Provision to for an assessment of the Programme to Provide a Nutrition Allowance of Rs.45,000/- to Pregnant and Lactating Mothers (Pregnancy Voucher Programme) as per the attached TOR.

Summary

The purpose of this assessment is to generate credible and actionable evidence on the results achieved by the Maternal Nutrition Voucher Programme implemented by the National Secretariat for Early Childhood Development (NSECD) under the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs. The assessment adopts a contribution analysis, examining how and to what extent the programme has contributed to improving maternal and child wellbeing outcomes. The assessment aims to inform improvements in the design and implementation of the programme, strengthen its delivery mechanisms, and identify opportunities to enhance its alignment with ongoing social protection reforms, including its ability to provide support during periods of crisis. As a formative exercise, it also seeks to support continuous learning and adaptive management, particularly in the provision of voucher support to pregnant women and mothers with children under four months of age. In light of the Government of Sri Lanka’s intention to implement the Maternal and Nutrition Voucher Programme as a social protection priority, the assessment will assess both the programme’s design and its implementation mechanisms, specifically, the extent to which the programme has been delivered as intended. It will also examine programme effectiveness, women’s preferences and satisfaction, and identify the adjustments and areas for improvements.