and lack of livelihoods opportunities. Anbar: During this reporting period, there were no major changes in the humanitarian context in the areas where CCI partners implement MPCA in Anbar governorate. In western Anbar, particularly in the districts of Ana, Ru’ua, and Al-Qa’im, needs among the population remain high. Many families that had returned to Al-Qa’im district in early-mid 2018 were forced to relocate to surrounding areas due to the lack of livelihoods opportunities, damaged infrastructure and lack of educational facilities. Increased tension in the western region of the governorate during late 2018, as military campaigns against ISIS across the border in eastern Syria intensified, which further increased needs within western Anbar as many community members were targeted for their affiliation with ISIS. Additionally, in January 2019, security concerns increased in western Anbar following reports that additional U.S. troops would be moved to the area. Field teams reported that many militias threatened to target those forces if seen, raising concerns among the local communities about potential conflict. In eastern Anbar, there were no major contextual developments during this period, though high levels of need in Fallujah continue due to lack of government services. The limited financial resources of returnees have been largely depleted by spending on essential daily items, transport, bottled water and rent; with many returnee families resorting to negative coping mechanisms, such as foregoing basic healthcare needs. In Anbar, the highest rates of vulnerability continued across most districts of Fallujah city. Winter conditions and heavy rain exacerbated HH vulnerability in Fallujah district. has received over 75,000 returnee families as of December 2018, many of whom were previously accommodated in AAF camps and other districts of Anbar, such as Khalidiya and . The rate of returns into

MERCY CORPS OFDA/FFP Semi-Annual Report 2018-2019: Humanitarian Response for Conflict-Affected Families in Iraq 3 Ramadi district has further pressurized basic services in the area. Damages to communication, water and electricity infrastructure are the most severe, the scarcity of which has a negative impact on both business and the day-to-day lives of the conflict-affected population. Kirkuk During the period under review, Kirkuk district center received a number of secondary displacements, mainly IDPs from Tikrit district in Salah al-Din governorate. These displacements were mainly caused by the merging of Al Alam 1 and 2 camps. The closure of the IDP camp also resulted in secondary displacement to Kirkuk district center. These IDPs could not return to their areas of origin due to a number of reasons, among them, lack of social services, mistrust between communities and PMUs tasked with the provision of security in some locations, contamination of residential areas with remnants of war and destroyed houses.

b. How has the situation evolved? The situation in Salah al-Din, Kirkuk and Ninewa governorates is transitioning from emergency to recovery and development, with continued emergency needs particularly among HHs that have been secondarily displaced. Throughout the reporting period, however, Iraq has continued to see a number of isolated security incidents across operation areas in Anbar, Ninewa, and Salah al-Din. These security incidents range from continued ISIS attacks to Turkish airstrikes on Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) positions in northern Iraq. In addition, continued tensions between Iranian-backed militia groups with Western forces, as well as inter-governmental tensions (between government parties and individuals), has caused uncertainty within the Iraqi population. These incidents, general tension, and uncertainty are not likely to dissipate in the near future. However, with diminished ISIS-held territory, military operations against the group have decreased compared early 2018, and thus many HHs have been able to return to their areas of origin with families beginning to rebuild their homes and pursue livelihood opportunities. However, camp closures and camp consolidations in Erbil, Ninewa, Salah al-Din and Anbar governorates during the reporting period have caused secondary displacement and will continue to do so in the coming months. In December, “Kilo 18” camp in Anbar governorate was officially closed and in January 2019 in Salah al-Din, the government decided to empty all IDP camps around the main cities, contending that most of the return areas within the governorate were safe and currently open for return. However, many families have claimed that they do not feel safe to return to their areas of origin due to lack of shelters and public infrastructures (such as schools and health centers) in many return areas. In terms of the social cohesion and security scale, concerns over violence linked to revenge, kidnapping, and tribal tensions remain very high and have even increased in some locations, especially in Anbar governorate. Throughout all governorates of intervention, long-term livelihoods opportunities are few, and provision of public services such as water and electricity is sporadic. In response, CCI partners will monitor and follow the return process and coordinate with each other for further support with cash assistance. III. Program Overview Goal: Meet the critical basic needs of vulnerable conflict-affected HHs by utilizing MPCA as an effective response modality and promoting coordinated and harmonized programming at scale through the consortium model.

OFDA Sector Name Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance Objective Vulnerable conflict affected HHs in Iraq have improved access to essential non-food items. Sub- Sector Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance Program participants Targeted Total HHs: 7,306 HHs (approximately 43,836 individuals)1 Program participants Reached Total HHs: 6,874 HHs (approximately 41,244 individuals)2

1 Individuals are estimated based on 6 members per household. 2 Individuals are estimated based on 6 members per household. MERCY CORPS OFDA/FFP Semi-Annual Report 2018-2019: Humanitarian Response for Conflict-Affected Families in Iraq 4 OFDA Indicator Baseline Target3 Progress Means of (Cumulative) verification

Indicator 1: Total number of people assisted through multipurpose cash 0 43,836 41,244 CCI Database assistance

Comparison Indicator 2: Total USD amount of cash between

transferred to beneficiaries (OFDA 0 distribution 5,717,984 only) 5,081,232 sheets, and financial records

Indicator 3: Percent of beneficiary HHs reporting adequate access to water, 67% 65% 94% CCI Database as defined by Sphere or national standards

Indicator 4: Percent of beneficiary HHs reporting adequate access to essential 47% 65% 82% CCI Database WASH non-food items, as defined by Sphere or national standards

Indicator 5: Percent of beneficiary HHs whose shelter solutions meet agreed 53% 65% 81% CCI Database technical and performance standards

Indicator 6: Percent of beneficiary HHs reporting adequate access to non-food 35% 65% 76% CCI Database items

Indicator 7: Percent of beneficiary HHs with “acceptable” food consumption as 63% 65% 87% CCI Database measured by the Food Consumption Score

Custom Indicator 8: Percentage of beneficiary HHs reporting that cash is 99.8% 90% 99.9% CCI Database their preferred assistance method

Custom Indicator 9: Percentage of HHs who report cash assistance 0% 80% 70% CCI Database helped them meet the basic needs they otherwise would have been

3 Targets are current as of the time of reporting; due to target realignments in early 2019, the targets in this indicator table have changed from the CCI’s originally proposed targets for this award. See section VII. “Notifications” for details. MERCY CORPS OFDA/FFP Semi-Annual Report 2018-2019: Humanitarian Response for Conflict-Affected Families in Iraq 5 unable to meet

Custom Indicator 10: Percentage of beneficiaries who are satisfied with the 0% 80% 100% CCI Database quality of service provided by CCI partners

FFP Sector Name Emergency Food Assistance Objective Vulnerable conflict affected HHs in Iraq have improved access to essential food items. Sub- Sector Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance Program participants Targeted Total HHs: 7,306 HHs (approximately 43,836 individuals)4

Program participants Reached Total HHs: 6,874 HHs (approximately 41,244 individuals)5 FFP Indicator Baseline Target6 Progress Means of (Cumulative) verification

Indicator 1: Total number of people assisted through multipurpose cash 0 43,836 41,244 CCI Database assistance

Comparison between Indicator 2: Total USD amount of cash 0 2,389,632 2,391,168 distribution transferred to beneficiaries (FFP only) sheets, and financial records

Indicator 6: Percent of beneficiary HHs with “acceptable” food consumption as 63% 65% 87% CCI Database measured by the Food Consumption Score

Custom Indicator 7: Percentage of beneficiary HHs reporting that cash is 99.8% 90% 99.9% CCI Database their preferred assistance method

4 Individuals are estimated based on 6 members per household. 5 Individuals are estimated based on 6 members per household. 6 Targets are current as of the time of reporting; due to target realignments in early 2019, the targets in this indicator table have changed from the CCI’s originally proposed targets for this award. See section VII. “Notifications” for details. MERCY CORPS OFDA/FFP Semi-Annual Report 2018-2019: Humanitarian Response for Conflict-Affected Families in Iraq 6 Custom Indicator 8: Percentage of HHs who report cash assistance helped them meet the basic needs they 0% 80% 70% CCI Database otherwise would have been unable to meet

Custom Indicator 9: Percentage of beneficiaries who are satisfied with the 0% 80% 99.9% CCI Database quality of service provided by CCI partners

Total HHs reached under OFDA-FFP during the reporting period only and add rows as required

Total HHs: Dist. 1 Total HHs: Dist. 2 Total HHs: Dist. 3 R1/one-off 1,046 R2/MMCA 755 697 R3/MMCA 5,828 5,372 4,983

Summary Assessment of Project Performance: Following the conflict in Iraq, this OFDA/FFP-funded project was designed in 2018 in response to the high level of vulnerability that still existed among host communities, families that had safely and voluntarily returned to conflict-affected areas, as well as those who remained in displacement. CCI partners are utilizing MPCA as a relevant, appropriate and preferred modality to meet critical basic needs among these vulnerable and displaced HHs in Ninewa, Anbar, Salah al-Din and Kirkuk governorates. By March 31, 2019, CCI partners reached 6,874 conflict-affected HHs (3,718 male-headed HHs and 3,156 female- headed HHs) with one-off or multi-month cash assistance (MMCA), reaching a total of approximately 41,244 individuals7 (21,035 male and 20,209 female) within the expected time-frame. CCI partners distributed R1 (one-off) cash assistance to a total of 1,046 HHs, reaching a total of approximately 6,276 individuals. This represents 86.4% of the target of 1,210 families under this result. 755 HHs were provided with an additional two months’ (R2) MMCA, and 5,828 HHs were provided with three months’ (R3) MMCA. Results for R2 and R38 targets exhibited 99.1% and 95.6% achievement of their targets, respectively. CCI partners are on track to meet or exceed all targets by the end of the project on May 31, 2019.

IV. Implementation

Assess market functionality and monitor prices: CCI partners conduct market assessments in all new areas of intervention using the Joint Rapid Assessment of Markets (JRAM) tool developed by REACH and used by all CWG partners. In areas where other organizations are already working, CCI partners use their findings instead of conducting a new JRAM. This collaboration and information sharing has been an added value to the cash interventions and a best use of resources though avoiding duplication of efforts. During the reporting period, CCI partners conducted new market assessments using the JRAM tool in West Mosul city and Tel Zalat village in Mosul district, and in Ayadiyah town in Telafar district, all in Ninewa governorate (Annexes 3, 4). The market assessment in Ayadiyah revealed that although there was significant destruction of private and public shops, lack of capital to rehabilitate them, and an overall lack of purchasing power among the local population, all basic commodities were available for purchasing through the existing retail outlets. Only the condition of roads appeared to impact access to goods and services.

7 Individuals are estimated based on 6 members per household. 8 R1, R2, and R3 are equivalent to 1 month (one-off), 2 months, and 3 months of MPCA distribution(s). MERCY CORPS OFDA/FFP Semi-Annual Report 2018-2019: Humanitarian Response for Conflict-Affected Families in Iraq 7 CCI partners also participated in the Joint Price Monitoring Initiative (JPMI) data collection throughout the governorates of intervention for this project using a standardized tool on a bi-monthly basis for eligible markets led by REACH. For the JPMI, data collection is usually divided up by districts. During the reporting period, CCI partners conducted JPMI data collection in the following districts: Mosul, Telafar and Sinjar in Ninewa governorate; Baiji and Balad in Salah al-Din governorate; Al-Qa’im, Ana, Ramadi and Jazeerat al-Khalediya (Fallujah) in Anbar governorate; and Kirkuk district center in Kirkuk governorate (Annex 5). Within these districts data was collected from markets which have been defined as permanent areas of commerce large enough to provide a range of food and non-food item (NFI) goods. The surveys were then sent to REACH for compilation and dissemination in a monthly factsheet or dataset, which gives an overview of price changes at the district and governorate level. The collected data of these price monitoring assessments covers the components of the survival minimum expenditure basket (SMEB) to inform the CWG partners and other stakeholders on any significant variations in the prices of key commodities. This is used to set an equitable cash transfer value for MPCA across Iraq and inform impact of ongoing cash assistance on local markets for programmatic decision-making. Data collected from the JPMI exercises during the reporting period revealed that prices have remained relatively stable and local markets have continued to show resilience by absorbing increased demand; however a slight increase in prices was seen in Al-Qa’im district due to the fluctuating security situation. Conduct vulnerability assessments: For each area of intervention under this OFDA/FFP funded award, CCI partners conducted blanket door-to-door vulnerability assessments using a methodology that promoted conflict sensitivity, inclusion, and on-site verification, by male and female staff. The door-to-door approach allowed partners to witness and confirm the vulnerability of the HHs being assessed and ensured equal opportunity for all HHs in a target location to be assessed for potential MPCA eligibility. The CWG-endorsed scoring model enabled CCI partners to identify the most vulnerable male and female-headed HHs. During the period under review, CCI partners conducted a total of 22,342 vulnerability assessments in the governorates of Anbar (6,304), Ninewa (8,518) and Salah al-Din (5,982) and Kirkuk (1,538). CCI partners then verified the eligible HHs after the assessments and conducted duplication checks with all CCI partners to ensure that HHs receiving MPCA from one partner had not also received MPCA from another CCI partner, or other cash actors. Of all HHs assessed and assisted, 49% were female-headed. The top priorities for HHs, in terms of needs, were food, cash, shelter and household items.

Fourteen percent of HHs were headed by a person with a disability. Forty-nine percent of all HHs were headed by a person with a chronic illness, ranging from 45% in Salah al-Din to 60% in Kirkuk. Ninety percent of those with a disability said their disability prevented them from finding work; 91% of those with a chronic illness said their illness or disability prevented them from finding work.

Sixty-four percent of HHs reported no member of their household had worked during the previous 30 days. Disaggregated at the governorate-level, this ranged from 57% in Kirkuk governorate to 70% in Anbar governorate. Although 99% of HHs on average across target governorates said at least one member of their household had access to temporary work, only 12% of HHs reported having regular work. CCI data also showed that HHs spend on average more than 269% of their monthly income, resulting in the frequent accumulation of substantial debt; the average total household debt of beneficiaries served with MPCA under this action was IQD 2,221,626 - over 14 times the average income.

Beneficiary selection: Utilizing the CCI harmonized vulnerability assessment tool, in coordination with community leaders, mayors, and mukhtars, CCI partners identified the most socio-economically vulnerable HHs in the targeted districts under this OFDA/FFP funded award. The current scoring system, established within the CCI and adopted in the CWG, includes a multitude of different social and economic factors to ensure partners are accessing the most vulnerable beneficiaries. Following these assessments, the information was uploaded to a database accessible only by each partner’s selected data team. The HHs were then scored in Survey CTO and the criteria was applied, showing which beneficiaries were eligible for R1, R2 and R3 categories. Conduct duplication checks and verification: Duplication checks were conducted throughout the reporting period. Following each vulnerability assessment, and prior to the cash distribution, CCI partners screened the list of eligible beneficiaries through the CCI database for potential duplications with partners. Further, if the unique ID (Public Distribution System “PDS” number) of the HHs was shown to be a duplicate, it was circulated to other CCI partners to double check the receipt of MPCA grant. If reported received, the partner removed the household from the eligibility list. The duplication cross check has proven to be an effective measure to avoid overlap of serving beneficiaries. This is also MERCY CORPS OFDA/FFP Semi-Annual Report 2018-2019: Humanitarian Response for Conflict-Affected Families in Iraq 8 possible thanks to the data sharing agreement within the CCI partners and other cash actors who are part of the database. After preparing the list of potential beneficiaries, CCI partners conducted verification in all districts of intervention during the period under review. The verification surveys were usually done by telephone and some core questions from the vulnerability assessment were re-administered to validate the accuracy of information supplied by participants during assessment. The interviews were conducted covering a sample size using confidence level of 90% and error margin of 10%. Further, the verified caseload with an error percentage of less than 20% was considered for distribution, and any beneficiary population with a higher percentage of error was assessed for 100% verification. Any beneficiaries who were identified as not meeting the selection criteria through the verification process were removed from the list. No partners reported any samples with an error rate above 20% during this reporting period.

Distribute MPCA: Throughout the reporting period, CCI partners distributed MPCA to R1, R2 and R3 beneficiaries, adhering to a harmonized process outlined in the CCI Accountability Guidelines (Annex 6). All CCI partners provided a cash assistance package that has been aligned to the standards endorsed by the CWG in terms of amounts, frequency and duration, currently set at IQD 480,000. During the period under review 99% of OFDA/FFP MPCA beneficiaries said they were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the amount of the cash transfer. UNOPS IDP call center cards were distributed with cash transfers to promote increased awareness of locally available free education/health services. 99.9% of beneficiaries said they were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the service they received from CCI partners. To facilitate fund transfers in Iraq, the CCI partners have been using money transfer agents (MTAs) throughout the program to deliver cash transfers to beneficiaries since they are trusted, accessible and preferred by target beneficiaries. MTAs were selected on the basis of transparent, competitive, and fair procurement processes. Partners’ staff were present at distribution sites to verify identification of beneficiaries, confirm transfers, and provide beneficiaries with multiple avenues for providing feedback and/or complaints in accordance with compliance procedures and “Know Your Customer” standards. One-off emergency cash transfers: CCI partners made 1,046 one-off emergency (R1) cash transfers during the reporting period.

Multi-month Cash Assistance: 2 months MMCA and 3 months MMCA: CCI delivered 1,452 transfers to 755 R2 HHs. In total, 697 R2 HHs have received the transfers in full. In addition, 16,183 R3 transfers were delivered to 528 R3 HHs during the reporting period. In total, 4,983 R3 HHs have received the transfers in full.

Promote feedback and accountability: In line with CCI Accountability Guidelines (Annex 6) and best practices in cash programming, throughout the reporting period CCI partners incorporated a community feedback and response mechanism (CFRM) as part of this OFDA/FFP-funded project to ensure that beneficiaries had ample opportunity to provide feedback or complaints both during and after the distribution process. CCI partners used a variety of components in this mechanism, including, but not limited to: (1) dedicated accountability staff at distribution points, in order to provide face-to-face responses to complaints and/or feedback; (2) agency complaint/feedback hotlines and email addresses, for which contact information was handed out at distribution sites; (3) a help desk used to address issues that arose during the distribution and to provide immediate solutions when feasible; (4) a complaints box at each distribution for beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries alike to raise anonymous complaints and/or feedback if they do not have a telephone or do not feel comfortable raising their complaints and feedback through the hotline; and (5) cards detailing the UNOPS call center as an alternative route for complaints handed out to beneficiaries, providing an opportunity for beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries to raise complaints and also to be referred to other forms of assistance offered by other partners aside from MPCA. CCI partners informed the beneficiaries all complaints/feedback mechanisms are handled by staff who are independent from the cash team, and that registering complaints/feedback had no bearing on eligibility for cash assistance.

After receiving and reviewing the complaints, partner staff followed up and provided responses to each complaint. During the reporting period, a total of 3,783 complaints were received throughout the four governorates of intervention. By the end of the award, 87% of those complaints had been resolved. The average response time for a complaint was 5 days. The most popular mechanisms for raising complaints were the hotline 78%; in person 15%; and complaint boxes 7%. The most common categories of complaints were beneficiary selection and targeting, requests for assessment, and

MERCY CORPS OFDA/FFP Semi-Annual Report 2018-2019: Humanitarian Response for Conflict-Affected Families in Iraq 9 requests for information. At PDM, 88% of HHs reported being aware of the CCI’s feedback mechanisms. 100% reported being “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the overall service they received from CCI partner cash teams.

Enable monitoring, evaluation, and learning: Post-distribution monitoring surveys (PDMs) (Annex 7) were conducted three to four weeks after every cash distribution in line with CCI standardized methodology. CCI partners conducted interviews with HHs over the phone or in-person by administering the harmonized PDM tool. Since the start of the program, the number of surveyed HHs totaled 1,012 in Ninewa, 884 in Salah al-Din, 826 in Anbar and 108 in Kirkuk. PDMs conducted since the start of this project have focused on measuring both the recipients’ feedback of the cash distribution process, appropriateness of the amount, and the impact on socio-economic indicators such as income sources, household expenditure, and use of coping strategies. The findings showed high levels of beneficiary satisfaction. The majority of HHs receiving cash (99.8%) were satisfied or very satisfied with the selection process, and 99% reported being content with the amount of cash distributed. The distribution sites were described as being safe by 99.9% of HHs and deemed accessible by 99.5% of HHs across governorates. The PDM surveys also showed a significant decrease in negative coping strategies (79%) for the HHs targeted by the intervention. The coping strategies that showed the highest reduction across the cash delivery modalities were (i) reducing access to healthcare, (ii) eating smaller meals and (iii) reducing spending on basic household items. Looking at household expenditure, results showed that beneficiaries spent their MPCA on food, debt repayment, rent and fuel. Seventy percent reported that the cash assistance allowed them to buy new assets, goods, and services that they would otherwise not be able to purchase. To ensure quality of cash distributions, and as part of the monitoring, learning and accountability process, CCI partners have developed a variety of methods to monitor on-site cash distributions. At distributions, CCI partners also conducted interviews with randomly chosen beneficiaries, asking questions related to the distribution process, contact with program staff, beneficiary selection process, etc. These exit interviews allowed CCI partners to collect feedback from beneficiaries, quickly addressing any challenges and improving future distributions. To further strengthen accountability and promote learning within CCI partners, Peer to Peer monitoring visits (P2P) were piloted and adopted as one of the tools by the CCI. P2P, an ECHO-funded initiative piloted in early 2018, involves each CCI partner monitoring a distribution conducted by another CCI partner, and administering a short form on site to assess quality, promote learning, enhance oversight, and enable best practices to be transferred, ultimately benefiting CCI partners across all donors and areas of intervention. During the visit, the partner that is tasked with monitoring, recorded their observations on the other partner’s practices of checking names and ID, organization of waiting areas and queues, prioritization of women, children, the elderly and disabled, crowd management, MTAs, receipt of cash documentation and existence of beneficiary feedback mechanisms and communication with beneficiaries throughout the process. During the period under review, 12 P2P visits were conducted throughout the governorates of Ninewa, Anbar and Salah al-Din. All 5 CCI partners took part in these monitoring visits, as monitors and as hosts. Third party monitoring provided another avenue for feedback on the distribution process. Throughout the reporting period, OFDA third party monitor IBTCI/IMEP conducted several visits to CCI partner distributions across three governorates of intervention: January 15 in Baiji district, Salah al-Din governorate (150 R3 HHs); February 11 in Ramadi district, Anbar governorate (135 R3 HHs); February 25 in West Mosul city, Mosul district, Ninewa governorate (197 R3 HHs); and March 17 in Sinjar district, Ninewa governorate (95 R3 HHs). During the visits, the monitoring team conducted interviews with partner staff, key informants (such as mukhtars, local officials and MTA representatives) and held focus group discussions (FGDs) with beneficiaries. All site visits received a “green flag” from the monitor.

Coordination: Consortium-wide updates: The review of the CCI’s vulnerability model was undertaken during the reporting period, after being initiated in April 2018 and partnering with REACH Iraq on data collection in July - August 2018. To foster closer alignment with the World Bank (in line with outputs in the action plan developed after the Cash-Social Protection workshop with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MoLSA) in April 2018), three regional vulnerability models were developed. The final models were presented to the CCI Steering Committee and to the CWG Targeting and Vulnerability Task Force in November 2018, then the full CWG in mid-November 2018. It received full endorsement by the CWG and assessment pilots took place in February 2019 in the following governorates: Anbar (Fallujah and Ramadi districts); Salah al-Din (Tikrit and Shirqat districts); Kirkuk governorate (Kirkuk district center); and Ninewa (Mosul district). Other CWG partners also conducted pilot assessments. The CCI contributed to subsequent revisions of the form, the training

MERCY CORPS OFDA/FFP Semi-Annual Report 2018-2019: Humanitarian Response for Conflict-Affected Families in Iraq 10 of field teams and database officers/managers. This updated vulnerability model and assessment tool will be used in forthcoming CCI awards. During the period under review CCI continued pursuing new business development activities in an effort to continue its emergency cash response activities where needed, while transitioning to early recovery programming. Since January 2019, the CCI has submitted proposals to ECHO (EUR 1.25 million); DFID (GBP 6 million); Global Affairs Canada (CAD 5 million); and OFDA/FFP (USD 13,250,000). In addition to providing MPCA to vulnerable, conflict-affected families, these proposed projects will also include other activities such as legal assistance, financial literacy training, local NGO mentorship and collaboration with MoLSA to address barriers to the Iraq social safety net (SSN). As ECHO is now primarily focusing on in-camp assistance in Iraq, the CCI’s proposal was unfortunately not approved for funding. At the end of this reporting period, the CCI is still awaiting final donor response for proposals submitted to GAC, OFDA/FFP and DFID.

Coordination with other humanitarian actors (cash and non-cash): Throughout the reporting period, CCI partners have coordinated with cash and non-cash actors to promote accountability, community buy-in, and avoid potential duplication. During the period under review, CCI partners shared information with Tearfund, who were also implementing MPCA activities in Kirkuk district center and Hawija town. In East Mosul city, CCI partners coordinated with non-CCI cash actors Un Ponte Per (UPP), Terre des Hommes (TDH) and Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF). These three NGOs were referring vulnerable families they identified through their programs for vulnerability assessment for cash assistance. In Telafar district, CCI partners liaised closely with other actors in the area through regular participation at coordination meetings organized by the Community Resource Center in Telafar city. During the reporting period, CCI partners also liaised closely with social cohesion actors Non-Violent Peaceforce and Danish Demining Group (DDG) implementing in the area. This coordination has proven very important to promptly address potential community tensions arising from the distribution of targeted cash assistance, promote community buy-ins, and ensure that community needs flagged by social cohesion partners were addressed through complementary programming. CCI partners have maintained good relationships with other non-cash actors such as Mosul General Hospital administration, and school authorities in Telafar (Alashiq School, Al Shakereen School and Temerat School) from where CCI partners have been conducting cash distributions in Mosul and Telafar. In Anbar governorate, coordination between CCI partners has included, but not been limited to, exchanging of information about security in the shared areas of operations inside Anbar, access updates, and cross checking of distribution lists to prior each activity carried out by each party. Particularly in Al-Qa’im district, CCI partners have coordinated with each other in the Ru’ua-Al-Qa’im corridor. CCI partners will also continue to coordinate with non-CCI actors including TDH and People in Need (PiN) to mitigate overlap and facilitate caseload re-direct. In eastern Anbar, only one CCI partner is currently active in Fallujah city, and coordinates closely with ICRC, who are also present in neighborhood. Finally, CCI partners have coordinated internally within their own agencies, to facilitate referrals. One partner’s Cash and Livelihoods teams in Anbar and Salah al-Din received additional internal referrals from its agency’s Protection teams and its Community Resource Centers (CRCs) in Anbar and Salah al-Din (both funded by OFDA under the partner’s bilateral OFDA award). These referred HHs were included in the aforementioned vulnerability assessments conducted during this reporting period. Another CCI partner’s MPCA team is working with its agency’s WASH team to implement E-Vouchers (for water and hygiene items) for vulnerable communities in Anbar and Ninewa through its bilateral OFDA WASH award.

Field Coordination: Field coordination among CCI partners and other actors has happened frequently throughout the reporting period. In Ninewa governorate, a CCI partner was the only cash actor in Sinjar district and coordinated with Dorcas International and the ICRC. Both agencies were planning a cash for protection program in Sinjar town. In East Mosul, four CCI partners were implementing MPCA activities during the period under review. Close coordination between these partners was imperative, and was premised on information sharing concerning areas being targeted, challenges, opportunities, P2P monitoring, etc. In January 2019, a CCI partner is the only cash actor operating in Ayadiyah town (Telafar district) and one of few NGOs operating in central Ayadiyah sub-district. In light of the significant damage and needs identified in the location, the partner is scaling up its multi-sectoral program in Ayadiyah town and surrounding villages. This will include livelihoods services as well as protection, WASH and shelter activities, all provided from a Community Support Center established in the town center. This multi-sectorial and area-based approach is based on a strong internal and external

MERCY CORPS OFDA/FFP Semi-Annual Report 2018-2019: Humanitarian Response for Conflict-Affected Families in Iraq 11 referral system that not only allows the partner to cater to the variety of needs identified by vulnerability assessments but also provides a graduated approach to livelihoods and economic recovery. This starts with MPCA to support returnee HHs following displacement and continues with the provision of cash for work opportunities for the rehabilitation of public infrastructure (including shops owned by the municipality), and a small-medium enterprise (SME) development scheme to revitalize the local business environment. In Salah al-Din, two CCI partners worked closely together to assist newly returning families to Baiji district. In March 2019, the two partners coordinated to divvy up operational areas in order to cover 200 newly returned HHs in the district. Also in Salah al-Din, CCI partners hold regular coordination meetings in Tikrit where partners share information and discuss intervention areas to avoid duplication. In addition, CCI partners coordinate with local authorities in the respective districts, as well as with community leaders such as mukhtars and communities. Partners also coordinate with different security apparatus in their operation areas to ensure safety and security and access related issues. In Anbar governorate, CCI partners obtained all necessary approvals from local authorities and coordinated with the local council of Mukhtars and community leaders in Fallujah, Ramadi, Ana, and Al-Qa’im in order to facilitate access and acceptance of CCI partner project activities throughout the Fallujah – Al-Qa’im corridor. Partners attended regular meetings and discussions with the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Centre (JCMC) in Anbar governorate to facilitate CCI partner’s daily presence in the districts of Anbar and to maintain the network of communication with local authorities there. These meetings focused on CCI partner’s targeted groups, including discussion about CCI MPCA interventions, selection criteria and payment mechanisms. In Fallujah district, one CCI partner coordinates very closely with ICRC in Saqlawiyah village, as there are few other actors in this location, in order to avoid duplication of beneficiaries and share crucial information (i.e. needs assessments, access issues) to strengthen the response in this location. Engagement in the CWG: Between July and September 2018, CCI partners’ cash teams in Ninewa, Salah al-Din, and Anbar, along with other members of the CWG, participated in an interagency data collection exercise for a multi-cluster needs assessment (MCNA). Not only did CCI partners contribute enumerators to promote widespread data collection, but the Technical Working Group (TWG) also added questions on consumption to the MCNA to enable the data to be used to inform the CCI vulnerability scoring model review. Throughout the reporting period, CCI partners coordinated closely with the CWG in the revision and piloting of the CCI’s vulnerability model (see “Consortium-wide updates,” above). Prior to the pilot assessments, a CCI partner coordinated with the CWG in Erbil to host a meeting for all CWG partners taking part in the pilot. In Mosul, the CCI partner also hosted a CWG-Ninewa meeting and conducted a training for the new vulnerability assessment for field teams of all cash actors operating in Ninewa governorate. This important effort in revising the vulnerability model promoted increased accuracy and harmonization across the community in support of the CWG goals (Annex 8). In March 2019, the CCI also participated in discussions within the CWG on the scoring thresholds that will determine eligibility for one-off, R2 and R3 transfers. Also during the reporting period, Mercy Corps continued to hold the position of co-lead for the national CWG based in , and DRC held the position of co-lead for the South-Central CWG in . All CCI partners engaged with the national CWG on the harmonization of tools and approaches for MPCA and other forms of cash assistance. Along with over two dozen member NGOs, CCI partners regularly participated in national and regional CWG meetings, bringing CCI and non-CCI cash actors together to review activities, plans, challenges and recommendations, and ensure a flow of communication and programming, to avoid overlap with other actors. Minutes of these meetings were shared with all attendees. CCI partners also uploaded all beneficiary numbers and details of their MPCA activities to the ActivityInfo platform at the request of the national CWG, and provided information about their respective agency’s presence to feed into the 4W mapping carried out by the CWG.

Protection Mainstreaming: CCI partners promote do no harm, conflict sensitivity, and adherence to all humanitarian principles as enshrined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) (Annex 9). Protection is also mainstreamed through each component of the CCI program cycle-- including assessment, distribution, M&E, and legal assistance. Across all four governorates of intervention, CCI partners promoted a do-no-harm approach by closely liaising with local authorities and stakeholders to ensure that beneficiary targeting was transparent and inclusive and to minimize the risk of escalation of inter-communal tensions linked to targeted cash programming. Access to assistance and services was also promoted through a variety of measures implemented across all project sites, including:

MERCY CORPS OFDA/FFP Semi-Annual Report 2018-2019: Humanitarian Response for Conflict-Affected Families in Iraq 12 ● Door-to-door assessments conducted to minimize the risk of exclusion of highly vulnerable HHs, including those with physical or cognitive disabilities or those whose access to the public sphere is limited due to strict social norms. The distribution was also organized from a location that is accessible to all community members. ● All assessed HHs reporting significant protection concerns, including lack of civil documentation, were referred to CCI partner legal assistance teams for follow up. ● The selection of a location for distribution that was accessible to all population groups, irrespectively of their status, gender, age, and physical disabilities. ● The organization of cash distributions over multiple days, to maximize the capacity of vulnerable HHs to collect cash assistance. ● Extensive community liaising with community members to ensure maximum inclusivity in targeting methodology. Beneficiaries’ data were handled with high confidentiality. During the period under review, local authorities in some targeted areas such as Balad district in Salah al-Din and several districts in western Anbar governorate asked CCI partners share beneficiaries’ data (see “Security, Operational Issues” and “Challenges” sections below). On each occasion, CCI partners refused to share beneficiary lists and other personal information of beneficiaries with any third party as per the CCI and protection clusters procedures/guideline at the country level. In response, two partners put all cash activities on hold to maintain this position. Even in these cases, however, CCI partners still maintained engagement with local authorities and encouraged them to participate actively in the monitoring process and provide their feedback to strengthen quality of services and reach the most vulnerable people. The CCI also engaged with the wider humanitarian community to strengthen its protection-based response across all its activities. In November 2018, a CCI partner participated in a UNHCR workshop on gender-based violence (GBV) mainstreaming into humanitarian programming and the identification of focal points in each of the clusters, including the CWG. This represents another important effort to support the CWG. Meanwhile, in December, the CCI protection partners (IRC, NRC, DRC) developed and delivered protection mainstreaming trainings for cash staff to all CCI partners. The aim of the training was to introduce protection principles to non-protection focused staff who are involved in the implementation of MPCA programming. Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities and older people: Disability and elderly persons living in a household are important factors in the selection of beneficiaries for MPCA. This ensures that people with heightened social and economic vulnerabilities resulting from increased barriers to the establishment of sustainable livelihoods opportunities are favored by MPCA assistance. Of all HHs assessed and assisted during the reporting period, 14% were headed by a person with a disability. 90% of those with a disability said their disability prevented them from finding work. During security assessments for cash distribution sites, special attention was made to ensure that people with disabilities could easily access the cash distribution sites. During all cash distributions, people living with disabilities and the elderly were given first priority as they were not allowed to stand and wait in queues. Upon their arrival, they were served and return home. In many cases, partner cash teams facilitated the payment of a cash allocation to women or elderly persons who were not able to move easily or enter the distribution location, by conducting the distribution process in or near their transportation - this is demonstrated in the provided photos (Annex 10). Gender Analysis and Mainstreaming: The current vulnerability criteria used to target beneficiaries in this project includes criteria relating to gender and age, as well as high dependency indicators such as HH members with chronic disease or disability. Female-headed HHs (single women, widow, separated) and HHs headed by female/male children receive extra scores, subsequently increasing their chances of qualifying for a MPCA grant. PDM for this project also includes considerations on gender-related issues in relation to cash programming. Data emerging from PDMs conducted during the reporting period has consistently demonstrated that MPCA does not cause disagreements. Women with children are prioritized to receive their cash allocation first at distributions, and distribution locations are chosen close to the target community to avoid women having to walk a long way to collect their cash. In addition, NRC cash team consists of both male and female staff to ensure equal access for beneficiaries, particularly for women, to address their specific needs and respond to their questions/complaints directly through the female staff. Legal referrals: Through the CCI assessment tool, CC partners have identified and referred 465 OFDA-funded MPCA beneficiaries for legal assistance throughout the four governorates of intervention during this reporting period. All cases were related to missing of civil documents like public distribution service (PDS) card, personal ID, birth certificate, and nationality certificates. CCI partners are following up with these beneficiaries to ensure timely delivery of legal services.

MERCY CORPS OFDA/FFP Semi-Annual Report 2018-2019: Humanitarian Response for Conflict-Affected Families in Iraq 13 V. Security, operational issues Before intervening in a given location, CCI partners conduct a detailed security assessment and a proper risk analysis to understand the conflict dynamics, identify potential risks associated with cash transfer programming and put the mitigation measures in place. Under this OFDA/FFP funded action, CCI partner security teams monitored the security situation in all four governorates of intervention on a regular basis in order to ensure a proper implementation of the project and to place the safety of staff and beneficiaries above all. The escalated military operations in Syria during 2018, especially in cities bordering extreme western Anbar governorate, affected the security situation for partners operating in Al Qa’im district occasionally, including delays at checkpoints. Accordingly, CCI partners set specific security management plans and SOPs to deal with the security risks and heightened concerns of safety during program implementation, and safeguarding its staff, assets, activities and beneficiaries. During times of security deterioration, staff movement was restricted. Additionally, partners maintained high level coordination with the local authorities to ensure secure implementation field and staff safety. However, issues reached a peak in February 2019 when unreasonable demands were made by militia groups in control of the district about obtaining a partner’s beneficiary lists and escorting the team in assessments while armed. CCI partners refused to share beneficiary lists and other personal information of beneficiaries with any third party as per the CCI and protection clusters procedures/guideline at the country level. In response, the partner put all cash activities on hold in the district until tensions decrease (as of the end of this reporting period, these activities are still on hold). Going forward, the partner’s security and liaison team is working closely with Al-Qa’im authorities, visiting contacts in the district every week. The partner is hoping to quickly resolve the issue, ensuring they can regain access to the district without compromising their humanitarian principles. Another partner, along with other INGOs operating in Al-Qa’im faced some challenges in accessing Al-Qa’im district where the PMUs asked for more access documents and direct coordination with them, even when the partner and other agencies already had a valid JCMC letter. The PMUs claimed the JCMC did not provide them with enough and timely information about the INGOs working in Al-Qa’im city. However, through the coordination with the Mayor’s office and negotiation with the PMU, access was granted. In Salah al-Din, a CCI partner had to stop its intervention in Balad district in November 2018 due to local authorities requesting beneficiary lists for all cash distribution. Since this is against data protection policy and humanitarian principles, the partner put its activities on hold while negotiating to regain access. In February 2019, the access was granted again without requesting the lists. Elsewhere in Salah al-Din, activities were occasionally, temporarily suspended during the award period due to isolated security incidents, including a car bomb in Tikrit in November 2018 and security incidents along the Baiji – Shirqat corridor (IED explosions, arrests, etc.) throughout the reporting period; however, these issues did not significantly impact programming. In Ninewa, minor access delays resulted from security incidents in and around Mosul district. For instance, a car bomb outside of a popular restaurant in Mosul in November 2018 put activities on high alert during the time and delayed operations in the district for a few days. In addition, an IED explosion in Telafar district, as well as Turkish airstrikes in the surrounding area in February 2019, further delayed operations in the area. However, these security incidents did not significantly impact operations. VI. Challenges, Successes, and Lessons Learned Although CCI partners faced a number of challenges during the past seven months, the team also achieved major successes through the award. These successes included quickly responding to new returnee waves in Baiji district, Salah al-Din. In addition, the program team continued to work in difficult to reach areas, including areas in western Anbar Ru’ua and Al-Qa’im, to provide cash to extremely vulnerable populations. CCI partners were also the first cash actors to intervene in Ayadiyah town and Abo Maria in Telafar district, Ninewa governorate. CCI partners also successfully leveraged the greater portfolio by linking DFID funding and this OFDA/FFP funded award during the period under review. Two hundred R3 HHs received the first payment of cash assistance under DFID and were then transferred to this award to receive the second and third rounds of MPCA. This enabled CCI partners to reach more beneficiaries during the period under review. In January and February 2019 in particular, CCI partners faced significant delays in the issuance of access letters by the JCMC leading to delayed access to program sites. In January, there was a delay of almost a month between the expiry date and the issuance of a new access letter in Sinjar district, Ninewa governorate. This subsequently led to the postponement of cash distributions in Sinjar town, which were resumed in March. Another CCI partner, implementing in Al-Qa’im reported that they and other INGOs faced some challenges in access to Al-Qa’im district. PMUs requested additional access documents and direct coordination through these PMUs, even when CCI partners and other INGOs MERCY CORPS OFDA/FFP Semi-Annual Report 2018-2019: Humanitarian Response for Conflict-Affected Families in Iraq 14 already had valid access letters from the JCMC. However, this was resolved shortly thereafter when the INGOs met the Mayor of Al-Qa’im in the presence of the PMUs representative to discuss this challenge and provide an immediate solution. Local authorities requesting or demanding beneficiary lists was an ongoing challenge throughout the reporting period. A CCI partner had to suspend operations until further notice in Al-Qa’im when unreasonable demands were made by militia groups (PMU) in control of the district to obtain beneficiary lists and escorting the cash team while armed. Another partner operating in Balad district, Salah al-Din, had to put its activities on hold in December 2018 when the partner refused to share beneficiary lists with local authorities. Access was granted to the partner in February, but by that time, all the partner’s caseload under this award was already allocated. CCI partners have raised this matter to the CWG and TWG in the hopes that greater efforts to mitigate this behavior is discussed on a national level. A notable challenge experienced by a partner cash team operating in Telafar district, Ninewa governorate, was the risk of inter-communal tension in Ayadiyah, given the marked levels of vulnerability combined with a significant lack of NGOs responding in the town. The majority of these tensions related to the criteria selection to receive the MPCA by those who were found ineligible for this particular project. The partner swiftly established measures to mitigate this risk through additional community engagement and more detailed information sharing regarding the selection criteria. These complaints regarding the selection criteria in Ayadiyah, instigated a further verification of the beneficiary list. This flagged 18 HHs from the original distribution list who were not actually eligible; this was largely due to misinformation given to partner enumerators during assessments, or living outside of the town and travelling to Ayadiyah only to collect the MPCA. This highlights the challenges with capturing accurate data and the need for thorough verifications. Having removed the 18 non-eligible HHs from the second and third rounds, the partner identified 18 other HHs that do match the criteria and who will receive three full rounds of MPCA early in the next reporting period. Lessons learned during the reporting period include the importance of having strong relationships with authorities, leaders and community stakeholders at multiple levels. Such relationships can facilitate programming and also help in discussions and negotiations during challenges such as receiving requests for beneficiary lists or communication with communities as in the situation mentioned above in Ayadiyah town.

VII. Photos, communications, success stories Please see attached photos and success stories, Annexes 10 and 11.

VIII. Notifications In February, the CCI submitted a notification to OFDA of a target realignment. This realignment reduced the number of R1 HHs by 332, reduced the number of R2 HHs by 197, and increased the number of R3 HHs by 242. The total number of transfers (20,998) remained the same. In March, the CCI submitted a notification to OFDA for a second target realignment. This realignment reduced the number of R1 HHs by 126, reduced the number of R2 HHs by 6, and increased the number of R3 HHs by 54. The total number of transfers rose from 20,998 to 21,022.

Annexes

Annex 1 - CCI OFDA/FFP Intervention Map Annex 2 - Value for Money Study Annex 3 - JRAM Report - Tel Zalat, Mosul District, Ninewa Annex 4 - Rapid Needs Assessment and JRAM Report - Ayadiyah town Annex 5 - JPMI Coverage Map Annex 6 - CCI Accountability Guidelines Annex 7 - CCI OFDA/FFP Post Distribution Monitoring Report Annex 8 - New Vulnerability Model Annex 9 - CCI Memorandum of Understanding Annex 10 - CCI OFDA/FFP Photos Annex 11 - Success Story - Fallujah Annex 12 - CCI OFDA/FFP Logframe (semi-annual) Annex 13 - FFP Modality Table

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