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Cash 101: Cash and Voucher Assistance Explained

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Risk

To ensure cash and voucher assistance (CVA) is routinely considered by humanitarian actors when designing an intervention, we must address the perceptions and myths that it is a riskier form of response than others.

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.

Latest

Liberia Ebola Response

Presentation

ICRCs EVD Cash response program had to be designed under a rare circumstance of insufficient baseline data on EVD impact on household level and limited opportunity to contact intended beneficiaries for a detailed assessment/ proper situational analysis.

2015

Cash Based Programming In Somalia – Module 6: Focus On Vouchers

Report

This guidance note is part of a series of nine modules that seeks to provide support to humanitarian actors working on Cash Based Programming in Somalia Cash transfer programming can be set up through different designs with contextual specificities defining diverse approaches to targeting, control...

2015

Voucher and Fair Implementation Guide

Guidelines and Tools

Mercy Corps’ Voucher and Fair implementation Guide  provides clear, step-by-step guidelines for teams implementing cash, restricted cash, or commodity voucher programmes. Written for an internal audience, the Guide may also be useful for peer agencies.

2015

Philippines Haiyan Response – A multi-sectoral review of the use of market analysis and the design and implementation of CTPs

Report

Following Typhoon Haiyan, which hit the Philippines on November 8 2014, at least 45 aid agencies chose to implement Cash Transfer Programming (CTP) to assist the more than 16 million people affected. Cash transfers were a logical approach in a country with developed market systems, strong financial...

2015

Cash in Emergencies Toolkit

Guidelines and Tools

Access Toolkit Here Cash transfer based programming (CTP) is an effective and flexible way to support people affected by emergencies, maintaining their dignity and choice, while fostering local economies. CTP includes all forms of cash and voucher-based assistance. The Cash in Emergencies Toolkit has been...

2015

A Review of Evidence of Humanitarian Cash Transfer Programming in Urban Areas: Annexes

Report

Annexes to accompany the working paper ‘A review of evidence
of humanitarian cash transfer programming in urban areas”

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...

2015

Nepal Earthquake Response: Lessons for operational agencies

Policy paper

In the aftermath of the April 2015 earthquake in Nepal, this paper looks at lessons drawn from previous comparable disasters and seeks to provide invaluable information and assistance to the operational agencies responding to the crisis. Seventeen Lessons give an overview of important learnings based on...

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...

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...

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...

2015

National Disaster Risk Reduction And Management Council

Report

27 October 2014

Cash Transfers: Progress made but challenges remain

Blog Post

In five years cash programming has come from almost nowhere to being – for some donors at least – the preferred option, especially in the field of food and nutrition. “We no long measure food aid contributions in wheat/tons equivalent,” says Julia Stewart-David of the EU aid body, ECHO. “That...

2 June 2014

Cash Transfers and HIV Prevention

Report

This paper proposes some initial principles on how to optimize HIV impacts of cash transfers, by encouraging targeting that: focuses on communities with high rates of new HIV infections, particularly acquired via sexual transmission; reduces local or community levels of economic inequalities between men...

2014

Economic Strengthening for Child Protection & Education in Emergencies

Guidelines and Tools

The aim of this compendium is to provide education and child protection coordinators and partners working in the field who are involved in or confronted with economic strengthening programmes with key existing evidence and guidance documents in order to inform their work, at all stages of a programme...

2014

A Double-edged Sword: Livelihoods in emergencies guidance and tools for improved programming

Guidelines and Tools

This document aims to help economic development practitioners who design economic strengthening projects with the particular aim of improving child wellbeing and for others whose aim is poverty alleviation more broadly. The guidance presented is based on the understanding that: 1. Household economic...

2014

Cash and Vouchers Manual – Second edition

Guidelines and Tools

This second edition of the Cash and Vouchers Manual captures the latest corporately endorsed business processes and procedures, providing the most up-to-date tools (i.e. analytical, assessment, monitoring) that have been developed through close intra-departmental collaboration between Headquarters...

2014

Cash Transfers and Temptation Goods: A review of global evidence

Report

Cash transfers have been demonstrated to improve education and health outcomes and alleviate poverty in various contexts. However, policy makers and others often express concern that poor households will use transfers to buy alcohol, tobacco, or other “temptation goods”. This paper reviews 19...

2014

Cross-Sector Cash Assistance for Syrian Refugees and Host Communities in Lebanon: An IRC Programme

Report

Since January 2013, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has been implementing a project providing humanitarian assistance to the Syrian refugees in Lebanon. This project provided unconditional financial assistance to targeted Syrian refugees and Lebanese host households to help them be better...

2014

Cash 101: Cash and Voucher Assistance Explained

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