Coordination
Background
Effective coordination can prevent gaps and overlaps in humanitarian responses, ensure the impact of CVA is optimised for the benefit of crisis affected populations, whilst also making the most of limited humanitarian funding. But the CALP Network’s State of the World’s Cash report found that cash coordination is seen as weak and ad hoc, and that this is having serious operational impact.
Ninety-five donors, international and national NGOs, private sector actors and one UN agency have called for clarity on two key issues surrounding cash coordination:
- Who should be accountable for ensuring effective cash coordination, and
- What the scope of Cash Working Groups should be, including in relation to multipurpose cash.
We urgently need to build on what works and provide clarity at the global level on the questions above, whilst adapting to different contexts. Clear decisions based on the impact on affected populations rather than agency politics are long overdue.
Current priorities
We aim to contribute to progress on this issue on three levels: supporting Cash Working Groups at the regional level; contributing to practical solutions for cash coordination at the global level; and convening evidence-based discussion on the key issues, highlighting critical decision points and opportunities for progress.
Featured content
Cash Coordination – LIVE timeline
Page
The latest updates on cash coordination as they unfold.
95 Organisations Sign Letter Calling for Strengthened Cash Coordination
News
Today a letter signed by 95 organisations was handed into the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) urging the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) to take a decision on the leadership and scope of cash coordination in the coming year.
Is cash transforming the humanitarian system or is the system limiting how cash is used?
Blog Post
At the State of World’s Cash 2020 launch event, Sorcha O’Callaghan, Director of Humanitarian Policy Group at ODI warned that, “Cash offers a huge transformative potential, but as far as the system is privileging the interest of the agencies over people in crisis, we won’t be able to see it”. If you missed the State of the World's Cash 2020 launch we're sharing highlights. Quote 4...
State of the World’s Cash 2020 Chapter 5 summary: Coordination
Report
There has been very limited progress on cash coordination since 2017. Cash continues to challenge the established coordination and funding architecture, and efforts to resolve outstanding questions around cash coordination have failed. Despite the lack of global agreement, Cash Working Groups are pushing forward and contributing to improved programming, and generating new approaches. This...
Cash Coordination Tip Sheet
Guidelines and Tools
This tip sheet sets out established best practice, key guidance and resources for all aspects of cash coordination, intended as a clear, accessible and action-oriented guide for those engaged in coordination of cash and voucher assistance (CVA) at the field level.
Introducing the Cash Coordination Tip Sheet
Webinar
The CALP Network has developed a tipsheet setting out established best practice and key guidance and resources for all aspects of cash coordination, intended as a clear, accessible and action-oriented guide for those engaged in coordination of cash and voucher assistance at the field level.
Cash Coordination: A proposal from members in MENA
Blog Post
Earlier this year the CALP Network undertook regional consultations to explore options for cash coordination. This blog lays out recommendations from participants from the Middle East and North Africa who sketched out what cash coordination, and coordination more broadly, could look like in future to support a more effective, efficient and accountable response.
Thematic lead
Latest
Cash in Armed Conflict: Why cash remains the optimal solution as conflict escalates – A feasibility assessment of cash assistance in Lebanon
Report
Since September 2024, the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah has caused the displacement of over 1 million people and large humanitarian suffering in Lebanon. The humanitarian response has prioritized distributing in-kind assistance to displaced populations in collective shelters,...
Cross-Country Collaboration in Cash Assistance: Worthwhile or wasted effort?
Blog Post
This blog explores the regional dynamics of the Sudan crisis and cash and voucher assistance in the different countries affected by the crisis. It examines the potential advantages of collaboration between Cash Working Groups across borders and how this might be achieved.
Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) Minimum Standards
Guidelines and Tools
Cash and voucher assistance (CVA) is a modality of aid response, rather than a sector in of itself. CVA can therefore be used for sectoral purposes (for example, cash for protection or cash for education), as well as for multi-sectoral purposes and/or basic needs (for example, multi-purpose cash). These...
Cash for Protection in Specialised/Stand alone Protection Programming
Report
This note aims to support protection and cash practitioners working in emergencies and humanitarian responses to better understand and consider the use of Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) as an assistance modality to contribute to a protection outcome within specialised protection programming. The note...
Cash Consortium of Sudan: Commercial Markets Analysis
Report
In May and June 2024, the Cash Consortium of Sudan (CCS) commissioned a study funded by the European Union to better understand the capacity of commercial markets in select famine risk “hot spot” locations to scale up the supply of staple foods to meet an increase in provision of multi-purpose cash...
Mapping of Cash and Voucher Assistances (CVAs) in Türkiye in 2023
Report
TÜRKİYE CASH-BASED INTERVENTIONS TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP | 2024
Cash-Based Interventions Technical Working Group (CBI TWG) published this document to
share a summary of the findings of Mapping of CVAs in Türkiye in 2023, along with the
background information and purpose (Annex A). Further findings...
Cash Assistance IS working in Gaza, despite the skepticism: Here’s why
Blog Post
Manal Shehade, who has over 10 years of experience in development and humanitarian across the occupied Palestinian territories and internationally, explains why cash has surprised the experts.
Lost in translation: Unlocking the potential of private sector partnerships in cash assistance
Blog Post
Humanitarians and payment companies working together can design products and services that meet the needs of crisis-affected people. However, could a lack of understanding between humanitarian organisations and payment companies be hindering innovation?
CashCap /NORCAP Support to Red Cross/Red Crescent National Societies Pilot Review. Ukraine and Syria. Final report.
Report
Over the past two years NORCAP’s CashCap programme in collaboration with British Red Cross, invested efforts in an initiative to test whether NORCAP/CashCap’s expertise in coordination, facilitating multistakeholder collaboration processes, capacity-strengthening, policy influence and advocacy for...
Community Participation in the Design of Multi-purpose Cash Programs – Perspectives from the field
Report
The design of cash and voucher assistance (CVA) programs, especially when implemented at scale, is often driven by technical considerations. The conversations often focus on the survival minimum expenditure basket, financial service provider’s fees and targeting algorithm. Important decisions regarding...
Cash Works: Time to act and save lives amid starvation in Sudan
Report
As unprecedented hunger grips Sudan, countless lives hang in the balance. Previous humanitarian efforts have fallen short, but a shift to cash-based interventions such as multi-purpose cash assistance and group cash transfers could be the lifeline needed to prevent widespread deaths.
Advocating for Cash and Voucher Assistance with Governments
Webinar recording
‘Advocating for Cash and Voucher Assistance with Governments’.
We were delighted to be joined by a distinguished expert panel of Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement senior leaders:
- Alper Kucuk, Director General for International Affairs and Migration Services, Türk Kızılay;
- Caroline...
Reflecting on Humanitarian Cash Response in Gaza – Insights and Key Takeaways
Webinar recording
Our discussions with the Gaza Cash Working Group coordinators focused on achievements, challenges, and strategies for implementing rapid cash responses.
Cash Based Interventions – Unconditional cash transfer
Guidelines and Tools
This is a database template to explore how ActivityInfo can be used for information management for a Cash Based Intervention (CBI).
The template includes forms to register beneficiaries, conduct vulnerability assessments and monthly verifications, capture indicators related to post distribution status...
Rampant inflation and climate crisis: can cash cope? – Community perceptions of cash assistance and resilience in northeast Nigeria
Report
Nigeria is currently experiencing its worst financial crisis in almost 30 years. Economic reforms such as the floating of the naira and the fuel subsidy’s removal have contributed to rising inflation, which reached almost 30% in February 2024. The volatile financial climate is having a real and...
From Feasible to Life-Saving: The urgent case for cash at scale in Sudan
Report
About 18 million people are currently facing crisis (IPC 3) or emergency (IPC 4) levels of food insecurity across Sudan. This means more than one in three people are suffering from acute hunger in the country. As the conflict rages on, food insecurity is rapidly deteriorating, and communities in many...
Integrating Livelihoods Support into Emergency Assistance Programming
Guidelines and Tools
This report draws on research and learning to advocate for broader consideration of expanded humanitarian response programming, especially in situations of prolonged crises. Livelihoods programs have a crucial role to play in emergency settings, especially when combined with and aligned with cash...
Aligning Aid: Recipient perspectives on humanitarian cash and social protection in Ukraine
Report
In January 2023, Ground Truth Solutions and the CCD set out to understand the
experiences and perceptions of people who had applied for or received cash
assistance in Ukraine, both from humanitarian organisations and through government
social protection schemes. The Ukrainian cash response is the...
2024 ICVA Annual Conference Session 1 – Summary report
Report
Session One explored the importance of trust between NGOs to develop and agree approaches to humanitarian dilemmas and upholding the humanitarian principles, and how these very approaches can build or erode trust. The session used survey software to engage the audience on a variety of questions with 157...
MENA Membership Engagement Event
Event
Online- March 6th, 2024, 11:00-13:30 Amman time