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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

DG ECHO Thematic Policy Document on Cash Transfers

Policy paper

DG ECHO released its Thematic Policy document on Cash Transfers in March 2022. The document provides guidance primarily to DG ECHO’s partners and staff, but also to the wider cash community with the objective of collectively enhancing the quality and efficiency of cash programmes and of humanitarian...

22 March 2022

Digital identity, biometrics and inclusion in humanitarian responses to refugee crises

Report

Digital identity and biometrics have long been divisive topics in the humanitarian sector. On the one hand, they have the potential to be more inclusive and reach people in need at scale due to perceived efficiency gains. A legal identity for everyone as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)...

6 October 2021

Guidelines on Using Cash and Voucher Assistance for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Programming

Guidelines and Tools

CARE seeks to increase its use of CVA for one of its core areas of programming, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). This is in line with the recommendations of the Inter-Agency Working Group on Reproductive Health, which deems CVA a suitable option to ensure ongoing access to affordable and...

1 September 2021

Refugee checking money received during a cash distribution

Screening recipients of humanitarian cash and voucher assistance: necessary precaution or wasted resources?

Blog Post

Is screening the recipients of humanitarian cash and voucher assistance an effective way to mitigate against the perceived diversion risk that cash represents? If yes, how? If not, why are conversations growing on the topic? In a recent report for Oxfam and Bond, Nina Newhouse & colleagues from the London...

14 July 2021

SPACE Social protection and climate change: scaling up ambition (Summary Brief)

Policy paper

Climate change, once perceived as a long-term environmental issue, is now an immediate threat to safety and prosperity, especially for the most vulnerable people that are hit hardest by increasing weather extremes. The impacts cannot be managed just by reducing greenhouse gas emissions or by small tweaks...

31 May 2021