BEAM rep final.pdf - Training and Research Support Centre

monitoring and evaluation of the programme or involving the new more community and
beneficiary focused structures in the selection of beneficiaries and the subsequent running of
the programme;
Structures that exist currently and need strengthening;
Village child committees
Child protection services
School development committees
Community selection committees
Structures which do not yet exist but are necessary;
VIDCO secretaries
Social welfare officer in the school
Committee to select secondary school beneficiaries
BEAM officer at the district level.
School child representative
Common themes that came from the key informant interviews in a number of the schools were
generally that;
Some of the school accounts had never been audited. This made the monitoring of
BEAM funds at the school level difficult. This also left room for possible misappropriation
of the BEAM funds.
There is a level of dishonest among the parents of the beneficiaries, some have
benefited where they are supposed to benefit, and some will not ask for the removal of
their children if at any time their situation improves;
Secondary schools do not control the selection of beneficiaries, as it is all done at the
primary level leaving no room for the input from the secondary staff in deciding on the
selection of those considered really in need;
If a beneficiary changed schools he or she would be removed from the list and replaced
with another, hence he/she has to reapply to qualify for assistance once at the new
school. This process disadvantaged the beneficiary;
BEAM Levies do not cover other special levies such as book levy, bus or vehicle levies
which are necessary for the running of schools;
Allocations are done on the basis the schools’ enrolment and not necessarily on the
basis of the number of beneficiaries;
Some schools get a budget allocation from the ministry, divide that with amount of levies
per pupil and determine the number that needs to be supported. This suggests that there
are no proper rules to govern how school should determine the numbers to be supported
under BEAM. They also noted that the list of beneficiaries would be sent to the Ministry
after the allocation and not before that which means that Ministry cannot influence the
beneficiary selection process.
Some select committees choose children belonging to their friends or relatives leaving
out the needy ones.
5. Discussion
This survey was carried out to assess the general understanding of the BEAM programme by
those who are executing it and benefiting from it at the local level. It was district focused. It
analysed issues that are usually overlooked. The issues covered by the survey include: the
understanding of BEAM guidelines, availability of the guidelines, selection of beneficiaries and
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