UNHCR
16 January 2020
Contributions
Guidance Note on the Cash and Voucher Assistance Coordination and Reporting
Guidelines and Tools
The objective of this guidance note is: (1) Inform about the CBI TWG about the MPCA and its coordination; (2) Inform about reporting tools for MPCA and sectoral cash activities.
8 September 2023
Joint Market Assessment Report
Report
This report assesses the feasibility of implementing Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA), specifically Multipurpose Cash Assistance (MPCA), to support individuals impacted by the recent earthquake. The evaluation focuses on the availability of items, price increases, access to shops, and acceptance of cash and credit cards in the affected areas. The market assessment reveals that essential items...
10 July 2023
Summary Analysis of Focus Group Discussions with Refugees on Social Protection & Cash Assistance
Case Study
Focus group discussions (FGDs) with refugees constitute an essential tool for shaping UNHCR and partners’ protection and inclusion programmes, including cash assistance. FGDs allow for a direct dialogue between protection actors, such as UNHCR, and refugees. By shedding light on the refugees’ perspectives through FGDs, UNHCR promotes an environment of trust and accountability. With this...
July 2023
Cash for Rent Guidelines for Yemen
Guidelines and Tools
Since the start of a civil conflict in Yemen in March 2015, the country has remained in a state of emergency. Ongoing fighting and military activities have made it challenging for humanitarian workers to reach affected populations and meet their basic needs, such as food, water, and shelter. Displaced persons often live with relatives, friends, or in collective shelters that offer inadequate...
June 2023
Force displacement literature review: Cash transfers
Report
Anti-refugee violence often accompanies refugee migration, but the factors that fuel or mitigate that violence remain poorly understood, including the common policy response in such settings of humanitarian aid. Existing theory and policy debates predict that aid to refugees exacerbates anti-refugee violence by increasing hosts’ resentment toward refugees. In contrast, however, aid may...
March 2023
A Minimum Guideline for Implementers: Cash for work
Guidelines and Tools
This guide is to be used as a recommended practice for CfW programming and mainstreaming gender and protection measures, based on global best practices and the Philippines’ context. It should be used as complementary to the DSWD Cash-for-Work guidance. The details outlined in this guide pertain to CfW activities to be delivered during the Early Recovery phase and post-disaster.
March 2023
New cash coordination – Frequently asked questions
Report
All your questions answered about the new cash coordination model, the new Cash Advisory Group and how they both relate to Cash Working Groups.
2023
UNHCR Guatemala Cash Assistance: Post distribution monitoring report
Case Study
This report presents the findings of a Post-Distribution Monitoring (PDM) exercise conducted by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in Guatemala. The PDM involved interviews with 121 households that received cash assistance between August and October 2022. The document provides valuable insights into various aspects of the program, including its process, implementation, outcomes of cash usage,...
December 2022
UNHCR Cameroon – UNHCR feasibility review of using cash for shelter interventions in Far North Cameroon
Report
This report presents a feasibility review of using cash for shelter interventions in Far North Cameroon, commissioned by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa (RBWCA). The report first introduces the study and the context, it then spells out the methodology used to conduct the evaluation. The subsequent sections discuss the...
September 2022
Good Practices on Cash Based Interventions and Education
Report
This document provides an overview of UNHCR’s implementation of Cash-Based Interventions (CBI) to contribute to achieving education outcomes. The document outlines current practices, presents existing corporate guidance, and highlights noteworthy and inspiring learning from a diversity of country operations including: Chad, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey
25 August 2022
UNHCR Reflections on the Ukraine Effect for the MENA Regional Task Force
Presentation
A presentation shared by UNHCR colleagues on their reflections on managing CVA in contexts of high inflation.
4 July 2022
Checklist CVA and Environment
Guidelines and Tools
This checklist was developed within the Project “Environmental Considerations in Cash Transfer Programs” that UNHCR Colombia developed with the financial support of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and in collaboration with the Colombian Cash Transfer Group (GTM). It is proposed to apply this as part of the response analysis and determine an intervention that includes measures...
17 January 2022
Field Handbook for Rental Housing Market Assessment – Latin America and the Caribbean
Guidelines and Tools
The International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and REACH with the support of CashCap/NORCAP and the collaboration of the R4V Shelter Sector, established an ad hoc, time-limited working group to support more and better collaborative...
2022
Making Market Assessments Fit for Your Purpose
Webinar recording
Watch the webinar recording here. Market assessments form an essential and integral part of an overall response analysis to inform humanitarian programme design. Findings from market assessments help with decisions about adequate transfers of Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) and the appropriate transfer modality. That’s why it’s crucial for people working on CVA to be able to correctly...
7 May 2021
Sudan – Gedaref Joint Cash Risk assessment
Report
Since the crisis in the Tigray region of Ethiopia in November 2020 over 60,000 people have sought refuge in neighbouring Sudan and were mostly accommodated in camps re-established in Gedaref State. Cash is has been utilised as a response modality and is being considered further by several agencies. This report, led by UNICEF on behalf of the sub-national Cash Working Group (CGW) in Gedaref, is...
17 February 2021
Multi-Sector Market Assessment Guidance and Toolkit
Guidelines and Tools
Markets play a vital role in the lives of displaced persons and their host communities. Humanitarian actors increasingly rely on market-based programme responses to help crisis affected populations meet their needs through local markets. Market assessments should be an essential and integral part of the overall response analysis to inform humanitarian programme design and the appropriate...
18 December 2020
Gender Based Violence and Cash and Voucher Assistance: Tools and guidance
Guidelines and Tools
There is increasing momentum among Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) actors in the humanitarian sector to consider linkages between GBV and CVA in all CVA projects at all stages of the project cycle.
Integrating gender and CVA was set as a priority action under the Grand Bargain Cash Workstream in 2018. During the 2020 Grand Bargain meeting, gender...
28 October 2020
UNHCR Cash Assistance and COVID-19: Main Findings from Post-Distribution Monitoring
Report
UNHCR is pleased to share the report UNHCR Cash Assistance and COVID – 19: Main Findings from Post-Distribution Monitoring (PDM), which provides a summary and analysis of UNHCR’s monitoring data from 13 countries during the pandemic along with detailed examples from country operations including on joint monitoring with partners. It presents results ranging from the use of the cash...
5 October 2020
Multi-purpose Cash Transfers and Health among Vulnerable Syrian Refugees in Jordan
Report
This briefing sheet summarises findings from a research study conducted from May 2018 through July 2019 to evaluate the impact of MPC on healthcare-seeking and expenditures by Syrian refugees in Jordan. The study compared approximately 429 households receiving multi-purpose cash transfers (MPC) from UNHCR with 448 control households not receiving MPCs for the study’s duration. The study...
6 August 2020
Multi-purpose Cash Transfers and Health Among Vulnerable Syrian Refugees in Lebanon
Report
This briefing sheet summarizes findings from a research study conducted from May 2018 through July 2019 to evaluate the impact of MPC on health care-seeking and expenditures by Syrian refugees in Lebanon. The study compared approximately 173 households receiving multipurpose cash transfers (MPC) from UNHCR with 444 control households not receiving MPCs for the study’s duration. Results...
6 August 2020
Cash Assistance and COVID-19, Emerging Field Practices II
Guidelines and Tools
This document is a follow up to the UNHCR Cash Assistance and COVID – 19 Emerging Field Practices and presents additional snapshots from the many innovative field practices on cash assistance in light of COVID-19. More than 65 UNHCR operations have now launched new cash initiatives and/or expanded existing cash assistance as an efficient means of getting assistance to people fast, empowering...
28 May 2020
LOUISE Learning Review
Report
This report presents the outcomes of the learning review on the Lebanon One Unified Inter-Organizational System for E-cards (LOUISE) platform commissioned by UNICEF on behalf of the LOUISE agencies (WFP, UNHCR, UNICEF) in 2019 to build on the LOUISE experience and conduct a stock-taking exercise. The study documents the development of the LOUISE operational model and processes, and develops a...
15 April 2020
UNHCR Cash Assistance and Covid 19: Emerging field practices
Guidelines and Tools
This document is a snapshot of the many innovative field practices emerging in light of COVID-19.
UNHCR preparedness and response to COVID-19 is comprehensive including cash assistance as quick and efficient means of getting assistance to people fast, empowering families to deal with the crisis and meet their basic needs, mitigating some of the negative socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 on...
April 2020
Mitigating Risks of Abuse of Power in Cash Assistance in Uganda
Report
This document outlines lessons learned from a joint UNHCR/WFP project in Uganda with the aim to identify and mitigate the risks of abuse of power in cash assistance through the main delivery mechanisms used in-country: mobile money, e-cards and cash delivered through mobile vans.
February 2020
Mitigating Risks of Abuse of Power in Cash Assistance – 4 pages
Report
UNHCR and WFP are implementing a joint project to identify and mitigate risks of abuse by private sector service providers in their delivery of cash assistance to vulnerable populations. The project involves work with financial service providers, traders and other private sector stakeholders, as well as awareness raising of cash recipients about their rights and capacity-building on basic...
November 2019
Mitigating Risks of Abuse of Power in Cash Assistance in Afghanistan
Report
This document outlines lessons learned from a joint UNHCR-WFP project in Afghanistan aimed at identifying and mitigating the risks of abuse of power in cash assistance. The cash transfer mechanisms discussed during the mission were cash distribution through Hawalas, mobile token, mobile e-vouchers and bank cheques.
July 2019
Mitigating Risks of Abuse of Power in Cash Assistance in Rwanda
Report
This document outlines lessons learned from a joint UNHCR-WFP project in Rwanda aimed at identifying and mitigating the risks of imbalance of power in cash assistance. The cash transfer mechanism reviewed during the project was a bank card, proposed to the overwhelming majority of refugees receiving cash assistance.
March 2019
Effects of Cash on Social Cohesion in Kalobeyei Settlement, Kenya – A Do No Harm Assessment – Executive Summary
Report
The document outlines key findings on the effects of cash on social cohesion between refugee and host communities, and some considerations when planning cash assistance. The research was carried out by CDA Collaborative Learning Projects, founder of the Do No Harm Framework. UNHCR’s cash for shelter project in Kalobeyei provides cash to refugee households to ensure safe and dignified housing...
2019
Guide to Cash and Voucher Assistance and Gender-based Violence Resources
Guidelines and Tools
This one-page guide helps practitioners understand how three complementary resources support the integration of CVA and GBV prevention, mitigation and response to strengthen humanitarian response. It aims to help users make decisions on when to use each resource at different stages of work and compares:
– Explanation of type of resource
– Publication date
– What area of protection does...
2019
The Digital Lives of Refugees: How displaced populations use mobile phones and what gets in the way
Report
GSMA in partnership with UNHCR conducted quantitative surveys and qualitative research to understand the ways in which refugees are using mobile phones in order to help guide digital interventions by humanitarian organisations and mobile network operators. The research identifies key trends, statistics, and insights from Bidi Bidi settlement (Uganda), Kiziba camp (Rwanda) and urban settings in...
2019
Bridging the Mobile Gender Gap for Refugees
Report
Mobile phones have become an increasingly powerful tool with which to deliver life-enhancing information, services, and opportunities to millions who have not been able to access them before. This case study analyses data from two refugee contexts in East Africa to understand the degree to which women are excluded from accessing mobile services and the potential benefits available to women...
2019
Cash for Latrines
Guidelines and Tools
This document provides guidance on how to use cash for latrines in camp settings. It highlights key lessons from different contexts and captures both cash specific recommendations and general guidance on latrine construction in one document.
2019
Mitigating Risks of Abuse of Power in Cash Assistance in Iraq
Report
This document outlines lessons learned from a joint UNHCR/WFP project in Iraq aimed at identifying and mitigating the risks of abuse of power in cash assistance. The cash transfer mechanisms reviewed during the
project include mobile money, e-vouchers and cash delivered through money transfer agents.
January 2019
Cash Assistance and the Prevention, Mitigation and Response to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Report
The study Cash Assistance and the Prevention, Mitigation and Response to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) is based on comprehensive research in Lebanon, Ecuador and Morocco. It provides learning and recommendations when using cash assistance in the prevention, mitigation and response to SGBV. The study was funded through the generous support of Safe from the Start. Across the examined...
2019
Aligning humanitarian cash assistance with national social safety nets in refugee settings
Report
UNHCR’s research on Aligning Humanitarian Cash Assistance with National Social Safety Nets in Refugee Settings – Key Considerations and Learning provides guidance on how operations have or could progressively align humanitarian cash assistance for refugees to national social safety nets and the criteria used to take decisions at each step of this process. The increased use of cash...
2019
Displaced & Disconnected – Connectivity for Refugees
Report
UNHCR recognizes that one of the ‘hard stops’ in facilitating mobile connectivity and access to finance for displaced populations is non-conducive regulatory environments. In particular, ID-related legal requirements have proven a significant barrier to access. For example, a refugee who cannot legally activate a mobile connection, open a bank account or access a mobile money wallet in his...
2019
Global Cash Policy Network Call: the UN Common Cash System
Report
On 5 December, Principals of UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP and OCHA announced the launch of a joint system for the design, delivery and monitoring of cash assistance. This is a welcome step towards improved collaboration between United Nations agencies, with the potential to increase the effectiveness, efficiency and accountability of UN cash operations and better support those affected by humanitarian...
14 December 2018
Cash for Shelter in Kenya – A Field Experience
Report
A study of a cash for shelter project in Kalobeyei that highlights how UNHCR uses cash assistance to help the refugees to transition to more durable solutions, in this case, integration with the host community. The project presents a paradigm shift from the traditional refugee camp planning process.
December 2018
Mitigating Risks of Abuse of Power in Cash Assistance in Cameroon
Report
This document outlines lessons learned from a joint UNHCR/WFP project in Cameroon with the aim to, with Financial Service Providers (FSPs), identify and mitigate the risks of abuse of power in cash assistance, including through mobile money, e-vouchers and cash in hand.
December 2018
Mitigating Risks of Abuse of Power in Cash Assistance – Workshop Nairobi, Kenya
Report
UNHCR and WFP are implementing a joint project to identify and mitigate risks of abuse of power by private sector service providers in the delivery
of cash assistance to vulnerable populations. The workshop, held in Nairobi on 10-11 December 2018, followed visits to the first two pilot countries, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Cameroon. It aimed to build further on initial...
December 2018
Mitigating Risks of Abuse of Power in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Case Study
This document outlines lessons learned from a joint UNHCR/WFP project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with the aim to, with Financial Service Providers (FSPs), identify and mitigate the risks of abuse of power in cash assistance, including through cash in hand, pre-paid cards and mobile money.
November 2018
Mitigating Risks Of Abuse Of Power In Cash Assistance In The Democratic Republic Of Congo
Report
This document outlines lessons learned from a joint UNHCR/WFP project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with the aim to, with Financial Service Providers (FSPs), identify and mitigate the risks of abuse of power in cash assistance, including through cash in hand, pre-paid cards and mobile money.
November 2018
Multi purpose cash and sectoral outcomes – Afghanistan case study
Report
The repatriation cash grant has helped Afghan returnees from Pakistan to meet a number of basic needs upon return. The cash grant is used for transportation costs, to buy food and address important shelter needs, thus contributing to aspects of reintegration. At the same time, poor security of tenure and quality of shelter point to the challenges of ensuring quality of shelter outcomes with...
May 2018
Greece Cash Alliance: Building an Evidence Base on Operational Models for the Delivery Of CTP
Report
The primary aim of this case study is to map out aspects of the Greece Cash Alliance (GCA) operational model influencing key drivers of quality (effectiveness, efficiency and accountability) in the delivery of multipurpose cash grants (MPGs). The GCA was launched in April 2017 with funding from ECHO, in an effort to harmonize the various MPGs implemented in Greece under a single platform...
March 2018
Multi-Purpose Cash and Sectoral Outcomes: a Review of Evidence and Learning
Report
Growing attention to multi-purpose cash offers an exciting opportunity to redress a long-standing shortcoming of humanitarian response. There is a need to better understand and respond to crisis-affected people in a more holistic and coherent way, going beyond sectors to bring the emphasis back to how people live and perceive and prioritize their needs. Multi-purpose cash opens up...
2018
Multi-purpose Cash and Sectoral Outcomes – Greece case study
Report
Starting in 2015, the European Commission has been providing funding to support the humanitarian response in Greece through the Emergency Support to Integration & Accommodation’ (ESTIA) programme managed by its European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (ECHO). ESTIA is implemented by UNHCR and a wide array of partners to provide a package of assistance that entails multipurpose...
2018
UNHCR Multi-Sector Market Assessment (MSMA): Charcoal, water, low-income rental housing and core-relief items in Maiduguri, Jere and Konduga, Borno State, Nigeria
Report
To assess the capacity of markets to respond to cash based initiatives (CBI), including multi-purpose cash grants (MPG), the UNHCR Multi-Sector Market Assessment (MSMA) was piloted in Maiduguri Municipal Council (MMC), Jere and Konduga Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Borno State, Nigeria in July 2017. The MSMA was led by UNHCR and followed the Save the Children’s led Basic Needs Assessment...
October 2017
Profiling of caseload in need of cash-based interventions Results
Report
At the request of the Inter Sector Working Group in Gaziantep, the Case Management Task Force and the Protection Working Group, the Cash-Based Interventions Technical Working Group (CBI TWG) produced this “Cash Gap Analysis”. The analysis aimed to profile the refugee population in Turkey who require cash assistance to meet their basic needs and, in the absence of such assistance, may face...
2017
A promise of tomorrow.The effects of UNHCR and UNICEF cash assistance on Syrian refugees in Jordan
Report
Despite the generous hosting by the Government and people of Jordan of Syrian refugees, more than 650,000 registered Syrian refugees in the country, continue to face a highly uncertain future. They cannot go home, given the ongoing conflict and insecurity in Syria; many of the most vulnerable struggle to find suitable employment that would enable them to support themselves and their families...
2017
Cash for Health: Key learnings from a cash for health intervention in Jordan
Report
In Jordan, UNHCR and partners use cash as a part of a wider programme of referral services for refugees to access health care. Vulnerable pregnant refugee women are provided cash to pay for delivery. The value and targeting criteria for the transfer depend on the type of delivery medically indicated. Using cash enables UNHCR to serve more refugees and people of concern with the same level...
2017
Cash for Education: A global review of UNHCR programmes in refugee settings
Report
This review provides an overview of the use of cash assistance in 45 cash-related education programmes in 21 UNHCR operations. It highlights the key opportunities and challenges with the use of cash for education and provides key direction for future programming and related protection considerations. It also presents detailed learning on refugee access to education through cash from two...
2017
Cash Delivery Mechanism Assessment Tool
Guidelines and Tools
In line with its commitment to institutionalise the use of Cash-Based Interventions (CBIs), the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) released the Operational Guidance for Cash-Based Interventions in Displacement Settings (“the Guidelines”) dated 4 February 2015, to guide the set-up and
implementation of CBIs.
Recognising the need to complement the...
2017
Inter-Agency Livelihood Assessment Targeting Refugees and Host Communities in IMVEPI and Rhino Camp Settlements Arua District, Northern Uganda
Case Study
This inter-agency needs assessment by World Vision Uganda (WVU), UNHCR and Caritas was conducted in two settlement areas of Rhino and Imvepi located in the West Nile Region of Uganda. The Imvepi settlement is the most recently opened area (February 2017) for resettlement and located about 72km east of the district town of Arua. This settlement is expected to resettle about 100,000 South...
2017
Feasibility Assessment of Cash-Based Interventions in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states of Nigeria
Report
Outputs
• Analyse the feasibility and available response options for
potential CBIs covering basic needs, livelihoods and
support to vulnerable persons, and moving forward
toward MPGs
• Recommendations and action points……
• Support the Design of a CBI intervention and develop SOPs (2017)
• Integrate CBIs in contingency plans for Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states.
• Draft a...
2017
Multi-sector Market Assessment: Companion Guide and Toolkit
Guidelines and Tools
The Multi-sector Market Assessment: Companion Guide and Toolkit provides step-by-step guidance and ready-to-use tools to enable non-specialist staff to conduct market assessments and undertake market monitoring. The purpose of this Companion Guide and Toolkit is to enable Multi-Functional Teams to include findings of market assessment analyses in their analysis and decision making related...
January 2017
Baseline Survey for Project Output and Livelihoods Support Assessment
Report
This report highlights the baseline findings of the UNHCR funded project “Increased self-reliance through cash interventions and livelihoods support to conflict-affected South Sudanese refugees in Bidibidi refugee settlement and host communities in Yumbe District in Uganda” implemented by DanChurchAid (DCA). The project targets to reach 4,940 households of South Sudanese refugees and...
2017
Review of the Common Cash Facility approach in Jordan
Report
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Jordan has pioneered a collaborative, multi-stakeholder approach to the delivery of cash, known as the Common Cash Facility (CCF). The aim of the CCF is to provide humanitarian actors with direct and equal access to a common financial service provider. UNHCR started the first full scale-use of the CCF in Jordan in 2016....
2017
Cash-based Response Feasibility Assessment in Northern Syria
Case Study
As the conflict in Syria extends beyond the fourth year, there is need for a widespread humanitarian response focused on urban areas that addresses humanitarian needs and promotes resilience for the 13.5 million people in need of protection and humanitarian assistance within Syria. The majority of humanitarian assistance both in Syria and worldwide is provided as in-kind aid. However, over the...
2016
Testing new ground. Multisector cash interventions in Mangaize refugee camp Niger
Report
In the midst of the Mali refugee crisis in Niger, UNHCR implemented one of the first multisector cash transfer projects in Mangaize refugee camp in 2015, providing refugees with grants covering non-food items, hygiene, shelter and livelihood needs. The cash project came on the heels of a successful food voucher program in the same camp implemented jointly with WFP. The voucher program...
2016
Policy on Cash-Based Interventions
Report
UNHCR’s Policy on Cash-Based Interventions (CBIs) is introduced herewith to expand and systematise the use of CBIs as a modality of assistance and service delivery across the organization and its operations worldwide. The Policy reconfirms UNHCR’s commitment to the increased use of CBIs and sets out the corporate vision and objectives to be achieved by 2020.
2016
Post Distribution Monitoring Report: Cash Based Interventions in Lebanon (Jan-March 2016)
Report
This post-monitoring report relies on several quantitative and qualitative approaches to evaluate the process, performance and impact of the cash based interventions (CBI) undertaken between January and March 2016, contrasting these with the results obtained in the post-distribution monitoring report covering October to December 2015. The monitoring exercise focused on the following areas: The...
2016
UNHCR Cash Assistance: Improving refugees lives and supporting local economies
Report
UNHCR’s Cash-Based Interventions (CBI) support the most vulnerable Syrian refugees living within the host community in Jordan. Thanks to generous donor support last year, over 30,000 households received monthly cash assistance, winterisation cash, and cash for health, totalling nearly US $ 85 million. Families were chosen for assistance following a home visit. Using a humanitarian...
2016
Supporting Dignified Choices ‘Paper Plus’ Cash Voucher Programming in Camps in Jordan
Report
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Jordan has directly assisted close to 400,000 vulnerable Syrian refugees in both formal camps and host communities since it began operations in November 2012. NRC is the lead partner of UNHCR in Zaatari and Azraq camps in providing refugees with shelter and the management and distribution of nonfood items (NFIs). In the second half of 2014 NRC began...
1 May 2015
Protection Outcomes in Cash-based Interventions: A Literature Review
Report
This literature review examines existing research to determine whether the use of cash and vouchers is contributing to the promotion of protection and gender outcomes for beneficiary communities, following the WFP and UNHCR 2013 study on gender, protection and cash. This literature review focuses on these four topics: How do programmes using cash or voucher transfers articulate protection and...
8 April 2015
Cash Coordination in the Philippines: A review of lessons learned during the response to Super Typhoon Haiyan
Report
In the last five years there has been a growing trend towards the use of cash transfer programming (CTP) as a response modality in emergencies across the humanitarian sector. The fungibility of cash, when provided without restrictions, offers increased choice for affected populations to meet cross-sectoral needs according to their priorities. There is consequently a growing interest in...
2015
The Effectiveness and Efficiency of Cash-Based Approaches in Emergencies: A Systematic Review
Report
To access a document detailing the background, literature review, and objectives related to this review, please click here. Cash-based approaches have been used for development purposes for a number of decades, particularly within social protection interventions in low- and middle-income countries. Over the past decade, cash transfer programs that were used in development contexts have...
2015
The Effectiveness and Efficiency of Cash-based Approaches in Emergencies: A Systematic Review (Background and Objectives)
Report
This document provides the background, literature review, and objects of the review itself, which is available here. Cash-based approaches have been used for development purposes for a number of decades, particularly within social protection interventions in low- and middle-income countries. Over the past decade, cash transfer programs that were used in development contexts have increasingly...
2015
Know Your Customer Standards and Privacy Recommendations for Cash Transfers
Guidelines and Tools
This report reviews how Know Your Customer (KYC) standards – rules designed to combat criminal money laundering and terrorism financing – are applied in humanitarian cash programs. The report examines the practices of aid agencies and their processing of the personal information of aid beneficiaries for KYC purposes, and the report assesses the privacy implications of the processing...
2015
Operational Guidance and Toolkit for Multipurpose Cash Grants
Guidelines and Tools
This operational guidance and toolkit brings together worldwide expertise on cash-based interventions (CBIs). It provides comprehensive and practical guidance for humanitarian actors to assess the feasibility, conceptualise the design and structure the implementation of MPGs. The guidance focuses on MPGs whose primary objective is to meet basic needs as defined by affected people...
2015
Policy on the Protection of Personal Data of Persons of Concern to UNHCR
Policy paper
This Policy lays down the rules and principles relating to the processing of personal data of persons of concern to UNHCR. Its purpose is to ensure that UNHCR processes personal data in a way that is consistent with the 1990 United Nations General Assembly’s Guidelines for the Regulation of Computerized Personal Data Files and other international instruments concerning the protection of...
2015
Integrating Cash Transfers into Gender-Based Violence Programs in Jordan: Benefits, risks and challenges
Report
With limited global practice and guidance on programming cash transfers to enhance protection in an emergency context, in 2013, the International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) started cash transfer programming (CTP) as part of the urban Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE) program in Jordan. Three years into the program, the IRC sought to reflect on its experiences to inform future use of...
2015
Protection in Cash-based Interventions Training: Building capacity to maximize benefits and minimize risks
Guidelines and Tools
This participatory curriculum is based on the inter-agency Guide for Protection in Cash-based Interventions (CBIs). The one-day training provides practical instruction for analysing and monitoring protection risks and benefits in CBIs. Slides, facilitators’ guide, case studies, and other materials for independent training delivery are available here: Slides Facilitator’s guide Risk...
2015
The Impact of Cash Transfer Programmes on Protection Outcomes in Afghanistan
Report
Although cash-based interventions (CBIs) are increasingly used to deliver humanitarian assistance in support of more traditional in-kind emergency distributions, there is now a growing, global acceptance among stakeholders of the need to pay closer attention to the positive and negative impact of CBIs on key protection components. The aim of the study is to identify the effects and impact of...
2015
Challenges and the State of Play of Interoperability in Cash Transfer Programming
Guidelines and Tools
This study explores the factors driving the design of interoperability for Cash Transfer Programming. It outlines the rapidly changing environment in which digital services are emerging, the types of digital collaborations that could be enabled, and the key design challenges that confront effective interoperability. The executive summary can be downloaded here.
2015
Technical Guidelines: Conditional Cash for Rent
Guidelines and Tools
The guideline was prepared by UNHCR Shelter Working Group in Jordan with the objective of informing shelter sector partners of best practices for implementing conditional cash-for-rent assistance targeting Syrian refugees in the host communities. The guide explores how to define the scope of a cash assistance intervention, the amount and duration of the assistance and provides...
2015
Privacy Impact Assessment of UNHCR Cash Based Interventions
Report
In 2014, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) commissioned Trilateral Research & Consulting to conduct Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) of two of its Cash-Based Interventions (CBIs) in middle-income countries. The purpose of the PIAs was to help UNHCR assess the specific data protection and privacy risks arising from the collection, processing, storage and...
2015
Evaluation of the OneCard Pilot in Lebanon
Report
The OneCard pilot is part of the WFP-UNHCR Joint Plan of Action for Cash and Vouchers (2014), which aims to implement cash and vouchers using common e-delivery mechanisms. The objectives of the OneCard pilot were: To test the programmatic, technical, and financial efficiency and feasibility of the OneCard system to deliver assistance to selected Syrian refugee-families; To evaluate the...
2015
Review of Cash Coordination in Ukraine
Report
Ukraine is a lower middle-income country in Eastern Europe, with a strong soviet era legacy in the field of social protection. Since early 2014, Ukraine has been affected by conflict in its eastern part, which led to the internal displacement of more than 1.4 million people. At the time this paper was
written, a large share of the IDPs was not intending to return to the place of origin, which...
2015
Key Recommendations for Protection in Cash-based Interventions
Guidelines and Tools
This document outlines the key recommendations to ensure that protection is mainstreamed throughout the project cycle for cash-based interventions.
2015
Protection Risks and Benefits Analysis Tool
Report
This tool provides global evidence on the protection risks and benefits of cash-based interventions, divided into key protection areas. It outlines the key questions that practitioners should explore to reach a context-specific, participatory identification of protection risks and benefits of a given intervention. It can be used for design or monitoring. The tool includes a blank template for...
2015
Tips for Protection in Cash based interventions
Guidelines and Tools
This document presents a set of general tips to identify, monitor and mitigate protection risks and maximize protection benefits of cash-based interventions.
2015
Cash Transfer Programming for Syrian Refugees: Lessons Learned on Vulnerability, Targeting, and Protection from the Danish Refugee Council’s E-Voucher Intervention in Southern Turkey
Report
DRC Turkey is currently implementing a two-year, DFID-funded project that aims to provide immediate support to and strengthen the coping mechanisms of vulnerable non-camp Syrian refugees in southern Turkey. The first phase of the project focused on identifying and providing monthly cash transfers (in the form of supermarket e-vouchers) to vulnerable households. This report provides a...
2015
Operational Guidelines for Cash-Based Interventions in Displacement Settings
Report
These operational guidelines support UNHCR and partner staff to determine if and when cash-based interventions (CBIs) are appropriate to meet the needs of refugees and other persons of concern and aids the design and implementation of effective programmes. It focuses on the needs of refugees, but can equally be used to design programmes for other persons of concern. The full text of these...
2015
Guide for Protection in Cash based Interventions
Guidelines and Tools
This guide identifies minimum necessary information and key resources needed to help humanitarian practitioners ensure that protection risks and benefits are considered and monitored throughout the cash-based interventions (CBI) program cycle, using a community-based approach and participatory methods as much as possible. It can help to inform CBI in any program context: protection...
2015
Review of Targeting of Cash and Food Assistance for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt
Report
This report is an output of a consultancy to review the process of developing protocols for targeting cash and food assistance to Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan during 2014. Under the auspices of the High Level Meeting between WFP and UNHCR (May 2014) and the WFP and UNHCR Joint Action Plan on cash and vouchers (2014), WFP and UNHCR made a commitment to explore methods and...
2015
UNHCR Cash Transfer Programmes Working Group Inter-Agency Market Monitoring System
Report
The UNHCR engaged the Consultants for technical assistance in developing an inter-agency market monitoring system (MMS) to facilitate a national assessment of cash transfer programmes (CTP) within Lebanon. The request for assistance followed consensus among the International Non-Governmental Organization (INGO) members of the CTP working group on the need for price tracking of...
2014
Guidelines for Conditional Cash-for Rent Assistance for Syrian Refugees in Jordan
Guidelines and Tools
The objective of these guidelines is to inform Shelter sector partners of best practices for implementing conditional cash-for-rent assistance targeting Syrian refugees in the host communities. These guidelines have been developed by a taskforce of the Shelter Working Group.
2014
Examining Protection and Gender in Cash and Voucher Transfers – Summary
Report
In any humanitarian intervention – including those using cash and vouchers – assistance agencies need to identify the most appropriate, effective, and efficient way of helping crisis-affected households meet their needs. In doing so, they need to consider the protection and gender issues surrounding any intervention strategy. Over the years, many aspects of cash and voucher transfers have...
2013
Examining Protection and Gender in Cash and Voucher Transfers – Report
Report
With cash and voucher transfers increasing as a form of humanitarian assistance, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) teamed up to study the potential protection and gender impact of such transfers. While much research had been done about economic and market impacts of cash and voucher transfers, there has been less focus on the human dimensions of such transfers:...
2013
IDPs in Host Families and Host Communities: Assistance for Hosting Arrangements
Report
The phenomenon of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees residing with host families is still relatively unexplored in comparison to what is known about IDPs and refugees living in camps. Of the nearly 14.7 million IDPs protected and assisted by UNHCR in 2010, an estimated 52% of the total live outside formal camps in both rural and urban areas. At least half of the 54 countries...
2012
An Emergency Market Mapping and Analysis Study Liberia’s Slow Onset Crisis
Report
In 2010, contested elections in neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire, and the violence that ensued, forced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes. As of 7th of July 2011, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had counted a total of 153,000 refugees crossing the border into Liberia. Many of these refugees found sanctuary in Grand Gedeh County, bordering Côte d’Ivoire...
2012
An Introduction to Cash-Based Interventions in UNHCR Operations
Policy paper
This document provides an introduction and basic guidance on the use of cash-based interventions and tackles key issues of relevance to UNHCR in the form of questions and answers. It also provides an overview of UNHCR’s experience in using cash-based interventions.
2012
The Use of Cash Transfers in Emergencies: A focus on the HoA response strategies
Presentation
A focus on the HOA drought response strategies
11 August 2011
ATM cash assistance: Does it work?
Report
This 2-page article describes UNHCR’s cash assistance to almost 5,000 vulnerable Iraqi refugee families in Jordan. It looks at the key questions asked in UNHCR about implementing cash-based assistance, and highlights findings about cost-effectiveness and beneficiary well-being.
2011
Banking on Solutions: A Real-time Evaluation of UNHCR’s Shelter Grant Programme for Returning Displaced People in Northern Sri Lanka
Case Study
Approximately 300,000 people were displaced in the final phase of fighting between the army and the LTTE, a 26-year conflict that came to a definitive end on 20 May 2009, with victory for the SLA. Initially transferred to the area of Menik Farm and other closed camps in northern Sri Lanka, where they were confined for several months, many of the displaced people eventually returned to their...
March 2010
Money Matters: An evaluation of the use of cash grants in UNHCR’s voluntary repatriation and reintegration programme in Burundi
Report
To access another publication available in this series, titled ‘The Use of Cash Grants in UNHCR Voluntary Repatriation Operations: Report of a Lessons Learned Workshop’, please click here. There has been growing interest in recent years in the use of cash grants as a humanitarian assistance and social protection tool. A three year research project carried out by the Humanitarian Policy...
2009
The Use of Cash Grants in UNHCR Voluntary Repatriation Operations: Report of a lessons learned workshop
Report
On 4 April 2008, UNHCR’s Division of Operational Services and the Policy Development and Evaluation Service (PDES) co-sponsored a workshop on the use of cash grants in UNHCR repatriation operations. A total of 25 UNHCR staff members participated, together with six experts and researchers from Oxfam GB, the British Red Cross, the International Federation of the Red Cross, the Humanitarian...
2008
