Gender Ministry prepares officers for nationwide leap payment monitoring

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has begun preparations for a nationwide monitoring exercise to assess the first and second cycles of Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) cash grant payments to beneficiaries.

As part of the preparations, officers of the Ministry have undergone a briefing to strengthen their readiness for the field exercise, which is scheduled to take place across the country over the next two weeks.

The meeting focused on the revised monitoring questionnaire and provided officers with practical guidance on how to identify, document and manage cases that may arise during the exercise.

Key areas covered included beneficiary reassessment and enrolment, payment systems, beneficiary quotas, data quality, payment instruments and grievance handling.

Particular attention was given to common payment and data-related challenges, including mismatched names, incorrect beneficiary records and inconsistencies in payment information.

Officers were also guided on how to respond to concerns raised by beneficiaries, properly record cases and refer them through the appropriate LEAP and Social Welfare structures for further action.

The meeting stressed the importance of clear and consistent communication during the exercise. Officers were encouraged to provide beneficiaries with accurate information, manage expectations, and avoid making commitments on matters that require policy-level decisions.

The monitoring teams are expected to work through the established case-management and Single Window structures to ensure that issues identified in the field are properly followed up and resolved.

The exercise forms part of efforts to strengthen the monitoring of LEAP payments and ensure that beneficiary concerns are effectively captured and addressed.