Increasing the Uptake of Multi-Purpose Cash Grants in Emergency Responses for a More Efficient and Effective Humanitarian Action

Reduced funding in the humanitarian sector has propelled a new drive for efficient responses, with cash transfer programming (CTP) gaining traction in high-level discussions. Humanitarian actors have made significant use of multipurpose cash grants (MPGs) as the most efficient and effective way of meeting basic needs across traditional sector divides.

However, newly proposed coordination platforms, whether led by the UN or NGOs, are as yet untested and cash initiatives remain largely uncoordinated, with only ad-hoc consideration of harmonised programming and taking cash to scale. Many solid tools exist, but thus far have not been systematically adapted for interagency use. Crucially, there are no interagency models or standards for collaboration in large-scale cash responses.