Community Based and Mixed Targeting on Performance of Cash Transfer Projects in Baidoa District, Somalia

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Cash transfers serve as vital tools for social protection, but their effectiveness depends significantly on the precision of beneficiary targeting. The research specifically evaluates the influence of community-based, geographical, mixed, and self-targeting mechanisms on project outcomes. Employing the social capital, social interdependence, and rational action theories, the study underscores the value of social networks, mutual support, and rational decision-making in effective targeting. This study targeted 58 respondents from 18 cash transfer projects in Baidoa, including project managers, monitoring and evaluation officers, government representatives, and donor representatives. The findings reveal that community based targeting (α = 0.123, p-value > 0.05), and mixed targeting (α = 0.120, p-value > 0.05) approaches positively but non-significantly influence cash transfer projects. From the study, community based targeting and mixed targeting positively influence project performance, though not significantly. While each targeting approach contributes to project success, an integrated strategy combining multiple methods enhances accuracy and effectiveness. This approach mitigates the limitations of individual methods by leveraging their collective strengths. Future cash transfer projects should adopt a broad-based targeting mechanism that is adaptable to the specific situational and contextual dynamics of the project environment. Such a strategy is crucial for ensuring that the most vulnerable populations receive the intended benefits, thereby improving the overall impact of humanitarian interventions in fragile contexts like Somalia.