Baseline Report for the Cash Transfer Component of the Project to Reduce the Vulnerability of Venezuelan Migrants

According to the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics, 87.6% of the Venezuelan population in Peru requires support to cover their basic needs. The Displacement Tracking Matrix in Peru indicates that up to 80% of migrants require daily medications, 85% do not have access to medical care, and 68% of people surveyed in Tumbes do not have access to food. COVID-19 has exacerbated entrenched vulnerabilities in Venezuelan migrants related to inadequate access to public services, food, shelter, poverty, limited economic opportunities, and unemployment. The baseline report for the Cash Transfer component of the project to reduce the vulnerability of Venezuelan migrants aims to establish the initial situation of the project's performance indicators. The baseline survey allows for the identification of social characteristics of the target population, which highlight potentially influential factors in the execution of project activities. The survey also provides information on the initial state of the target population in aspects related to economic entrepreneurship, access to services, and participation in programs. The baseline survey was conducted using a quantitative approach, collecting primary information from new participant populations, as well as information from secondary sources and additional information provided by public and community institutions. The survey was administered through a standard online questionnaire, which was administered through WhatsApp messages and/or electronic messages due to the current situation in the country related to COVID-19. The questionnaire was designed and validated by the ON for the participants of stage 1, and was applied to the heads of participant households prior to receiving their first transfer between the end of October and December 2020. The survey was sent in masse to the new participants through email and/or WhatsApp, and an additional free WhatsApp web application was used and provided to the CASH TRANSFER operations team. The participants were coded with the assigned HOUSEHOLD ID, and an information consent was used prior to the application of the questionnaire instrument. The database of direct cardholders from the selected intervention areas was used to have contact information, including household ID, names and surnames, region, province, district, email, and telephone numbers. The baseline survey aims to identify the social profile of the participants surveyed, including demographic characteristics, economic situation, and access to services. The survey also aims to identify the initial state of the target population in aspects related to economic entrepreneurship, access to services, and participation in programs. The results of the baseline survey will allow for the establishment of the initial values for the component's result indicators and subsequent monitoring of the evolution of said indicators through the application of the Post Distribution Monitoring (PDM).