PSNP Shock Responsive

Safety Net

Operations Manual

Ministry of Agriculture
Addis Ababa

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION 1. ABOUT THIS MANUAL........................................................................................... 3
1.1 Overview of the PSNP Operations Manuals .......................................................... 3
1.2 Scope and purpose of this guideline .................................................................... 5
1.3 Organization and main users of the Shock Responsive PSNP Operations Manual ....... 5
SECTION 2. SHOCK RESPONSIVE PSNP PRINCIPLES AND PARAMETERS......................................... 6
2.1 Background and Context to the Shock-Responsive PSNP ........................................ 6
2.2 Objective and Principles Underlying the Shock-Responsive PSNP............................. 7
2.3 Emerging Rules / Guidelines for the Shock Responsive PSNP................................... 8
2.4 Institutional Arrangements and Responsibilities.................................................. 11
SECTION 3: SHOCK RESPONSIVE SAFETY NET IMPLEMENTATION AT WOREDA LEVEL .................. 14
3.1 PSNP Shock Response Safety Net at Woreda Level .............................................. 14
3.2 Implementation Timelines for Shock Responsive Transfers ................................... 15
3.3 Institutional Responsibilities ............................................................................ 17
3.4 Modality for Shock-Response Transfers ............................................................. 18
3.5 Administrative budgets and allowable expenditures ............................................ 19
3.6 Targeting and Registration of Shock Response Beneficiaries ................................. 19
3.7 Registration of Shock Response Beneficiaries ..................................................... 23
3.8 Public works .................................................................................................. 24
3.9 Transfer Processes.......................................................................................... 25
3.10 Grievance Redress Management ...................................................................... 27
3.11 Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting ............................................................... 27
ANNEX 1: EXAMPLE OF A TRANSITORY CLIENT CARD .............................................................. 29

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ACRONYMS

DA Development Agent
AGP Agriculture Growth Programme
ATA Agricultural Transformation Agency
BOA Bureau of Agriculture
BOLSA Bureau of Finance and Economic Development
BPP Big Push Plus
ESMF Environmental and Social Management Framework
ETB Ethiopian Birr
FEMSEDA Federal Micro and Small Enterprise Development Agency
FTC Farmer Training Center
GOE Government of Ethiopia
GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism
HABP Household Asset Building Programme
HICES Household Consumption and Expenditure Survey
HIV/AIDS Human Immuno Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
IGA Income Generating Activities
JCC Jobs Creation Commission
LICU Livelihood Implementation and Coordination Unit
MEL Monitoring Evaluation and Learning
MFI Microfinance Institute
MIS Management Information System
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
MSE Micro and Small Enterprise
NGO Non-Governmental Organization
OA Operational Annex
OM Operational Manual
PASS Payroll and Attendance Sheet System
PDS Permanent Direct Support
PIM Programme Implementation Manual
PLW Pregnant and Lactating Women
PMT Proxy Mean Test
PSNP Productive Safety Net Programme

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PTC Pastoral Training Centre
PW Public Work
REMSIDA Regional Micro and Small Enterprise Development Agency
RJOC Rural Job opportunity creation
RUSACCO Rural Savings and Credit Cooperative
SNNP Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples (Region)
TDS Temporary Direct Support
TVET Technical Vocational Education and Training
UJCFSA Urban Job Creation and Food Security Agency
VSLA Village Savings and Loan Association
WOFED Woreda Office of Finance and Economic Development

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SECTION 1. ABOUT THIS MANUAL
1.1 Overview of the PSNP Operations Manuals

The PSNP 5 operational procedures are described in a series of Operations Manuals and Operational
Annexes. Operations Manuals and Operational Annexes constitute a set of policies, rules and
procedures that implementers must follow. Audits and spot-checks are conducted with the goal to
ensure that these rules and procedures are properly complied with by implementers.
The complete list of manuals and annexes is as follows:
Operations Manuals
Vol 1: General PSNP Manual
This section sets out the PSNP’s background, context, goal and outcomes. It also presents the PSNP’s
outputs and how they relate to the various components, along with a discussion of programme
principles, scale and scope, safeguards and an overview of what’s new in this phase of the PSNP.

Vol 2: PW Operations Manual

The PW Operations Manual describes the policies and processes of the programme for the public
works component, in order to ensure its efficiency and effectiveness. The volume starts with a
description and the document is sub-divided into three Sections:
• Programme Policies and Parameters
• Programme Entry and Exit
• Public Work Implementation and Attendance

Vol 3: TDS Operations Manual

The TDS Operations Manual describes the policies and processes that rule the programme for the
public works component, in order to efficiently and effectively implement the programme. The
volume starts with a description and the document is sub-divided into three Sections:
• TDS Programme Policies and Parameters
• TDS Enrolment and Exit
• Verification of Co-responsibilities and Payment of TDS
Vol 4: PDS Operations Manual
The PDS Operations Manual describes the policies and processes that rule the programme for the
permanent direct support (PDS) beneficiaries, in order to efficiently and effectively implement the
programme. The volume starts with a description and the document is sub-divided into three Sections:
• PDS Programme Polices and Parameters
• PDS Entry and Exit
• Case Management of PDS Clients

Vol 5: Livelihoods Operations Manual

The Livelihoods Operations Manual describes the policies and processes that rule the programme for
the livelihoods component, the volume is sub-divided into:
• Livelihoods Programme Polices and Parameters
• Livelihoods Programme Implementation

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 • Livelihoods Related Analysis
Vol 6: Shock Responsive PSNP Manual
• Shock Responsive PSNP Principles and Emerging Parameters
• Shock Responsive PSNP Implementation – Woreda level

Operational Annexes
OA 1: Targeting, registration and enrollment
The Targeting, registration and enrolment Operational Annex describes processes that the targeting
of households to become PSNP beneficiaries. It complements the two following operations Manuals:
The Public Works operations Manual, and the Permanent Direct Support operations manual.
OA 2: Payment
The payments Operational Annex describe the payment processes for permanent direct support and
for public works beneficiaries and, where necessary, transitory beneficiaries requiring temporary
scaled-up assistance.
OA 3: Annual Planning
The Annual Planning Operational Annex describes the various planning activities that needs to take
place prior to commencing programme implementation.
OA 4: Resource Management
The Resource Management Operational Annex describes management of PSNP resources and is
divided into the following five chapters:
• Financial management
• Food management
• Procurement
• Physical resource management
• Human resource management
OA 5: Grievance Redress Management (GRM)
The Grievance Redress Mechanism annex describes the means by which programme clients (core and
transitory) and community members can raise grievances with different aspects of programme
implementation and get these grievances resolved.
OA 6: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL)
The Monitoring and Evaluation Operational Annex describes the monitoring and reporting processes
for the programme along with a number of monitoring and evaluation tools.

OA 7: Capacity Development (CD)

The CD OA provides the systematic approach to annual programming of CD support for PSNP.
It covers the critical procedures and standards which must be applicable for the whole
programme and across all implementing agencies.

OA 8: Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF)

The ESMF OA describes the potential environmental and social issues arising from PW and the
livelihoods component and identifies mitigation actions on how to address these issues. In

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addition, certain technical aspects may be covered by guidelines. Guidelines are documents
aiming at providing guidance on certain technical aspects of programme implementation and
are not binding in the same way as are OMs and OAs. Guidelines must not contradict procedures
described in manuals and annexes.

1.2 Scope and purpose of this guideline

This document is initial version of the Shock Responsive Safety Net Operations Manual. This is new
volume of the PSNP PIM for the PSNP Phase 5. The primary aim of the document is to provide clear
explanations and practical guidance for implementers of the PSNP shock responsive safety net. It
represents the Scalability Manual for PSNP and will be regularly updated during this phase of
operation as detailed guidelines are developed and approved. It should be noted:
• This document sets out the rules and guidelines for scaling up PSNP transfers (vertically and
horizontally) in response to shocks in PSNP woredas;
• The guidance applies to the existing 408 PSNP woredas (operational in PSNP Ph 4) and the
additional woredas which will be covered by the expansion of PSNP in Phase 5.
• This document incorporates and supersedes the Integrated Cash Food Response Planning
(ICFRP) Guidelines written in 2019.
• This document deals primarily with scale up food and cash assistance delivered through the
government system. Food and cash assistance delivered by WFP or NGOs may follow different
procedures and rules, as required by their institutional mandate and donors. However, all
PSNP stakeholders should follow the agreed principles and procedures set out in this
document to ensure consistency in the delivery of a single shock response PSNP.

1.3 Organization and main users of the Shock Responsive PSNP Operations Manual

The Shock Responsive PSNP Operations Manual describes the policy principles, emerging national
rules and woreda level procedures for the provision of support shock-response transfers to both core
PSNP and Non-PSNP beneficiary households in PSNP woredas in PSNP regions. This includes woredas
that were not covered by PSNP under Phase 4 but into which PSNP systems will expand under PSNP
Phase 5. It focuses on delivery of transitory assistance through Drought Response and Assistance Plans
(DRAPs) which (will) supersede the Integrated Cash Food Response Plans (ICFRP). This volume
incorporates much of the content of the earlier ICFRP Guidelines.
The main users of the Shock Responsiveness Manual are:
• MoA (FSCD)
• MoP (NDRMC)
• MoF
• Regional bodies governing food security and disaster risk management
• Woreda Food Security Task Force (FSDTF)
• Woreda Office of Finance (WOFED)
• Early Warning and Response Desk/Process (EWRD/P)
• Cashiers/ Distribution Experts
• Kebele Chair and KFSTF
• Community Food Security
• NGOs working in PSNP Woredas in PSNP regions

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SECTION 2. SHOCK RESPONSIVE PSNP PRINCIPLES AND PARAMETERS

2.1 Background and Context to the Shock-Responsive PSNP

Since 2005, Ethiopia has had two systems for providing cash and food transfers to food insecure rural
households – the Productive Safety Net Programme or PSNP (addressing chronic food insecurity with
multi-year predictable income and livelihood support) and Humanitarian Food Assistance or HFA
(providing temporary relief for households suffering short-term or transitory food insecurity due to
shocks). These parallel systems, led by different government agencies but with significant
geographical overlap and similar implementation processes, were causing duplication of effort,
inefficiency, confusion and gaps in coverage. Therefore, in 2017 the Government decided to integrate
the PSNP and HFA systems into one scalable rural1 safety net which provides predictable multi-year
transfers to core clients and is also capable of scaling up benefits (to existing and new clients) in
response to shocks. The aim is to ensure timely assistance to everyone in need while also improving
efficiency and reducing waste by streamlining and combining processes.
What's a shock responsive safety net?
A shock responsive safety net is one which can rapidly change its scale (size). The core of the safety
net is permanently in place to meet chronic needs and to support development, but it is also able
to expand and contract in a timely and effective manner in response to transitory needs and crises.
Safety nets can scale up in two ways:
• horizontally, by adding new beneficiaries, and/or
• vertically, by providing additional assistance to existing beneficiaries.

PSNP Phase 5 - ‘New ways of working’

For many years the PSNP has been scaling up food and cash assistance on a temporary basis, however
this scalable safety net is not shock responsive. This is because the scalable assistance is provided
when resources and logistic arrangements permit which means it often arrives late and not during the
months when populations are most shock-affected. The Design Document for PSNP5 proposes to
improve the scalability mechanism of the PSNP and create a more effective shock responsive program.
Consequently, the Design Document sets out the activities required to ensure “Shock responsive
transfers are received by eligible clients when needed” (Output 2).
One of the reasons the current scalable system provides a late response is that many of the policies
and procedures for scaling PSNP assistance straddle various ministries and are not always clear or
well-defined. Developing a shock responsive PSNP will require the input and coordination of multiple
government and non-governmental stakeholders to develop clear, pre-agreed rules for its operation.
Therefore, the Design Document also makes provision for a PSNP Scalability Manual to be developed.
This volume of the PIM (i.e., the Shock Responsive PSNP Operations Manual) represents the Scalability
Manual and will be subject to regular revision as the detailed operations of the Shock Responsive PSNP
is finalized. Initially, parts of the document form a road map setting out the practical actions and
modifications required to transform the current scalable approach into a shock-responsive one. This
recognises that many of the elements of a shock responsive PSNP will take time to put in place. In the
meantime, interim or phased improvements will be put in place that fulfil the shock responsive
principles. Most of the required changes will take place at national level involving Federal government
and PSNP donor agencies. At the woreda most processes for providing transitory assistance using

1 These guidelines deal only with the rural safety net. A separate urban safety net system is being implemented.

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PSNP systems will remain similar to those described in the ICFRP guidelines. However, it is proposed
that the timing and frequency of shock response transfer will become more frequent and predictable.
As this Volume of the PIM develops, the PSNP will continue to scale up taking on elements of the
guidelines as they are finalized. Each phased modification should improve the timeliness with which
shock responsive transfers are delivered. The remainder of this Shock Response PSNP Operations
Manual outlines the overall objective and underlying principles guiding the development and
implementation of the shock responsive PSNP; the primary proposed modifications to create a shock
responsive system; and the roles and responsibilities of Federal level institutions in executing a shock
responsive Safety Net. Section 3 of this volume details the procedures, roles and responsibilities for
the delivery of shock-responsive transfers at the Woreda level. This will draw heavily on the existing
Integrated Cash and Food Response Planning (ICFRP) guidelines (approved in 2019).

2.2 Objective and Principles Underlying the Shock-Responsive PSNP

The objective of the Shock-Responsive PSNP Program is:

To ensure the PSNP provides transitory food and cash assistance to populations experiencing
shock-induced food insecurity at the time of greatest need
The Shock Responsive PSNP may target two types of beneficiaries:
• Non PSNP beneficiaries who are targeted and will receive benefits for a certain period of time
(i.e., through a so-called “horizontal” expansion of the PSNP); and/or
• Existing PSNP beneficiaries who will receive additional benefits to the ones they are already
getting (i.e., through a so called “vertical” expansion of the PSNP).
The following principles will guide the development of the rules and procedures for the PSNP Shock-
Response safety net:

1. Timeliness: The primary advantage of a shock responsive PSNP is its ability to ensure that
assistance reaches affected communities on time—as soon as possible following a shock, or
in the case of slow-onset disasters such as drought, before communities are severely affected.
One of the reasons this can happen is because the resources required to respond are in place
before the shock occurs. Ensuring the resources are in place to respond is the role of a disaster
risk financing (DRF) strategy and a critical element of a shock responsive social protection
system. A shock responsive PSNP system that delivers assistance to households on time can
greatly increase the impact and effectiveness of the response. Most importantly, an early
response ensures direct household-level welfare gains in food security and child nutrition.
Speedy assistance also pre-empts household reliance on negative coping strategies, such as
the sale of productive assets, which undermine resilience and push households deeper into
poverty.

2. Use PSNP as the single pipeline and delivery system: All cash and food transfers in response
to shocks will be delivered via PSNP systems. This is a recognition that using pre-established
food and cash delivery systems is the most effective and efficient mechanism with which to
deliver assistance. Therefore, shock responsive processes will mirror core PSNP systems
wherever possible. Targeting and registration processes will be undertaken by the CFSTFs and
KFSTFs and using PSNP MIS. Payrolls will be managed through RPASS or the new PSNP MIS.
Food and cash transfers will be disbursed and distributed using PSNP mechanisms (MOF for
cash, MoA/CMCU for food), and transfer values will be the same as for the core PSNP caseload.
Appeals, monitoring and reporting on shock-responsive program performance will be
undertaken using the same systems as for regular transfers.

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 PSNP5 will ensure the expansion of PSNP systems (and their use for payments into additional
drought prone woredas (i.e., PSNP systems and procedures will begin to be used to deliver
regular and temporary assistance in woredas and Regions where there has been no historic
PSNP presence). This will eliminate the requirement for a parallel humanitarian food
assistance (HFA) system.
3. Credible, and Objective EWS used to assess needs: Decisions to scale up (or down) shock
response assistance must be made in relation to; a) pre-agreed shocks; and b) pre-agreed
objective, quantitative and auditable rules or models to estimate the food insecurity
generated by the shock. During PSNP5 significant enhancement of government EWS will
enable NDRMC to improve the mechanisms and frequency by which food insecure
populations are estimated both geographically and by month. Drought is identified as the
primary co-variate shock resulting in temporary or seasonal food insecurity in Ethiopia.
Understanding as early as possible where and when drought (and potentially other) shocks
are going to create food insecurity will be an essential element of the shock responsive
program. Timely shock response assistance cannot be delivered without an EWS generating
reliable, quantitative and auditable time series data. Using such data removes the possibility
that subjective analysis or political influence can affect decisions about which populations are
selected for scaled up assistance.
4. Primacy of transfers:
The primacy of shock responsive transfers principle means that assistance should not be
delayed in order to fit with work schedules, or because the woreda has not been able to
organize suitable public works. The DRM policy states that, in principle, assistance for able-
bodied beneficiaries should be linked to development work. However, this principle will be
applied more flexibly, and regions do vary in their interpretation and implementation.
Woredas will be informed of regional policy on this issue.
• The timing of shock responsive distributions should be planned according to the
period when food transfers are most needed (this varies among regions and zones,
and from year to year), not according to work schedules.
• People who are weak due to malnutrition or illness should not be required to work in
exchange for assistance.

2.3 Emerging Rules / Guidelines for the Shock Responsive PSNP

This section outlines the emerging national-level rules or guidelines for the Shock Responsive PSNP.
These are yet to be fully developed and agreed and therefore are described in outline. This volume
of the PIM will be updated accordingly as the rules are developed and approved. Ultimately this
Operations Manual will provide clear and detailed answers to the scale-up parameters shown in Figure
1 below. This Manual will establish the rules for each parameter and contain guidelines for the
relevant federal level institutions that detail; when the program scales-up, how it will scale-up, to
which populations, for how long, and how much assistance will be received. The detailed operation of
the shock-responsive safety net will continue to evolve as consensus is reached on emerging issues
and lessons are learned.

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Figure 1: PSNP Shock-Response Framework Parameters and Guideline areas

The rules or guidelines for the shock responsive safety net will cover three broad areas: informing,
financing and operationalizing the program.
(i) Informing the Shock Responsive PSNP: The section will explain how enhancements the
government’s existing EWS will be used to inform a shock responsive PSNP. The EWS
enhancements proposed are essential to address the key shock response parameters on
‘when to scale’, ‘where to scale’ and ‘how many people to scale to’. Enhancement of the EWS
will improve the quality, transparency and frequency of data from multiple sources across
government, including real time data collection at woreda level and minimize the possibilities
for subjective interpretation that can lead to protracted discussions about whether to scale
up (let alone where and what the size of a scale up should be). The guidelines and rules in this
section will explain how EW data will be used by NDRMC to inform models that can
automatically generate quarterly estimates of the proportion of any woreda population
experiencing temporary food insecurity by month.
During the PSNP 5 period NDRMC (and other line departments 2 ) will be supported to ensure
the enhanced EWS is generating three key outputs to support the PSNP shock response
program:
• Quarterly Food Insecure Population (FIP) Estimates
NDRMC will issue quarterly updates of food insecure populations (FIPs) down to Woreda
level. The updates will provide confirmed FIP estimates for each Woreda for the following
quarter and projected estimates for the following three quarters.
• EW Monitoring of Extreme Events
The enhanced EWS will detail the indicators that will be used to monitor extreme events
and set the thresholds by which a disaster event, in this case drought, will have been

2 Primarily Ministry of Agriculture; Central Statistics Agency; and National Meteorological Agency

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 agreed to have occurred. The NDRMC will be responsible for creating a dashboard to
monitor these indicators and issue warnings or alerts to [all parties / FSCD] on a monthly
basis / ongoing EW data indicates these triggers have been hit.
• Data required to prioritise needs against resources
The FIP numbers identified by the enhanced EWS will often generate needs greater
than the resources available to respond over the identified time period. Even with a
robust disaster risk financing (DRF) strategy in place (see below) there will be months
where the pre-agreed resources for shock response will be insufficient. The guidelines
will dictate how such resources should be prioritized most fairly to address needs
using pre-agreed criteria. The criteria will draw on EW data sources e.g., relevant
malnutrition, poverty or other indicators feeding into the government EWS.

(ii) Financing the Shock Responsive PSNP: Having the resources available to respond when needs
are identified or triggered is an essential principle of the shock response program. Therefore,
FSCD, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Development Partners, will work to
identify how existing and new sources of drought response financing can be used to support
the shock responsive safety net through the development of a Drought Risk Financing (DRF)
Strategy. The DRF strategy will be used to develop annual DRF plans.
This section will be updated to detail the annual DRF planning processes required to track the
overall resources available for PSNP scalability and their reallocation should shortfalls occur.
Plans will be produced annually but revised regularly, ultimately every quarter recognizing
funding from different sources may become available throughout the year. As highlighted
above, even with a DRF plan in place there are likely to be times when the quarterly FIP needs
estimates generate a resource requirement greater than that shown as available in the
corresponding quarter of the DRF plan. The section will detail the process by which data from
NDRMC is used by FSCD to prioritize needs and redistribute resources to using pre-agreed
criteria.
This will ensure a proportion of assistance arrives to the most affected woredas in the months
required rather than delaying all assistance until additional resources can be secured. Again,
enhancements to the EWS will ensure such data is immediately available so that the
prioritisation process is automatic and does not delay the preparation of the quarterly
Drought Response and Assistance Plan (DRAP) described below.
This section of the guidelines will also outline the processes and procedures required to
release certain disaster risk financing mechanisms such as insurance. Under PSNP 5 it is
agreed to put at least one such risk financing mechanism in place. The World Bank has made
provision for a contingency early response component (CERC) to fund PSNP shock response.
This can be used to facilitate an early response to an emerging food insecurity crisis. Activation
will be initiated if pre-agreed thresholds have been reached according to the government’s
EWS and the need for a response has been validated in accordance with agreed early warning
triggers. The rules for triggering or utilization each financing mechanism will be included as
annexes to this Manual.
(iii) Operationalising the Shock Responsive Safety Net: The ultimate objective of the Shock
Response component of the PSNP program is to ensure scaled up assistance is delivered to
Woredas where there are FIPs in the months of greatest need. During PSNP 5 the delivery
and distribution of all shock response transfers will be made using Drought Response and
Assistance Plans (DRAPs). These will gradually incorporate the current ICFRP process (at the
Federal level). This section will outline in more detail the process by which DRAPs are
prepared and updated.

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 DRAPs will be automatically generated following the prioritization process undertaken by
FSCD that combines the FIP projections (from NDRMC) and the DRF plans. The initial annual
plan will be issued by the end of October (for the following January to December) showing
annual projections but will be updated regularly (ideally quarterly but at least three times per
year) as new FIPs and DRF plans are produced. The DRAP will specify the number of
beneficiaries to receive scaled up assistance in each woreda by month amount and by the
modality of that assistance i.e. food and/or cash. The first quarter of each plan will reflect
confirmed needs and resources for three months whilst providing a projected estimate of
needs and resources for the following three quarters. The DRAP will be updated quarterly
within two weeks of the quarterly FIP updates from NDRMC. The quarterly DRAP is therefore
a fully funded distribution plan which can then be shared immediately with Woredas and other
implementing partners. These include the Ministry of Finance for cash assistance and the
Commodities Management Coordination Office (CMCO) for in-kind food assistance.

2.4 Institutional Arrangements and Responsibilities

The institutional arrangements for the implementation of the PSNP Shock Respons ive safety net
component are shown in Figure 2 below.
Figure 2: Consolidated management structure for PSNP Shock Response component

Preparedness Planning Management and Delivery M&E

Develoment of DRF NDRMC

Plan with GoE/DP Prioritise Shock
FSCD
FSCD

agreements on pre- Response needs against Consolidated M&E of

committments resources in DRF Plan overall (food and
PRoduction of annual
NDRMC

non-food) emergency
FIP estimates updated
response
quarterly
Development of
FSCD

Development of food Drought Response

insecure population Assistance Plan (DRAP)
NDRMC

(FIP) needs prediction

system
Management and delivery
MOF

Develope EWS

Beneficiaries receive Assistance

of GOE cash transfers

Monitoring and Evaluation

dashboard to
for resource deliverty
Provide instructions

Management and delivery

CMU

of GOE food transfers

FSCD

CATS
Non-state

Management and
actors

delivery of non-state
actor food and cash
FSCD

Household PSNP MIS FSCD

Woreda
FSCD

targeting and
registration

FSCD is primarily responsible for implementing the shock responsive Safety Net as a combined single
delivery system (see Figure 3 below) for regular and shock response transfers. It will also lead in the
development of the PSNP shock responsive operational Manual. In PSNP Phase 5, FSCD is responsible
for developing the DRF strategy and updating annual DRF plans. FSCD will ensure the automatic
prioritization of resources takes place each quarter to generate the annual and updated DRAPs. Upon
issuance of each DRAP it will coordinate the delivery and distribution of transfers as per each quarterly
plan.
The Commodity Management Coordination Office (CMCO), housed in MOA, will be responsible for
all core and shock-response commodity management (food procurement, logistics, and tracking of
delivery). It is responsible for grain procurement, transport service contracts, commodity audits,
warehouse management, regional and woreda training, and monitoring and evaluation of food
transfer.

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All disbursements, payments and reporting of cash transfers will be made through the government’s
Channel One financial system managed by the Ministry of Finance (MoF), using the processes
established for payments and accountability in the PSNP core programme. Reporting and auditing
requirements are as set out in the PSNP Financial Management Manual. Where non-government
entities (WFP or NGOs) are delivering shock response cash or food transfers as per the DRAP, they
may be using their own procedures and reporting formats. These will, at a minimum, reflect the
standards laid out in the Commodity Management Procedures Manual (CMPM) and Financial
Management Manual (FMM). This will ensure there are common minimum standards in across
delivery agents and woredas.
Figure 3: Management of Cash and Food PSNP Transfers (government distributions)

PSNP core transfers PSNP shock response

transfers

CASH FOOD FOOD CASH

MoF CMCO

Cash distributions will be Food distributions will be channelled

channelled through Ministry through the Commodity Management
of Finance structures and Coordination Unit

The National Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC), currently within the Ministry of
Peace, continues to be responsible for producing timely and regular EW information including FIP
updates and monitoring the occurrence of extreme shocks inducing food insecurity. NDRMC will
collate data from several other government departments such as the Ministry of Agriculture, National
Meteorological Agency and Central Statistics Agency to enable the automatic generation of quarterly
food insecurity estimates by woreda. It will also make use of information available from non-state
actors such as UN OCHA, WFP FEWSNET and NGOs to triangulate and confirm data.
The Shock Responsive Technical Sub-Committees (SRTSC) will be responsible for progressing the
development of this Shock Response Manual and associated coordination required between
government departments, donor and other PSNP implementers at the federal and regional levels
(including JEOP and WFP). The SRTSC will be chaired by FSCD and co-chaired by NDRMC and meet
regularly to resolve issues and policy decisions in the creation of the Shock Responsive PSNP. It will
approve the EW processes and models in place that produce FIP estimates and annual Drought Risk
Financing plans. Once regular DRAPs are being issued it will monitor the delivery of shock response
transfer as per the DRAP updates. It will report to the Transfers Technical Committee.
At the Regional level, Food Security Offices will be responsible for supporting the implementation of
the DRAPs. Officers will share updated quarterly DRAPs with the Regional DRM Office and relevant
Regional Authorities. Since each Region has a slightly different institutional set-up (in terms of the
location of food security and EWR responsibilities, and the role of zones), regions will decide the exact

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structures responsible for implementation of the Shock Response Program at regional, zonal and
woreda level. It is recommended that in each Region a Joint Shock Response Technical Committee is
established under the Regional Food Security Task Force to specifically manage the delivery of shock
response transfers as per the DRAPs. This committee should be jointly chaired by Food Security and
Early Warning departments, with BoFED, and WFP and NGOs where relevant, as members. This Shock
Response Committee would be activated as soon as a DRAP plan is issued for the region, and would
meet as frequently as needed during the planning and implementation period.

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SECTION 3: SHOCK RESPONSIVE SAFETY NET IMPLEMENTATION AT WOREDA
LEVEL

3.1 PSNP Shock Response Safety Net at Woreda Level

This Section provides guidance for officials and partners based in PSNP woredas on implementing the
shock responsive safety net at this level. It outlines the proposed timescales and planning required to
ensure PSNP systems can distribute shock response transfers to beneficiaries in the months of greatest
need. The Section also outlines the processes for targeting and registering transitory beneficiaries as
well as processes for the distribution of shock response cash and food transfers.
Operationalizing a single delivery system is a key output of PSNP 5. At the woreda level this means
that both core and shock response transfers are distributed via existing PSNP systems and structures.
This avoids need for a parallel humanitarian food assistance (HFA) system that duplicates time and
resources. Use of a single system maximizes efficiency and improves the timeliness of response.
Resources for shock-responsive transfers may come from two sources at the woreda level (see Figure
4 below). Firstly, there are transfers funded by the woreda level contingency budget which equates
to approximately 5% of annual core PSNP budget for the woreda, when funded. This can be used to
provide temporary assistance to beneficiaries experiencing temporary food insecurity in response to
highly localised or idiosyncratic shocks 3 . Secondly there are transfers approved as part of the Drought
Response and Assistance Plan (DRAP) discussed in Section 2 above.
Figure 4. Components of the PSNP Program at Woreda Level

PSNP PSNP Woreda

Contingency Budget PSNP Shock Response Program
Core Program

Long-term support for
chronically food insecure
woredas and households
• # beneficiaries subject
to retargeting every 3-5
years.
• providing cash and
food transfers
• improving livelihoods
and resilience
• protecting poor and
vulnerable from
destitution
Flexibility for PSNP woredas
to increase client numbers
as required in response to
locally identified small-scale
shocks.
• up to 5% of core PSNP
transfer budget
• can be used anywhere
in the PSNP woreda
(i.e. in non-PSNP
kebeles in PSNP
woredas)
Temporary support to transitory food insecure populations
(FIPs) as identified by enhanced national EWS (these may
include existing PSNP clients).
• Variable # beneficiaries per woreda as allocated by
Drought Response and Assistance Plans
• Operational in all PSNP woredas 4
+
• can be distributed as food or cash
• can be used anywhere in woredas where PSNP is
operational

3 For example a local flood or landslide or households losing

4 The PSNP is currently active in 9 Regions (Afar, Amhara, Dire Dawa, Harari, Oromiya, SNNPR, Sidama, Somali Region and
Tigray). The core programme is geographically targeted to woredas within these regions which have high levels of poverty
and vulnerability to drought and will be further expanded during PSNP Phase 5.

14
3.2 Implementation Timelines for Shock Responsive Transfers

The PSNP annual cycle for core transfers is pre-agreed and provides six months of cash or food
transfers for core beneficiaries between January and June each year except PDS beneficiaries which
receive benefits for twelve months. However, in practice distributions in these months may be subject
to delays. This timing was chosen as these months are considered to be slack agricultural season for
PW clients and the most food insecure for large proportions of the rural population (i.e., those
dependent on the meher harvest)5 . Transitory or scaled up assistance has, historically, been delivered
on a much more ad hoc basis (see below) as resources become available. Transfers are delivered in
‘rounds’ rather than in pre-agreed months and are not necessarily provided in the same months as
core transfers. In establishing a shock response safety net during PSNP 5 the delivery timetables for
transitory assistance will be scheduled according to months to arrive alongside core transfers as per
identified needs.
Implementation Timetable during PSNP 4 (Current / Previous approach)
Historically transitory assistance to woredas has been based on twice-yearly needs assessments
conducted jointly by government and partner agencies. Assessment results are combined with other
EW information and used to generate projections of the number of transitory food insecure
populations over the Gregorian calendar (January to December). These estimates are formally
announced in January (or February) when the government and UN jointly issue the Humanitarian
Response Plan (HRP). 6 The HRP is updated mid-year (July), following the belg / gu assessment.
Although population numbers are estimated down to woreda level, the scaled-up transfer assistance
can only be provided if resources are available.
Fund raising for the transitory needs identified only begins once the HRP is issued. The figures are used
as a basis to develop and continuously update the Integrated Cash and Food Response Plan (ICFRP).
This entails the government continually monitoring the pipeline of cash and food resources for
transitory assistance, tracking what is currently available in-country, what has been pledged, and
when future pledges are expected to arrive. Concurrently a Prioritization Committee meets monthly
to review available resources and decide which geographical areas or “Hotspots” should be prioritized
to receive the resources available. The ICFRP is currently used to allocate resources to the prioritized
woredas into ‘rounds’ of assistance. Once each round is fully resourced the ICFRP is shared with
Regions and Woredas – the period between confirmation of assistance and its delivery in the woreda
can vary depending on the modality of assistance.
Timescales for Shock Responsive safety net Transfers – PSNP 5 (Proposed approach)
As outlined in Section 2 above, during PSNP 5 the creation of a shock responsive safety net will
incorporate the ICFRP process into the Drought Response and Assistance Plan (DRAP) process. An
initial DRAP will be issued by the FSCD each year in October. This timescale is different to the regular
PSNP annual planning process as the shock response planning process to prepare the DRAP will need
to align with agricultural calendars and the impact of drought and other shocks upon harvests . EWS
data in October should be able to give a relatively realistic projection of food insecure populations
(FIP) for the meher dependent agricultural areas which typically make up the majority of transitory
needs in Ethiopia. These FIP estimate can be used to generate an indicative annual DRAP specifying
the number of shock-response beneficiaries and modality of that assistance allocated to each shock-
affected woreda for the following GC calendar year (Jan-Dec). Despite this the second part of the

5Although large parts of Ethiopia are agriculturally dependent on the Meher harvest (Sept -Nov) there are several agro-
ecological zones in Ethiopia where the ‘lean’ seasons vary and may fall outside January – June.
6 The title of this document varies from year to year, having previously b een called a Humanitarian Requirements Document
(HRD) or Humanitarian Disaster Resilience Plan (HDRP).

15
annual DRAP (July – December) can be included in annual PSNP planning processes. [Further
clarification as to how the DRAP preparation and updates will align with the annual planning for the
core PSNP will be included in this section].
Under PSNP 5 DRAP updates will be issued to regions and woredas by FSCD at least three times per
year. Each update will be issued in the same month of the release of the quarterly food insecure
population (FIP) update from NDRMC. Each update will provide the distribution plan by woreda for
the following quarter. Therefore, if a FIP update is issued in early October for the following year -
January to December. FSCD will compare the needs identified for January to March against the DRF
resources pre-agreed/ available (in the annual DRF plan) for the same period. Where there is a
shortfall in resources, shock response assistance will be redistributed across shock affected woredas
using a pre-agreed prioritization criteria. 7 This will be used to generate an updated DRAP by the end
of October showing confirmed distributions for the first quarter (i.e. January to March) and estimates
for the following nine months. Estimates for April - June would then be confirmed in the January
update and so on. Initially, the DRAP will be updated three times per year [dates to be
agreed/specified in the development of the PSNP Scalability Manual], therefore confirmed
distributions in each DRAP may cover four-month periods. Ultimately the shock response program will
operate on a quarterly basis as shown in Figure 5.
The quarterly DRAPs are therefore fully funded distribution plans which can then be shared
immediately with all implementing partners including: Regions; Woredas; JEOP partners; WFP; the
Ministry of Finance (for cash assistance); and the Commodities Management Coordination Office
(CMCO) (for in-kind food assistance). Quarterly DRAP updates will be issued at least two months prior
to the quarter they relate (see Figure 5). This is to ensure the necessary logistical, planning and
preparatory activities required at national, regional and woreda levels can be completed in time.

7 This will follow the guidelines to be developed as part of the PSNP Scalability Manual as referenced in Section 2 above.

16
Figure 5: Indicative Timescale and Operation of PSNP Shock response Program (end of PSNP 5)
Lead Agency NDRMC FSCD FSCD Mulitple Woreda

EWS Food Insecure Drought Response Distribution of

Planning and
Month Quarter Population (FIP*) DRF Planning and Assistance Shock Response
Logistics Transfers
monitoring Planning (DRAP)

Needs Pri ori tiza tion Annual DRAP

Annual FIP
October a ga i ns t DRF Pl a n Issued M1
Q4 Q4
November M2
December M3

FIP Q2 Update Needs Pri ori tiza tion DRAP Q2 Update

January Q1 a ga i ns t DRF Pl a n
Q1 M1
February M2
March M3

FIP Q3 Update Needs Pri ori tiza tion DRAP Q3 Update

April Q2 a ga i ns t DRF Pl a n
Q2 M1
May M2
June M3

FIP Q4 Update Needs Pri ori tiza tion DRAP Q4 Update

July Q3
a ga i ns t DRF Pl a n
Q3 M1
August M2
September M3
Needs Pri ori tiza tion Annual DRAP
Annual FIP
October a ga i ns t DRF Pl a n Issued M1
Q4 Q4
November M2
December M3
*Food Insecure Population

3.3 Institutional Responsibilities

At the federal level, the lead agency for the shock-responsive safety net is the Ministry of Agriculture’s
Food Security Coordination Directorate (FSCD).
The National Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC) has a key responsibility to maintain
an EWS capable of generating updated schedules of food insecure populations (FIPS) by woreda by
month. NDRMC will also provide additional EW information to support prioritization processes when
DRF resources are insufficient to address quarterly needs.
At the federal level, the Commodity Management coordination office (CMCO), established in 2018
with staff drawn from both NDRMC and FSCD, will have overall responsibility for food management
for both core and shock response PSNP beneficiaries (in existing and newly expanded PSNP woredas).
The CMCO will be based within the MOA. Its roles include grain procurement, transport service
contracts, commodity audits, warehouse management, regional and woreda training, and monitoring
and evaluation. The CMCO is also involved in streamlining and consolidating the system for commodity
management and accountability at all levels.

In each region a joint technical committee will be established, uniting Food Security and Disaster Risk
Management staff to implement the shock responsive safety net component.

In PSNP woredas, the key body responsible for implementation and oversight of the shock responsive
safety net component will be the Woreda Food Security Office. In line with the principle of avoiding
duplication and parallel structures, during PSNP 5, the Woreda Disaster Prevention and Preparedness
Committee (WDPPC) will be merged with the WFSTF. The membership of the WFSTF will be revised
accordingly, with the Early Warning and Response Desk / Process (EWRD/P) becoming a member or
co-chair of the WFSTF. In woredas where NGOs are involved in the delivery of the core PSNP transfers

17
or shock responsive transfers, they should also be invited to be members of the WFSTF. Within the
WFSTF, the Food Security Desk (FSD/P) will take the lead on all matters concerning long-term food
security and acute or short-term food insecurity, including geographical allocation of transitory
beneficiary numbers, allocation of the woreda contingency budget, and overs ight of the Kebele and
Community Food Security Task Force (KFSTF / CFSTF) in targeting households for transitory
assistance.
All cash payments (for core and transitory clients) will be managed by the Woreda Office of Finance
and Economic Development (WOFED). WOFED should also be a member of the WFSTF (as already set
out in the PSNP PIM)8 . WOFED will manage RPASS and payrolls for both core and transitory clients.
All food transfers (for core and transitory clients) delivered through government channels will be
managed by the Woreda Focal Point for food distribution,9 supported by the EWRD/P. If the CMCO
Focal Point is not yet in place, the Woreda EWRD/P will continue to be responsible for the
management and distribution of food commodities.
At the kebele and community levels, one set of committees - the KFSTFs and CFSTFs will be responsible
for both core and transitory targeting, although the timing and details of the two targeting processes
will vary. In cases where a separate relief targeting committee has existed in the past, this should be
merged with the CFSTF or KFSTF to avoid duplication.
A single Kebele Appeals/ Accountability Committee (KAC) will be responsible for all appeals and
grievances relating to both the core program and shock response assistance, following the procedures
in the PSNP PIM. The KAC will also support the CFSTF to ensure fairness and accountability at
distribution and payment points. For shock response assistance, this may include verifying identities
(when transitory client cards have not been issued).
The following sections give further details of these roles and responsibilities in relation to key
implementation processes.

3.4 Modality for Shock-Response Transfers

The decision on which transfer modalities should be receive by each woreda (i.e., whether to provide
transfers in the form of cash or in-kind food commodities) is made at federal level by FSCD. The PSNP
has established procedures and criteria for determining the mode of transfer (see Payment OA for
further detail). For this reason, shock responsive transfers should follow the same modality. Hence
the rule:
Shock responsive transfers in any woreda should follow the modality already in place for PSNP
core clients.
There are a few woredas where assistance has been provided in both food and cash. In these cases.
the expected transfer modality for core beneficiaries for the period when shock response transfers
are to be made should be used. There may be occasions when the modality for both core transfers
and shock responsive transfers may need to change when assessments show concerns regarding the
functionality of markets. Woreda capacity to manage the scale of cash or food payments should also
be taken into account when planning modalities for shock response.
In practice the modality for shock response assistance may be determined by the actual cash or food
resources available for that period in the DRF plan. In such cases woredas that normally provide one
form of transfer to core PSNP beneficiaries may have to switch to a different modality for shock

8 See PIM section 18.3.3.

9 A new position under the national integrated Commodities Management Unit (see section 2).

18
response transfers. The transfer modality for each woreda will be clearly stated in the quarterly DRAP.
In preparing quarterly DRAPs, FSCD should avoid mixing transfer modalities in the same woreda
wherever possible.

3.5 Administrative budgets and allowable expenditures

Scaled up transfers funded through the shock response PSNP will be accompanied by an additional
budget for woreda administrative costs. The amount is calculated according to the caseload (i.e.,
number of shock response beneficiaries), as shown in the Table 1 below. Implementers should refer
to the guideline on the financial management of the federal contingency budget for further details.
Table 1: Additional administrative budget (per woreda, per round) for FCB transitory cash transfers
Transitory (contingency) beneficiary
Admin budget (ETB)
caseload
<3,000 11,067
3,001-8,000 21,519
8,001 – 13,000 26,130
13,001 – 20,000 30,741
20,001 – 30,000 35,352
30,001 – 50,000 39,963
>50,000 80,964

This budget is intended to cover only the additional costs of delivering cash (and food) transfers
provided via government systems 10 through the shock response PSNP (e.g., transport and travel
expenses for woreda staff implementing the payments). It must not be used for salaries or other
general administrative expenditures. In woredas where shock response transfers are provided as food
payments delivered through government channels these payments should be used to cover
expenditures such as storekeepers’ salaries and warehouse facilities. In woredas where WFP or NGOs
are supporting PSNP commodity distributions, these organisations may provide additional budget for
costs such as loading and unloading, or “surge capacity” in the form of technical assistance and
temporary staff.

3.6 Targeting and Registration of Shock Response Beneficiaries

Targeting Process
Ethiopia uses a community-administrative targeting approach for both PSNP core and shock response
transfers. This means that the criteria for eligibility are defined by the administration, but the
community plays a key role in identifying eligible individuals and households, using wealth-ranking
and local knowledge to select those most in need of assistance. This approach will continue to be used
under the Shock Responsive Safety Net.
Allocations to kebeles and communities: As soon as woredas receive notification of the approved
number of transitory (Shock Responsive Safety Net) beneficiaries, the Woreda Food Security Task

10 This excludes Woredas where the shock responsive safety net is operated by NGOs (JEOP) or WFP etc.

19
Force will meet to allocate resources to kebeles. This allocation should be based on information
provided by the EWRD/P.

3.6.1 Woreda Level Timing for shock response targeting and registration processes
Targeting and registration of households for shock response transfers should take place when a DRAP
has been issued showing an allocation of shock response transfers for that woreda. This should
normally be issued two months before assistance is due to arrive. Although each DRAP update will
confirm the number of beneficiaries to receive transfers in the following quarter it will also provide an
estimate of monthly needs across the whole year. Depending on the agricultural calendar in any given
woreda or community the estimated needs are likely to remain the same for the entire ‘lean’ or
‘hungry’ period. The Woreda Food Security Task Force should ensure the primary targeting exercise
to select shock response beneficiaries takes place in the quarter before the main ‘lean’ season in that
woreda when numbers are likely to be at their highest. Subsequent re-targeting exercises for shock
response can then be undertaken in later months if transfer levels are reduced or otherwise changed
in later DRAP updates.
The targeting and registration of shock response beneficiaries should take no longer than eight weeks.
This refers to the time between receipt of the annual DRAP to the registration of shock response
beneficiaries on the RPASS (transitioning to the MIS). Where it will maximise the efficient use of
resources, targeting of shock response beneficiaries could take place concurrently with annual re-
targeting processes for core PSNP. The PSNP 5 Design Document states that the government will test
the possibility of pre-registering potential clients of transitory support. This pilot will explore the
potential to identify potential clients during routine PSNP retargeting and record this data in the new
PSNP household registry.

3.6.2 Woreda Level Geographic Targeting Process for shock response transfers
The Woreda Food Security Task Force (WFSTF) is responsible for the allocation of shock response
resources to shock affected kebeles in the woreda. For each targeting process, the WFSTF must
calculate the total FIPs for which confirmed shock response assistance is available. The WFSTF should
then meet to allocate woreda shock response beneficiary figures by kebele.
Allocations to kebeles: The allocation of beneficiary numbers and assistance quantities to kebeles
within the woreda must be based on the core principles which run through the whole targeting system
from the federal to the household level: firstly, that targeting should be based on an impartial
assessment of the needs of all groups, and secondly, that priority should be given to the most
vulnerable and the most needy. Therefore, it is not acceptable to share the woreda’s allocation of
shock response assistance equally among all kebeles (proportional to population or not) unless there
is genuine and verifiable evidence that the whole woreda is equally in need. Kebeles should be
included or excluded according to the local disaster impacts, and the quantity of assistance allocated
to each included kebele should depend on the severity of disaster impacts.
To facilitate these decisions, the WFSTF should be provided with relevant EW needs estimation data
for the woreda from the Early Warning Response Desk (EWRD). Currently, this will be the results of
the HEA Livelihoods Impact Analysis Sheet (LIAS) for the woreda but over the course of PSNP 5 this
may be modified as the national EW shock response FIP assessment model is enhanced. At a
minimum, the EWRD will have data that shows the estimated FIPs by livelihood zone and the rationale
for the findings. If there is disagreement with the woreda FIP needs analysis, or if the situation has
changed since the last FIP update, or if the needs estimation data is not available to the woreda, then
evidence for a needs-based allocation of resources among the kebeles may be produced by
documented woreda assessment missions and analysis of local EW data.

20
Each Region may provide additional guidance to woredas on the geographical reallocation of shock
response allocations by the WFSTF. For pastoralist zones, geographical targeting at kebele level may
be inappropriate because of population mobility. In these cases, the WFSTF may develop alternative
means to identify and prioritise the population groups who are most in need of assistance.
Allocations to communities: The WFSTF will inform KFSTFs of any shock response assistance
allocations within two weeks of receiving the DRAP update. KFSTFs will discuss and agree on the
specific allocations that will be passed onto communities that cover the kebele. In discussing and
agreeing on these allocations the KFSTF should consider how each of the different communities has
been affected by the drought (and other shock11 ) events in terms of their food insecurity.

3.6.3 Eligibility Criteria for Shock Response transfers

The key difference between the target groups of the PSNP core program and those of the shock
response safety net component is that PSNP core clients are identified as ‘extremely poor’. This may
be because of chronic illness or inadequate livelihoods which means they require long-term (multi-
year) assistance, while shock response beneficiaries need temporary (short-term) assistance because
of unusual conditions or shocks within the current year. Core PSNP beneficiaries are also eligible for
shock response transfer if they are deemed to meet the shock response eligibility criteria. The
targeting criteria for core and transitory beneficiaries are set out in Table 2 below.
Table 2: Comparative Targeting criteria for core and shock response PSNP Beneficiaries
Targeting Criteria - PSNP core (long-term) clients

• Community membership (resident in the community for the last 3 years)

• Chronically food insecure (extreme poor) - faced continuous food shortages (3 months of
food gap or more per year) in the last 3 years
• Those who have become suddenly food insecure as a result of a severe loss of assets
(financial, livestock, means of production, assets), especially if linked to the onset of severe
chronic illness, such as AIDS
• No adequate family support and other means of social protection and support
Targeting Criteria - PSNP shock response (temporary) clients

• People whose access to food (through purchase, production or any other means) is
temporarily reduced by a shock or a slow-onset disaster,
• and they are unable to maintain an adequate nutritional intake,
• or they are able to maintain an adequate nutritional intake only by resorting to unacceptable
or damaging coping strategies, risking irreversible damage to their health or livelihoods,
• and they are not already adequately supported by PSNP or other programs.
Detailed socio-economic criteria (including assets, income sources and other means of support) are
delegated to regions and woredas to develop, based on local livelihoods and social structures.
Additional criteria:
• Households with malnourished children should be prioritised for shock response assistance.

11 The Shock Responsive PSNP system is being initially designed to automatically estimate needs and finance drought related
shock. If the EWS objectively identifies FIPs arising from other shock impacts and financing is available – this response can
also be channelled via the PSNP shock response program.

21
3.6.4 Household targeting for shock response transfers
Household targeting: Household targeting in PSNP woredas will be conducted by the CFSTFs with the
support of the KFSTF as required. Steps in the process will broadly follow the process for targeting of
core PSNP beneficiaries (see Operational Annex 1 of the Targeting, Registry and Enrolment OA for
further details) however shorter timescales will be followed (see Table 3 below). Where separate relief
targeting committees have previously existed, they should be merged with the kebele and community
FSTFs. Membership of the combined committees should be reviewed in each woreda to ensure
adequate representation of the community including vulnerable groups.
In each community the CFSFT will identify an initial list of households they consider best meet the
shock response eligibility criteria (see Table 2 above). The CFSTF will then post the proposed selection
list in a public place for at least a week. Following this posting period, a general meeting of village
residents will be held to discuss and validate this list by the wider community. The meeting is an
opportunity to make changes to the list if the community does not agree with the assessment of the
CFSTF. The meeting should be concluded when there is community agreement on the list of selected
households.
Community lists of shock response beneficiaries will be gathered by the KFSTF who will validate that
a due process was followed. Appeals regarding selection can be made to the Kebele Appeals
Committee (KAC) as per the process for core beneficiaries. Once approved at kebele level, beneficiary
lists should be submitted to KFSTF for final validation and registration in the R-PASS (transitioning to
MIS).
Table 3. Targeting roles of Woreda, Kebele and Community Food Security Task Forces for PSNP
Core Shock Response

• Select any new kebeles for
inclusion in the PSNP
programme following
geographical targeting or
expansion in client numbers
• Review how any additional
client numbers should be
Woreda FSTF
allocated across kebeles.
• Approve the overall core
client list for the woreda
When required by the DRAP quarterly or annual
plan:
• Calculate total SR beneficiary numbers as per
DRAP
• Allocate SR beneficiary numbers to kebeles, in
accordance with the woreda EWR information
• Support and validate the KFSTF in its targeting
roles
• Approve the final shock response beneficiary
lists for the woreda
• Use lists to register of SR beneficiaries in
RPASS MIS
• Generate and distribute temporary ID cards
for SR beneficiaries

• Discuss and agree allocation • Discuss and agree allocation of kebele

of client numbers between
different communities
• Review and approve the
Kebele FSTF client list generated by the
CFSTF
• Support distribution of
client cards
beneficiary numbers to different communities
• Support CFSTFs in their targeting roles
• Administer appeals to KAC
• Validate the CFSTF lists and targeting process
• Support distribute temporary ID cards for SR
beneficiaries

22
 Community • Complete household
FSTF targeting for safety net
transfers in accordance
with the PIM
• Brief community on final
client list and raise
awareness on complaints
procedures
• Identify potential graduates
using wealth ranking
• Conduct annual
recertification of
programme core clients
• Produce initial list of shock response
beneficiaries
• Brief community on shock response eligibility
criteria
• Ensure lists posted for one week and community
validation meetings held.
• Submit revised lists to KFSTF final beneficiary list
• Raise community awareness on complaints
procedures
• Distribute temporary ID cards for SR
beneficiaries OR verify identities at distribution

In woredas where PSNP core transfers or shock responsive transfers are supported by NGOs it is
expected that they will participate in the WFSTF and will also:
• Supply data/information (as available) to support caseload determination at woreda and
kebele levels
• Support data collection and verification for the household targeting process
• Actively engage with CFSTF in the targeting processes to ensure that PIM procedures are
followed
• Provide quality assurance support in the targeting process at all levels

3.7 Registration of Shock Response Beneficiaries

3.7.1 Use of RPASS and MIS

PSNP woredas which are already using the Rural Payroll and Attendance Sheet System (RPASS)
software to register core clients will add lists of shock response clients to the relevant section of the
same database. The RPASS software design has been adapted to enable the inclusion of transitory
clients. RPASS is currently the preferred means of registering all PSNP clients and transfers. However,
during the PSNP 5 this system will be upgraded to the MIS (see MIS User’s guideline for further detail).
Woredas where the RPASS (or MIS) is yet to be fully rolled out will receive, and be trained on, the new
integrated version so that they are registering PSNP core and shock response clients in the same
system. Whilst awaiting roll out of the RPASS system (and / or MIS) officials should register shock
response beneficiaries using Excel formats which are compatible with the RPASS interface (i.e., they
require the same information and have a similar layout). This will facilitate both future integration of
the data bases (e.g., importing Excel records into RPASS and the new MIS), and future training of
woreda staff in the new single registry system. Where possible, woreda staff should enter the
registration data directly into Excel. If current capacity and resources do not allow this, the Excel sheet
should be printed and used as a hand-written form to record the data, which can be entered into the
computer later (at zonal or regional level if necessary).
All woredas where the shock response safety net component operates should have up-to-date master
lists of core PSNP beneficiaries and those currently receiving transfers in response to shock (whether
through the PSNP contingency budget or allocated by the DRAP), either in digital or paper format.
Woredas are responsible for keeping copies of all such data at the woreda office, and also for timely
transmission of the data to the relevant zonal or regional office (as defined by regional directive).
Systems for the transmission, collation and analysis of the registration data (including communications
between the woredas and regional offices) will need to be significantly strengthened to enable
effective monitoring of the Shock Response safety net component and the functioning of the eventual

23
national single registry. Capacity development will also be needed to enable the continuing roll-out of
RPASS, and the provision of compatible Excel formats for woredas where RPASS is not yet available.
In those kebeles, and woredas in PSNP regions which have not benefitted from PSNP over the past
fifteen years, this will be a significant challenge which will require dedicated and significant resources.

3.7.2 Issuance of Temporary Client cards for Shock Response Beneficiaries

In PSNP regions, woredas should issue temporary client cards for shock response beneficiaries (see
annex 1). In order to simplify and speed up the process, photographs are not required for temporary
client cards, however other unique identifiers such as ID numbers should be used instead.
In areas where it is not feasible to issue client cards for shock response beneficiaries (e.g., because of
lack of budget, or if the time needed for printing would delay distributions), woredas will use an
alternative systematic process to verify the identity of beneficiaries at the point of payment or
distribution, and to match the identity of people receiving transfers from the approved list of targeted
beneficiaries.
This process could involve CFSTF members or other community leaders vouching for the identity of
beneficiaries or by making use of kebele ID cards. Each region should develop detailed instructions for
this identity-checking process, according to what is feasible and cost-effective in their context.

3.8 Public works

Public works are a key productive feature of the productive safety net. PSNP core clients with able-
bodied adult labour in the household are required to work in exchange for their safety net transfers
and they receive 6 months of cash or food payments in return for their labour. Works are timed to
avoid disruption to other key livelihood activities, particularly farming and livestock rearing: therefore,
the seasonal timing of the works may vary among regions and zones to fit their local climate and
economy. Individual PW clients who are temporarily unable to work (for example due to pregnancy,
illness or because they are caring for a malnourished child) are transferred to temporary direct support
(TDS) while they are indisposed, and receive the 6 months of transfers without working.
The DRM policy states that, in principle, assistance for able-bodied beneficiaries should be linked to
development work. However, in emergency or humanitarian situations this principle may be applied
more flexibly, and regions do vary in their interpretation and implementation. Woredas will be
informed of regional policy on this issue. In PSNP woredas the joint Technical Committee for Public
Works is responsible for identifying suitable projects and ensuring they are adequately planned and
supervised.
In severe emergency situations, when the local population may be malnourished, ill, displaced, or
under extreme stress, the implementation of public works may be suspended for both core and
transitory beneficiaries for the duration of the crisis. 12 In these limited cases, any requirement for
public works will be waived and assistance will be provided unconditionally for a temporary period.
The criteria for waiving public works are set out.

Criteria for temporary waiver of public works

12Note that the months when PSNP PWs are implemented generally do not coincide with the peak of the hungry season,
and will not necessarily overlap with months of acute food crisis in any given year or location. In these cases, the waiver w ill
not affect PSNP works.

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 1) Waiver of public works is automatically approved for woredas classified as Hot-Spot 113
2) If the woreda lacks the capacity to rapidly operationalize a public works requirement
without delaying payments.
3) If contingency budget / relief payments (food or cash) are scheduled to take place during
the peak agricultural or pastoral migration season, making public works inappropriate
(public works should never compete with people working on their own land or tending their
livestock).
4) If the extent of the emergency is too great to make participation in public works an
appropriate mechanism.
5) In the event of a fast onset emergency.
6) If the beneficiary population are too weak to work without compromising their health,
due to malnutrition or illness.

The decision to waive public works for a woreda having shock response beneficiaries will normally be
taken at national or regional level, based on early warning and health indicators such as acute
malnutrition rates or epidemic outbreaks.
• Woredas will be informed via the regional authorities when they are permitted to waive
public works.
• Woredas may also apply to the regional authorities for authorisation to waive public works if
justified by local conditions.

3.9 Transfer Processes

3.9.1 Cash Payments

Cash payments for both core and shock response PSNP beneficiaries will be made according to the
rules set out in the PSNP 5 PIM, in particular in the Payment Operational Annex. WoFED will prepare
three separate payrolls: for PDS, PW/TDS and shock response clients.
All cash transfers under the single registry will adopt the financial reports and audits of the PSNP (see
PIM and FM manual for details).

3.9.2 Food Distributions

Food distributions for all PSNP beneficiaries will be carried out according to the rules set out in the
Food Management Section in the Resource Management Operational Annex.
Food commodities will be managed by the Commodities Management and Coordination Office
(CMCO), based in the Ministry of Agriculture. At the woreda level, the planning, implementation and
supervision of food distributions are currently the responsibility of the Woreda Early Warning and
Response Desk. During PSNP 5 this responsibility will shift to the Woreda Food Security Desk.
Systems for management, reporting and audit of food distributions including communications
between the Commodities Management structure and woredas will follow the standards set out in
the CMPM.

13 This categorisation is likely to change as enhanced EWS is developed and processes for prioritisation are revised.

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 3.9.3 Timeliness of Shock Responsive Transfers
It is acknowledged that delivering shock response transfers may be more challenging than core
transfer initially. However, every effort should be made to distribute shock response transfers within
the month corresponding to their allocation in the DRAP. Assistance will normally be provided for a
minimum of three months to correspond with the DRAP planning.
Institutional roles and responsibilities for payment processes within the woreda are summarised in
Table 4 below.
Table 4: Key roles in cash and food payment processes
Core Shock Response
• In woredas where core payments are • work jointly with Woreda EWRD/P as
made in cash, provide the client lists to members of the WFSTF, to coordinate
the Woreda Office of Finance cash and food payment processes for
• In woredas where core payments are shock response beneficiaries
made in food, prepare the payroll and
submit to CM Focal Point
Woreda Food • Enter the data on PW attendance into
Security the attendance sheet of RPASS and
Desk/Process record entitlements to temporary
(FSD/P) direct support transfers
• Communicate payment dates to Kebele
Chair and KFSTF for onward
communication to clients
• Provide the approved lists of:
o PW clients (at the beginning of each
financial year)
o PDS clients (following annual
recertification process)

In woredas where core payments are made in
cash:
• Confirm adequate resources in bank
account
• Prepare the payroll using RPASS
Woreda Office of
• Withdraw money from bank and
Finance (WOFED)
ensure safe passage to payment points
• Provide cashiers to execute cash
payments
In woredas where shock response
payments are made in cash:
• Confirm adequate resources in bank
account
• Prepare the payroll using RPASS
where possible, or RPASS-compatible
formats
• Withdraw money from bank and
ensure safe passage to payment
points
• Provide cashiers to execute cash
payments

In woredas where core payments are made in Work jointly with Woreda FSD/P as
food: members of the WFSTF, to coordinate
Early Warning and cash and food payment processes for
Response Working with CM focal point,
shock response beneficiaries
Desk/Process • Prepare appropriate requisition
(EWRD/P) documents for food distribution points
• Provide distribution experts to execute
food payments

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Cashiers/ • Check client cards against payroll to • Check temporary client cards as for
Distribution ensure that payments are being made core payments
Experts to correct households • If temporary client cards are not
• Execute payments available, check identities in
consultation with CFSTF or
Distribution Committee
• Execute payments

Kebele Chair and • Communicate payment dates to clients • Communicate payment dates to
KFSTF • Support and oversee payment days clients
• Support and oversee payment days

NGOs In woredas supported by NGOs: In woredas supported by NGOs:

• Prepare/check payroll
• Prepare appropriate requisition
documents for food distribution points
• Provide distribution experts to execute
food payments
• WFP/NGOs providing such services
have a responsibility to report to the
woreda administration separately to
the Government of Ethiopia’s own
reporting requirements. (CMPM 1-5)
• Prepare/check payroll
• Prepare appropriate requisition
documents for food distribution
points
• Provide distribution experts to
execute food payments
• WFP/NGOs providing such services
have a responsibility to report to the
woreda administration separately to
the Government of Ethiopia’s own
reporting requirements. (CMPM 1-5)

3.10 Grievance Redress Management

Kebele Appeals Committees (KACs) have been established in all PSNP woredas to deal with any
complaints or disagreements regarding the targeting and delivery of the PSNP. Under the shock
response safety net, their mandate will be expanded to include both core PSNP and shock responsive
safety net beneficiaries. KACs will now be responsible for hearing and addressing complaints regarding
the targeting process and the delivery of cash and food transfers to all core and shock responsive
safety net beneficiaries. The composition, responsibilities and operation of KACs are detailed in
Operational Annex 5 (GRM) of the PIM. Communications and System-strengthening
Implementation of the shock responsive safety net will require improved horizontal and vertical
communications among institutions, line ministries and levels of government. Systems will be
strengthened to ensure timely communication of all the decisions outlined above (i.e., beneficiary
numbers, transfer modalities, distribution plans and adjustments, hot-spot classification, and the
launch of distribution rounds) from the national level to the regions and woredas. Reporting systems
from the woredas and regions to the center will also be reviewed and streamlined.

3.11 Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

In agreement with government and donors, joint reporting mechanisms will be developed for PSNP
core and shock response transfers. Joint reports will be provided at federal level to support
information sharing and to inform decision making at key meetings such as the PSNP Transfer
Technical Working Group meeting. Joint reports should access data from the existing PSNP data
collection mechanisms (i.e., the RICs and FICs for PSNP). Common monthly reports should then be

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developed on the basis of this information, clearly presenting the status of transfers for both systems.
These are set out in Operational Annex 6 of the PIM on monitoring, evaluation and learning.
Narrative reports on each shock responsive safety net transfer distribution round should be
transmitted in a timely manner from the woreda to regional level, and from the region to federal level.
These reports should include a description of the payment or distribution process followed and any
challenges encountered, in addition to the number and characteristics of beneficiaries receiving
assistance. Further indicators and reporting formats will be developed to capture key information such
as the timeliness of transfers.
Payment reporting for shock responsive safety net cash and in-kind food payments delivered through
the government system will follow the procedures laid out in the relevant section of the PIM, namely
Operational Annex 4 on Resource Management.

3.11 Exit procedures

PSNP core clients are normally registered for 3 to 5 years (or longer in the case of PDS beneficiaries
who are not expected to graduate). Processes for the periodic retargeting of the PSNP core caseload
and the recertification of households that might be ready to exit the PSNP are set out in the PIM.
These procedures are not affected by a beneficiary’s receipt of any shock response transfers.
Shock response beneficiaries will automatically exit the program at the end of the relevant DRAP
planning period. Upon registration shock response beneficiaries will be clearly informed of the
months for which temporary shock response assistance will be provided. Households should be given
as much notice as possible of how much assistance they can expect to receive in each quarter. The
minimum period of confirmed assistance should be three months, quarterly DRAP updates will
confirm the number of months of shock response assistance in any year.
It will be important for woredas to develop communication protocols by which DRAP allocations (at
woreda and kebele level) are shared with communities. This should include awareness campaigns
around the process, and dates where applicable, by which beneficiaries will be selected and registered
for shock response transfers.

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ANNEX 1: EXAMPLE OF A TRANSITORY CLIENT CARD

[tbc - ]

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