Subject: FW: Few clarification questions on the TSA scoring formula and verification procedures
From: Tamar Barkalaia </O=EXCHORGANIZATION/OU=EXCHANGE ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=6F5B4218A42A4F0A85A453AB37727AE8-TAMAR B>
To: Tea Gvaramadze </o=ExchOrganization/ou=Exchange Administrative Group (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)/cn=Recipients/cn=3ef53c907e8448efb640e206f5edffed-Tea Gva>
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 2020 09:25:54 +0000

თათია,

შენი დახმარება მჭირდება მსოფლიო ბანკის ამ კითხვებს რომ ვუპასუხო.

From: Maddalena Honorati [mailto:[email-masked]]
Sent: Monday, April 20, 2020 1:26 PM
To: Tamar Barkalaia
Cc: Tamar Gabunia; Roberto Claudio Sormani; Alicia C. Marguerie; Lela Ghongadze
Subject: Few clarification questions on the TSA scoring formula and verification procedures

Dear Tamila,

I hope this email finds you well.

We would like to ask you and your technical team few additional clarification questions related to the update of the PMT score and, more broadly, the TSA system. Answers to the questions will inform both the emergency project under preparation and our analytical work on the PMT update.

Regarding this last work on the proposed changes in the PMT formula, we would be ready to present our findings next week (this week we are finalizing the project package). We understand you are very busy, hence please suggest a day and time for us to present our findings and to receive your feedback and we will accommodate accordingly.

In one of our phone calls, you informed me that there are plans to adapt TSA to the emergency needs of the Covid-19 crisis, most notably by (i) postponing the deadlines for PMT recertification, (ii) relaxation of registration requirements (number of documents needed) with SSA and (iii) abolishment of home visits. Please kindly confirm whether (i) the above measures have been already adopted, (ii) if yes, through which legislation (amendments) and (iii) whether additional measures related to the TSA were adopted to simplify implementation processes beyond the 3 listed above (payment for example?), and make them compliant with the stay-home and hygiene requirements imposed by the COVID crisis.

We would like to have a better understanding of how PMT scores evolve over time for currently registered households. Our understanding is that some components of the PMT score are updated automatically every month (labor income, electricity expenditures for example), some other are based on beneficiary declarations (death, birth) while others on the recertification (living conditions of the residence).  Please confirm if (i) our understanding is correct, (ii) which are the household characteristics that are cross-checked automatically and (iii) how often automatic update happens.

How does SSA cross validate applicants’ self-declaration of income and revenues? Is there usage of recorded transactions, for instance? What components of households’ declared revenues are verified? Are such controls performed periodically on each household; are they automatic; are they performed on a random sample?

Concerning the current PMT formula, we note that social assistance transfers enter the revenue index (although with a cap). We are wondering what was the rational for this choice.

Still concerning the PMT formula, we notice that only cash revenues from the second last month are considered, and not revenues from the last month before the registration. Would you be able to share some opinions on the rationale for this choice?

Maddalena, on behalf of the team

Maddalena Honorati

Senior Economist

Social Protection & Labor

T

+1 202 458 1878

E

[email-masked]