Impact Evaluation of a Cash Transfer and Psychosocial Training Program for Refugees in Kenya

Last registered on August 28, 2024
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Impact Evaluation of a Cash Transfer and Psychosocial Training Program for Refugees in Kenya
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0014205
Initial registration date
August 21, 2024

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
August 28, 2024, 3:05 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
Kenya
Region
Turkana County, Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Settlement

Primary Investigator

Name
Edward Miguel
Affiliation
University of California, Berkeley
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Utz Pape
PI Affiliation
World Bank
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PI Name
Ibrahima Sarr
PI Affiliation
UNHCR
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PI Name
Precious Zikhali
PI Affiliation
World Bank
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PI Name
Theresa Beltramo
PI Affiliation
UNHCR
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PI Name
Antonia Delius
PI Affiliation
University of Oxford
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Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2024-02-04
End date
2025-12-30
Keywords
Crime, Violence, & Conflict, Welfare
Additional Keywords
Displacement, Cash Transfers, Mental Health
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
The number of displaced people globally has reached a historic high, posing significant challenges in addressing the needs of the affected groups. Displaced people often face numerous hardships including a lack of economic opportunities, vulnerability to shocks, and poverty. Additionally, they are particularly vulnerable to psychological distress due to traumatic experiences, challenging camp or transit situations, loss of family members, and uncertainty, while their access to mental health services is low. In this study, we examine the interaction between the economic and psychological wellbeing of refugees in Kenya and evaluate how both dimensions are impacted by a program bundle, including (1) a cash transfer and (2) a psychoeducation program and financial literacy training.

We implement our study in the Kakuma Refugee Camp and the Kalobeyei Settlement in Turkana County, Northern Kenya, which host about 283,000 refugees, predominately from South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Beltramo, Theresa et al. 2024. "Impact Evaluation of a Cash Transfer and Psychosocial Training Program for Refugees in Kenya." AEA RCT Registry. August 28. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.14205-1.0
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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The study includes two interventions, (1) a cash transfer and (2) a psychosocial training and was offered to an adult household member of individuals known to be facing psychological distress.

(1) A subset of treatment households received a one-off, unconditional cash transfer worth approximately 520 USD. Transfers were made to newly created bank accounts in the recipient’s name, instead of utilizing existing accounts for those who already had them. This was done to ensure individuals have the flexibility to withdraw parts of the transfer as convenient for them and such that the cash transfer would be clearly separated from any existing humanitarian transfer programs that the household might already receive (e.g. for monthly food rations).

(2) All treatment households, those who received the cash transfer and those who didn’t, were offered a psychosocial training program, covering topics related to psychoeducation and financial literacy.
(i) Psychoeducation: This two-day training aimed to create an understanding of common mental health conditions, their symptoms and how they affect emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Further, sessions covered techniques to support others in distress, in particular tools that participants can use day to day in their households, and how to reduce tensions and stigma around people with mental health conditions as well as when and where to seek help when needed.
(ii) Financial literacy: This one-day training aimed to provide skills to effectively manage the often limited financial means refugee households have and covers techniques for managing household and business finances, strategies to save, and how to navigate local financial institutions.

The trainings were delivered through a mix of classroom-based instruction, group discussions, role play, and individual exercises, while using examples tailored to the setting to make the materials relatable. Training groups consisted of up to 50 individuals grouped by geographic, cultural, and language proximity and split into smaller break-out groups for exercises and discussions. In addition to the classroom training, breakfast and lunch were provided, during which participants had additional opportunities to discuss what they learned. The trainings were implemented before the cash transfer component was announced.
Intervention Start Date
2024-02-28
Intervention End Date
2024-06-15

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Our primary outcomes of interest relate to the economic and psychological wellbeing of the study households. Further, outcome families include (1) employment, (2) savings and loans, (3) household characteristics, (4) food security, (5) resilience, (6) physical and psychological wellbeing, (7) social interactions and identity, and (8) perceptions of mental health.

See pre-analysis plan for details on the specific outcomes and their measurement.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The two interventions were combined into two treatment arms:
- T1: Training only, 3-day training on psychoeducation and financial literacy
- T2: Training + Cash, 3-day training on psychoeducation and financial literacy AND cash transfer

The impact evaluation consists of 2 components, an RCT in which the impact of the cash transfer is evaluated by comparing T1 and T2, and an experimental component, combining identification strategies based on random assignment as well as observational methods to evaluate the impact of T1 compared to no intervention.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer.
Randomization Unit
Households
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
1,950 households
Sample size: planned number of observations
3,900 respondents (2 per household)
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
T1 (training only): 680 households; T2 (training + cash): 288 households
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Maseno University Scientific and Ethics Review Committee
IRB Approval Date
2023-11-03
IRB Approval Number
MSU/DRPI/MUSERC/01304/23
IRB Name
University of California, Berkeley - Committee for Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS)
IRB Approval Date
2024-01-04
IRB Approval Number
2021-07-14498
Analysis Plan