The GeniusVoucher platform is a complete solution for the management and control of voucher-based distribution projects. In order to make the most out of the GeniusVoucher platform, it is important for the user to understand what voucher-based projects are, and how the GeniusVoucher system can be used to manage and control them. This section is intended to describe voucher-based projects and how GeniusVoucher is used to manage them. In specific terms, this section will:

A voucher-based project is a type of project where goods and/or services are distributed to a group of beneficiaries in exchange of vouchers. In this type of projects, three modalities are identified: restricted cash voucher, unrestricted cash voucher, and item voucher. In each of those modalities, one or more vouchers, each with a prespecified balance, are provisioned to each beneficiary. The beneficiary can then go to an accredited vendor and redeem their voucher in exchange of the items that the voucher qualifies them for receiving. Thus, if the voucher was a cash voucher, the beneficiary receives cash money in exchange of their voucher; if the voucher was an items voucher, such as a voucher for a food basket, the beneficiary receives a food basket; and finally, if the voucher was a restricted balance voucher, the beneficiary can choose any selection of items that they need within their balance limit from a predefined list of item types.

Voucher-based projects typically adopt a workflow model that consists of four main activities: voucher preparation, voucher provision, vendor accreditation, and voucher redeeming. In the first activity, voucher preparation, vouchers are prepared and then delivered to beneficiaries. If the vouchers were paper-based, the preparation activity entails the determination of the total number of vouchers to be issued, the value of each voucher and the designing and printing of voucher booklets. If the vouchers were electronic, the vouchers are prepared by obtaining the electronic cards, and programming them to have redeemable balances. In the vendor accreditation activity, the client signs an agreement with several vendors. As per the agreement, a vendor agrees to accept the client’s vouchers and redeem them with items. The client would then reimburse vendors with the values of the vouchers that were redeemed by them. In the voucher provision activity, vouchers are delivered to beneficiaries. Each beneficiary receives one or more vouchers, if the vouchers were paper-based, and one voucher card, if the voucher was electronic. After receiving their vouchers, a beneficiary can go to any of the accredited vendors and redeem their vouchers in exchange of the items that are allocated to them as per the distribution project. If the vouchers were paper-based, the beneficiary gives the voucher to the vendor and signs that they received the items. If the voucher was electronic, the beneficiary keeps the voucher and their balance on the voucher gets reduced electronically.

From the description of voucher-based projects above, we can identify the following concepts: the beneficiaries, the vendors, the cards, the products and the invoices. These concepts are represented as objects (or sometimes called, data types) in the GeniusVoucher system. In addition to those concepts, the following are additional types of objects that you’ll come across in the system: category, package, community and feedback.

A beneficiary object contains information about a beneficiary receiving the financial aid, such as their full name, gender, and birth-date.

A vendor object contains information about a supplier or a shop owner from whom beneficiaries can buy humanitarian aid items using their balance; vendor information includes: their name, email, and phone number.

A card is an object that represents a contact less card. A card can be assigned to a beneficiary, to be used for purchasing items using top-up balance, or to a vendor, for payment processing purposes.

A product object contains information about a product that can be purchased from beneficiaries. Products are available at vendor shops and can be purchased with beneficiary card balance; information contained in a product object include: name, price, image, and unit.

Lastly, an invoice object is generated when beneficiary purchases one or more products from a vendor; information contained in an invoice object includes: beneficiary, vendor, and purchased products.

In addition to the five main objects mentioned above, five additional objects are available for the use of the four main objects, namely: categories, units, packages, communities, and feedback.

A category is used to facilitate the categorization of products; for example, the products: lemons, tomatoes, and butter can all be categorized as food items. Each product is quantified in terms of a unit; for example, lemons and tomatoes are quantified with KG.

Packages are used for simplifying the beneficiary crediting activity[1]. For example, a package titled “Beneficiaries with Disabilities” can be created that has a balance of $200 and expires in two months. The package can then be assigned to a group of beneficiaries. The beneficiaries can then use the balance to buy items.

Communities are area names used for the specification of areas of residence of beneficiaries and vendors.

Lastly, feedback objects contain feedback from beneficiaries about certain purchases that they’ve made (and the vendors they purchased from) or the performance of humanitarian projects that they’ve benefited from.

After understanding what voucher-based projects are and their key activities, in this section, you’ll learn and understand the key stages of using GeniusVoucher to manage and control a voucher-based project. The key stages are: Contracting, Project Setup, Project Implementation, and Project Closure.

The first stage in any project is contracting. In this stage, GeniusTags and the client agree on a variety of details about the project and how the client wishes to use GeniusVoucher for their voucher-based project. Among the details agreed upon are:

- The duration of the project; which is the period that starts with the Project Setup stage and ends after the completion of the Project Closure stage.

- The number of smart cards the client wishes to procure. The smart cards are used as vouchers for the beneficiaries as well as personal cards for vendors. The amount usually procured by clients is equal to the number of beneficiaries + number of vendors + 5% (for damaged and lost card replacements). GeniusTags also offers card printing of the client’s template onto the smart cards.

- The number of terminal devices that the client wishes to receive. Terminal devices can be provided as rentals or as a purchase.

- The training for client staff and vendors that the client wishes to procure. The training for client staff could be one or more units of the training course, depending on the number of staff the client wishes to train. The training for vendors could either be delivered directly to the vendors by GeniusTags trainers or it could be a ToT (training of trainers) training for the client staff, with background support during vendor training sessions by GeniusTags trainers. Depending on the region of the client’s operations, the client can choose to have a remote or a field training.

- The support service specs that the client wishes to receive throughout the implementation of the project.