Skip to main content

Cash 101: Cash and Voucher Assistance Explained

We are sorry but the page you are looking for is not available in the language you have selected, please go to the corresponding homepage
  1. Home
  2. Themes

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

Cash and Voucher Assistance Guidelines for Lao PDR

Guidelines and Tools

Cash and voucher assistance is becoming increasingly popular in Lao PDR in delivering humanitarian assistance, rehabilitation and development focused projects. In supporting the cash and voucher assistance agenda in Lao PDR, the Cash Working Group was established as a working group for local and regional...

1 January 2021

“Pinning down moving targets”: Adapting humanitarian cash programmes to the multi-pronged crises in Lebanon

Report

Whilst most humanitarian responses across the globe have had to navigate the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, in Lebanon the challenges related to COVID-19 emerged on top of an unprecedented protest movement, political instability, a rapid deterioration of the economy and the increasingly protracted...

31 December 2020

Establishing a Cash Working Group and GBV Sub-Cluster task force: NW Syria Case Study

Report

The case study was created with the inputs of two Cash Working Group leads and the GBV Turkey cross-border Sub-Cluster leads in the Northwest Syria response. The case study demonstrates an example of meaningful linking of gender-based violence response and cash and voucher assistance. As Cash and Voucher...

16 December 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...

5 October 2020

CVA: Your Role as a GBV Coordinator (UNFPA / GBV AoR)

Guidelines and Tools

UNFPA’s Humanitarian Office and the GBV Area of Responsibility have developed this guidance on “CVA – Your Role as a GBV Coordinator,” for GBV coordination group leads and partners in humanitarian settings. Its purpose is to outline the practical ways in which GBV Coordinators should support GBV-...

14 September 2020

The Provision of Cash and Voucher Assistance in the Response to the Venezuela Refugee and Migrant Crisis: Findings and lessons learned – Main report

Report

This study, for which data was compiled between March and April 2020, seeks to document lessons and good practices in the delivery of CVA in Ecuador and Colombia by humanitarian organisations and governments, in response to migrants and refugees from Venezuela. The purpose of this analysis is...

4 September 2020

Cash and Voucher Assistance and Risk: Perception vs Reality Grand Bargain Cash Workstream Annual Virtual Meeting

Webinar

You are invited to a webinar hosted by the CALP Network and WFP under the Grand Bargain cash workstream annual virtual meeting umbrella. Is cash assistance riskier than in-kind? All the evidence says no, but we still act as if it is. Join us for this important conversation diving into the world of CVA and...

24 July 2020 11:00 / English

The Provision of Cash and Voucher Assistance in the Response to the Venezuela Refugee and Migrant Crisis: Findings and lessons learned, Executive summary

Report

This study, for which data was compiled between March and April 2020, seeks to document lessons and good practices in the delivery of CVA in Ecuador and Colombia by humanitarian organisations and governments, in response to migrants and refugees from Venezuela. The purpose of this analysis is...

23 July 2020

Cash and Voucher Assistance and Risk: Perception vs Reality Grand Bargain Cash Workstream Annual Virtual Meeting

Webinar recording

Webinar hosted by the CALP Network and WFP under the Grand Bargain cash workstream annual virtual meeting umbrella. Is cash assistance riskier than in-kind? All the evidence says no, but we still act as if it is.
During the Covid-19 pandemic CVA has been the modality of choice in humanitarian responses....

23 July 2020

Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) and Partnership Toolkit – 10 principles

Guidelines and Tools

This year(2020) has called for a strong reflection on what we mean by partnership and how we work responsibly within CVA programs in support of localizaiton. For example, what do equitable and equal partnerships look like and why they are critical for accountable and quality humanitarian programs? In what...

22 July 2020

Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) and Partnership Toolkit – Good Practices & Guiding Questions

Guidelines and Tools

This document outlines in detail steps and considerations in Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) programs that are supporting of Local Humanitarian Leadership, align with principled and effective partnerships and follow minimum quality standards for partnerships across each phase of the CVA project cycle.

22 July 2020

Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) and Partnership Toolkit

Guidelines and Tools

This year(2020) has called for a strong reflection on what we mean by partnership and how we work responsibly within CVA programs in support of localizaiton. For example, what do equitable and equal partnerships look like and why they are critical for accountable and quality humanitarian programs? In what...

22 July 2020

Presentation for the CALP Network’s webinar on remote registration and verification in the COVID-19 response

Presentation

Watch the webinar recording here Speaker presentations from the CALP Network’s 14 July 2020 webinar on: Peril or pitfalls?: Emerging practices on remote registration and verification in the COVID-19 response Remote CVA programming has been highlighted as a key challenge for the community of practice in...

16 July 2020

Review and analysis of identification and registration systems in protracted and recurrent crises

Report

This report presents findings from a study regarding Management and Information Systems (MIS) used to identify and register target populations in cash transfer and social protection programming. The research was conducted by DAI and Caribou Digital, and commissioned through DFID’s BASIC programme. The...

13 July 2020

CVA in COVID-19 Contexts: Guidance from the CALP Network

Guidelines and Tools

This is a summary of the key points from the many resources you shared on CVA and COVID through this document. This is a living document and we will continue to update this summary as new resources are added. The below is intended to help organisations understand and prepare for likely impacts of COVID-19...

9 July 2020

3 things to know about … Integrated Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) and Child Protection (CP) during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Guidelines and Tools

This interactive tip sheet highlights why, what and how to integrate CVA and CP during the Covid-19. It provides key programmatic elements and links to relevant resources to inform the design and implementation of integrated programming. The tip sheet was developed to address most of the questions raised...

4 May 2020

Webinar | Multi-purpose Cash Transfer and Child Protection: a case study (English and Spanish editions)

Webinar recording

Watch the webinar recording here. More information here. In 2018, with the support of OFDA and FFP, Save the Children implemented a multi-purpose cash transfer ‘Plus’ program in response to the influx of Venezuelan into Colombia. The program aimed at covering vulnerable household’s basic needs and...

4 May 2020

External Evaluation of SDC/HA Emergency Cash Pilot For Earthquake Affected Households in Bubq, Albania

Report

In November 2019, Albania was hit by a large earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4, causing 51 people to lose their lives and injuring 913 people. Around 47,000 additional people were directly affected by the earthquake. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) immediately deployed a rapid...

15 April 2020

Cash Feasibility Assessment for NorthWest Syria

Report

The objective of this cash feasibility assessment for northwest Syria is to provide evidence-based, structured analysis of the various dimensions that make cash and vouchers interventions feasible. The primary audience for this document are all the organizations either currently involved in cash-based...

7 April 2020

Cash 101: Cash and Voucher Assistance Explained

Explore the Cash 101