Risk
The CALP Network’s State of the World’s Cash report found that the perception that CVA is riskier than other forms of aid was one of the main barriers to CVA being routinely used. This concern is linked to the growing emphasis from donors on anti-terrorism and money laundering, and shrinking budgets for humanitarian assistance. The CALP Network’s work under this theme aims to debunk myths, facilitate collaboration, and share learning to ensure that CVA is systematically and equally considered, based on evidence of actual risks across modalities.
Current priorities
A variety of organisations are currently working on CVA and risk. The CALP Network is working to identify synergies among actors, avoid duplication, and define joint priorities that can be better addressed collectively. Together with WFP, the CALP Network is co-leading the risk priority within the Grand Bargain workstream on cash.
Featured content
Podcast: Will risk aversion hold us back from realizing the potential of CVA?
Podcast
Episode 1 of the CashCast, exploring how attitudes to risk have impacted the use of CVA in the Middle East and North Africa region.
CVA and Risks: What happens in the field, stays in the field?
Blog Post
In October 2019 in Douala, Cameroon, the CALP Network facilitated a learning event exploring the risks to beneficiary protection in Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA). This closed-door workshop,...
Webinar: Data sharing in CVA: ethics, ownership and privacy
Event
Thematic lead
Latest
Guidelines on policies and controls for the effective management of money laundering and terrorist financing (ML/TF) risks when providing access to financial services
Guidelines and Tools
Guidance for financial institutions on how to manage money laundering and terrorist financing risks (ML/TF) whilst not excluding vulnerable populations.
How to mitigate gender-based violence (GBV) risks in cash and voucher assistance (CVA)
Video
Cash and voucher assistance (CVA) is an important tool to help individuals affected by crises get back on their feet. But just like any other form of assistance, it is vital to ensure that it does not fuel tensions in the household or in the community and that it does not create new risks for women and...
Between efficiency and do no harm: Blockchain-based innovation in cash and voucher assistance
Report
The focus of this study is the determination of the risk factors for beneficiaries that arise from the use of blockchain technology in the delivery of cash and voucher assistance (CVA), as part of a framework for the identification of digital harm. The study also aims to use the said framework to create...
Changes to US and UN economic sanctions may simplify CVA implementation
Blog Post
Recent changes to the UN and US economic sanctions regimes promise to improve cash transfer process across international borders, but changes might not be as quick or comprehensive as we would hope. We put eight questions to Rory Crew, who has looked into the matter for you.
Mainstreaming Gender-based Violence (GBV) Considerations in CVA: Key tips for Cash Actors Engaged in the Myanmar Response
Case Study
In Myanmar, over $53 million USD has been disbursed in CVA since January 2021. The delivery of the assistance has been impacted by tremendous context-specific challenges, both technical and operational as well as related to protection or gender-based violence (GBV). In light of the security and political...
People-focused, effective aid: The urgent need to accelerate progress on cash and voucher assistance for people in crisis
Policy paper
Setting out a clear case for action, this Policy Brief outlines the latest evidence and information around how CVA is being used, and if it is meeting its potential to support people in crisis. It urges us to define and commit to a new collective vision for the development of CVA.
Doing Cash in a context of economic volatility: What to do and what to keep in mind
Guidelines and Tools
This interim WFP guidance was issued in 2022 to provide support to cash operations in contexts of economic volatility, be it when there is inflation, depreciation or currency volatility, parallel exchange rates, liquidity issues and changes in financial regulation, among others.
Operational research on GBV risk mitigation in relation to CVA in humanitarian settings – UNFPA/GWI collaborative research
Case Study
The Global Women’s Institute at George Washington University and UNFPA have launched a collaboration to examine GBV risk mitigation in relation to CVA in humanitarian settings in order to: (a) further corroborate the presence of GBV risks to women and girls in current CVA programming; and b) develop...
Moldova: Rapid GBV Risk Assessment in CVA
Case Study
Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, more than 606,000 refugee individuals have entered Moldova. Among these refugees, 90,745 Ukrainian refugees currently remain in the country. In an attempt to respond to the basic needs of these individuals, 62,785 have received emergency...
From Risk to Choice: Cash within GBV Case Management in Jordan
Case Study
In 2021, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Jordan piloted the integration of cash assistance within gender-based violence (GBV) programming. The pilot targeted GBV survivors and women at risk of GBV – including Jordanians, Syrian refugees and refugees of other nationalities – within the...