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This document aims to summarize the available cash and voucher assistance deduplication platforms in Türkiye and provide a practical guidance on their use.
Context: Despite the need on the side of humanitarian and development actors in Türkiye, an intersectoral deduplication platform to crosscheck beneficiary list of various programs based on identifiers (such as ID numbers, address, etc) has not been in place due to the national legislation1, i.e. Law No. 6698 on Protection of Personal Data, technical challenges and other limitations related to data protection principles. In the absence of a central deduplication tool, humanitarian and development actors have utilised internal and bilateral mechanisms that can contribute to prevention of duplication.
Deduplication of CVA in Türkiye: Linked to its disruptive and strong impact on its recipients and others, cash and voucher assistances have always been under the magnifier specific to duplication compared to other modalities of support. In Türkiye, Social Safety Net (SSN) Programme cross-checking mechanism, which is provided by Türk Kızılay (Turkish Red Crescent- TRC), had long been the only available tool which allowed partners to crosscheck their beneficiary lists against SSN. In the second half of 2023, UNHCR facilitated a CVA deduplication platform for cash assistances specific to winterisation. As of December 2024, UNHCR Inter-Agency facilitates a cash deduplication platform available to all cash programs and cash actors.
A. SSN Cross-Checking Platform: TRC has provided beneficiary cross check service thanks to their 2.7 million data pool via the tool named KIZILAYKART Information Exchange Mechanism. Benefiting from TRC’s protocol with MoFSS on managing personal data, this useful mechanism that can cross-check individuals against SSN beneficiary pool benefitted by the humanitarian and development actors to prevent duplication in several assistance schemes. Through the mechanism, TRC cross checks the data of the individuals under temporary and international protection, who are currently benefiting from programmes under KIZILAYKART, and provide feedback to organisations on beneficiary status.
Organizations that request to cross-check their beneficiaries against the data of KIZILAYKART Platform, share lists through e-mail. TRC upload the lists to GÖÇMEN, TRC’s database for its beneficiaries. After the necessary controls are done in line with procedures, TRC share the outcomes via e-mail. Through this cross-checking, TRC contributes largely to prevent the duplication in the assistances provided, enhance coordination between the organizations and contribute to effective and efficient use of funds.
The SSN Cross-Checking Platform is accessed through emailing this address: ESSNdatacheck@kizilay.org.tr
B. UNHCR Deduplication Platform: CVA Deduplication Platform was created by UNHCR and used by several actors in the last quarter of 2023 to ensure deduplication within the scope of cash assistance specific to winterisation support. Several organizations2 used the deduplication platform and gave positive feedback regarding the simplicity and practicality of its use. In November 2024, building on the positive feedback and continuing needs, UNHCR Inter-agency announced the year-round use of the deduplication platform specific to cash and voucher assistance.
The aim of the tool is to prevent duplication and enhance efficient use of the limited funds. The tool enciphers the identifier personal information, the ID number, of the possible beneficiaries, cross-checks and reports potential duplications. The deduplication platform is facilitated by UNHCR Inter-Agency, Cashbased Interventions Technical Working Group coordination team, and maintained by UNHCR.