Support in Survey for Post Distribution Monitoring for Food and Cash Assistance

Host entity: UNHCR IND

Application deadline: 20/08/2026

Mission and objectives

UNHCR India works to protect and assist refugees, asylum-seekers, and other forcibly displaced persons by ensuring access to protection, basic services, and durable solutions while promoting their well-being and self-reliance.

As part of its commitment to accountability and evidence-based programming, UNHCR India conducts Post Distribution Monitoring (PDM) exercises each year to assess the effectiveness, relevance, and utilization of food and cash assistance provided, ensuring that support reaches intended beneficiaries and contributes to their essential needs and protection outcomes.

Assignment context

UNHCR India provides food and cash assistance to vulnerable refugee and asylum-seeking households to support their essential needs. As part of programme accountability and quality assurance, UNHCR India conducts Post Distribution Monitoring (PDM) to assess whether assistance reached intended recipients, is utilized for priority needs, and is delivered in a timely, safe, and dignified manner. Findings from the PDM will help UNHCR India improve programme implementation and accountability to affected populations.

This assignment contributes to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), by supporting efforts to improve assistance for vulnerable refugee and asylum-seeking households. It also contributes to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) through promoting accountability, transparency, and evidence-based decision-making in humanitarian programming.

Task description

Under the supervision of the UNHCR India programme team, Online volunteers will:
• Participate in mandatory briefings, trainings and similar sessions as organized by UNHCR
• Explain the purpose of the interview clearly to respondents, confirm voluntary participation, obtain informed consent before starting the interview and inform respondents that participation or refusal will not affect their access to assistance or services
• Conduct telephonic Post Distribution Monitoring interviews with sampled beneficiaries who have received food and/or cash assistance, based on a questionnaire and guidance provided by UNHCR.
• Verify receipt including the intended type, quantity, timing of assistance, accessibility, and utilization of assistance provided by UNHCR India.
• Collect beneficiary feedback on satisfaction, effectiveness, timeliness, adequacy, and appropriateness of assistance.
• Accurately record responses using designated data collection tools, such as Kobo, and protocols.
• Support data quality checks and timely submission of completed questionnaires.
• Maintain neutrality during interviews and avoid making promises, providing individual case advice, influencing responses, or raising expectations about future assistance.
• Maintain confidentiality and adhere to UNHCR's protection, safeguarding, and accountability principles

The Online Volunteer will support remotely. OV will receive the necessary questionnaire, and relevant background documentation from UNHCR. All information shared for the assignment must be treated as confidential and handled in accordance with applicable UNHCR data protection requirements.

Expected deliverables: Each Online Volunteer is expected to be distributed and cover 65 households (HHs).

Skills and experience

• University student or graduate in social sciences, development studies, humanitarian studies, statistics, or related fields is preferred.
• Previous experience in surveys, assessments, community outreach, monitoring activities, or humanitarian programmes is desirable.
• Strong communication and interviewing skills including the ability to ask questions neutrally, listen actively, and record answers accurately.
• Ability to engage respectfully, patiently with refugee and asylum-seeking communities
• Familiarity with digital/mobile data collection platforms (e.g., Kobo Toolbox, ODK) is an asset.
• Commitment to safeguarding, confidentiality, impartiality, and ethical data collection practices.

Full eligibility requirements, conditions of service and application instructions are available on the official UNV platform.