DELIVERY MECHANISM
With term delivery mechanism, ECHO refers to HOW the transfer is actually transferred to the beneficiary. Example of Cash delivery mechanisms include cash in envelope, by ATM card, by mobile phone, by bank transfers. Vouchers’ delivery mechanisms can be paper voucher, electronic voucher as card, mobile phone voucher, and so on. In kind commodities can be delivered by truck, by air drop, etc. The choice of the delivery mechanism may is very important and must take into account, among other things of protection aspects, costs, social acceptability, risk of exclusion, availability of the necessary expertise and technology infrastructure, frequency of the transfer envisaged.
Attention should be given to the fact that the choice of a specific delivery mechanism could:
– exclude certain groups among the most vulnerable. Children who head households may not have the right to have a bank account; women may have less access to mobile phones; marginalised groups may have difficulties in accessing documentation necessary for phone ownership or establishing accounts;
– expose people to risks; for instance delivery cash in envelope in unsafe environment.