Repost - UNDP's Cash-for-Work Program

Wednesday, Feb 17 - 3 pm --

Putting Haitians to Work....

Next week I hope to give a reported update on progress in the UN's Cash for Work program, which is managed by UNDP. As noted below, approximately 35,000 Haitians have been employed via this program to date, with a target of 100,000 people who will be recruited. A major part of the work involves rubble removal/clearing debris from the streets. The wage is 180 gourdes (US $5) for six hours of work. This amounts to $175,000 a day being paid out and recirculating into the local economy, says UNDP.

Some readers have emailed to ask if this program is benefiting men more than women -- since HARD LABOR to remove rubble is one of the key activities? I haven't gotten numbers from UDNP. I understand that men and women are both hired, but given the hard manual labor, more men appear to be engaged in the rubble removal effort of this program. My information is based on conversations with Haitians I met in Port-au-Prince who were hired to remove rubble. As the program expands and other jobs become available, there may be less of a possible gender bias favoring men.

Note however, that a gender bias exists that favors WOMEN getting food aid. The UN system switched to a coupoon system that is given to women after incidents of violence and riots in which young men were blamed for distrupting food deliveries of rice. Since many women are heads of households in Haiti, or cook for families, this system has allowed food assistance to benefit womena and families, including men affiliated with women. But single men have complained that they are excluded from the food aid.

Finally, not also that Women are being hired by NGOs and hospitals to COOK for patients and homeless communities - another link to food that may favor women as women are the bulk of vendors of food in the markets, and those who cook for others in Haitian society.

I hope to provide a reported update on the Cash-for-Work program soon, and will look at the issues of gender and also urban-rural: to know who is benefiting, where, and how to expand the program to assure that people in rural areas are also benefiting equitably, and based on needs assessments of impact of the quake.

From UNDP website:

Cash for Work

The cash-for-work programme is at the heart of UNDP’s efforts in Haiti. The project is putting thousands of Haitians to work, enabling them to earn an income as they help their country recover from the devastating earthquake that struck on 12 January 2010.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) mobilized rapidly to address the impact of the earthquake. We are focused on providing time-critical early recovery assistance in Haiti and supporting spontaneous recovery initiatives by affected communities to rebuild lives, livelihoods and rehabilitate essential social infrastructure.

In the context of the UN Flash Appeal, the primary focus is immediate governance and urban livelihoods support.

Early recovery assistance

Emergency livelihoods restoration through cash-for-work in Port-au-Prince affected communities: rubble clearance for streets, houses and public utilities;

Organization of labour-intensive emergency public works in support to humanitarian operations;

Support to early recovery strategic planning and coordination;

Emergency solid waste collection systems in affected urban areas; and

Shelter for technical support to Government and Municipal Recovery Coordinators.


A critical area of concentration for UNDP is strengthening the capacities of the Government, which have been reduced considerably as a consequence of the earthquake. This support is meant to include local capacity for crisis management and also the planning capacity of key ministries that would allow the Government of Haiti to plan and implement the reconstruction of the country.

Programmes already under implementation
Cash-for-work

The cash-for-work programme is at the heart of UNDP’s efforts in Haiti. The project is putting thousands of Haitians to work, enabling them to earn an income as they help their country recover from the devastating earthquake that struck on 12 January 2010.

Each worker is paid 180 gourdes, or about US$5 at current rates of exchange, for six hour’s labour. This is slightly more than Haiti’s minimum wage, which is important so as not to distort the local labour market and draw jobs away from the private sector that is critically important in ensuring long-term recovery.

Currently about 35,000 people are enrolled in this effort, with many more being indirect beneficiaries. The immediate target is to have 100,000 workers, eventually doubling that further, as conditions and funds allow.

The work includes removing building rubble from the streets, crushing and sorting of reusable material and disposal of debris and restoring essential public facilities to lay the foundations for mid-term recovery and development, such as access to water and protection of water sources, markets, communal washing areas and community centres.

Benefits of the cash-for-work programme
It puts cash into the pockets of Haitians, so they can purchase goods and services of their choosing, thereby having a positive impact on the local economy whilst directly benefiting families;
This money, currently about $175,000 a day, injected into the local economy, circulates from person to person, thereby contributing to local economic growth;
Instead of a hand-out, the cash-for-work programme offers a hand up. It reduces tension in the streets as previously unemployed people can now participate in the rebuilding of their country, whilst earning a wage;
Opens up areas of the city to access by emergency vehicles and public and private transportation;
Removes garbage and refuse that are a hazard to human health;
The fuel bricks provide an alternative fuel source and reduce reliance on wood harvesting, thereby promoting soil conservation and reduced erosion.

Currently, the cash-for-work programme is being implemented by UNDP, together with neighbourhood committees, DINEPA (Direction Nationale de l'eau Potable et de l'assainissement), DPC (Direction de la Protection Civile) and municipalities, so that the programme is for Haitians and according to the needs and priorities of Haitians, with ownership of the national institutions. In a further boost to the local economy, UNDP purchased more than $1.2 million worth of tools and equipment through local merchants, including 4,500 wheelbarrows, 10,000 shovels, 100,000 masks, and 120,000 t-shirts.

The programme is very flexible and can be implemented in localities outside of Port-au-Prince, to address the needs of increasing numbers of people who are leaving the capital to other areas of the country. In that sense, the programme uses a decentralized approach, building on UNDP’s presence in Jacmel, Gonaives, Les Cayes and Port-de-Paix.

Coordination

UNDP has been leading the in-country early recovery cluster since 22 January 2010. Cash–for-work activities and other early recovery efforts are coordinated at this level. Agreement has been reached to divide the affected neighbourhoods covered by the Government (DINEPA, municipality), non-governmental organizations and UNDP (under the direct implementation modality).

Budget

UNDP was able to quickly re-allocate its resources to support immediate cash-for-work initiatives for an initial amount of $3 million. Through the UN Flash Appeal, UNDP is requesting $35.6 million for this cash-for-work programme. To date, $27.4 million has been confirmed from a wide variety of donors but the funding gap for this cash-for-work programme is $8.2 million. Sustained donor support will be needed over the next months to ensure that the cash-for-work programme reaches the largest number of affected Haitians and is able to be scaled up.

In addition, the international community has contributed another $7.9 million to date through UNDP for other recovery activities.

Strengthening the Government’s capacities
A critical area of focus for UNDP is the strengthening of the Government’s capacities to address the crisis, which has been further weakened by the earthquake, and also the planning capacity of key ministries that would allow the Government of Haiti to plan and implement the reconstruction of the country. UNDP aims to support the Government on disaster management and to ensure that the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment— a multi-stakeholder exercise— that will take place over the next weeks, is nationally owned. Experts on disaster management were sent to work with the Department of Civil Protection and other experts will be deployed shortly.