DAEM is a state-of-the-art platform that enables real-time data and information exchange between stakeholders operating within the social protection space. Developed and deployed in Lebanon at the height of the country’s financial crisis, DAEM has a demonstrated ability to respond to emerging needs fast, while guaranteeing  transparency and accountability in the delivery of cash-based social protection programmes.

DAEM (meaning support in Arabic) automates and digitises the end-to-end social protection delivery chain, building in monitoring and management systems to ensure that aid earmarked for vulnerable population segments reaches them in a transparent and effective manner.effective manner.

How DAEM works

1. Applicants create a user account, after which they receive an SMS enabling them to fill a unique form to determine their eligibility under the available social protection programs. CSOs and CBOs assist with outreach to the most vulnerable households, while a call centre provides direct guidance through the process.

2. A deduplication process is undertaken to identify households registered twice or under two different social protection programs. A contracted Data Validation and Payment Coordinator (DVPC) then conducts household visits to confirm applicants' needs and further assess vulnerabilities. Random spot checks are conducted to quality assure the household surveys.

3. DAEM's proxy means testing model reviews the completed forms against a set of customised multidimensional poverty indicators, generating a list of eligible households.

4. Pay enrolled households receive an SMS instructing them to collect their cash assistance from their nearest money transfer operator, and the status of the payment upon completion is fed back into the system for budget consolidation and audit.

Transparency and accountability guaranteed

DAEM brings multiple stakeholders together on a single platform for seamless coordination and collaboration. Their work is governed by a set of security and oversight procedures that aim to eliminate corruption and clientelism in the building and maintenance of a social registry.

Every user account has a unique identification code, which allows for the tracking and tracing of activity at each stage of the social protection delivery chain. Human interference in the selection and payment of beneficiaries is eliminated by process automation, while customisable user roles and privileges control the ability to access and edit sensitive information, preventing unauthorised manipulation of the social registry.

All data is stored and processed according to strict, GDPR-compliant security and privacy protocols. An independent third-party monitors and audits platform security, while an independent oversight agency audits user activity, checking for suspicious and fraudulent behaviour.  Allegations of the misallocation or misappropriation of funds raised via the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) are fully auditable and are investigated by the independent oversight agency.

Designed for scalability: cross program functionality and oversight

DAEM has the potential for cross-program functionality, allowing for the integration and harmonisation of legacy beneficiary databases within a unified social registry. Similarly, its registration, assessment, enrolment, payment, GRM and beneficiary management functions all have the potential to be used across multiple protection programmes.

Population groups with different needs and circumstances can be segmented and targeted for assistance, while the platform’s dashboards and data analysis environment provide programme managers with easy oversight of where and how funds are being allocated, aiding planning and coordination.

The Lebanon experience so far

• >582,000 households registered in two months

• 93,590 payments made

• $210,000,000 disbursed

As of August 2024

Integrated operations and functions

Two programs

• Emergency Social Safety Net (150,000 extreme poor households targeted)

• Broad Coverage Cash Transfer (forthcoming, 257,000 poor and middle-income households targeted)

Integrated with other social sectors

• Education fields embedded within DAEM registration form, enabling targeting of vulnerable public-school students aged 13-18

Potential expansion

• National Poverty Targeting Program (a legacy programme targeting 75,000 extreme poor households)

• Humanitarian sector programming, including cash-for-work

Stakeholders and governance