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
Comparative Study of Emergency Cash Coordination Mechanisms
Report
Based principally on three cases studies (Pakistan, Haiti, and the Horn of Africa), the objective of this comparative study is to draw on lessons learnt for better coordination of cash transfer programmes (CTP) in future emergencies. This study has been commissioned by the CALP Network and conducted by...
FAO Policy on Cash-Based Transfers
Report
This document articulates FAO’s roles with respect to supporting and implementing CTs linked to agriculture and food security in line with the Organization’s mandate and comparative advantages. It is based on FAO’s experience and expertise in supporting CT programming and details various CT...
Cash transfer programming in urban emergencies: a toolkit for practitioners
Guidelines and Tools
In recognition of the increasing urban populations around the world and their increasing vulnerability to disasters, the the CALP Network endeavored to investigate the current status and impact of urban emergency response programs that utilise cash transfer programming. This study aims to better...
Cash Transfer Programming in Urban Emergencies: Tools (Annex 2)
Guidelines and Tools
This file contains the following tools referenced as Annex 2 of the the CALP Network Urban Toolkit:
1. Sample Focus Group Discussion Questionnaire to Establish Urban-Specific Vulnerability Criteria
2. Sample Urban Household Survey
3. Template in PowerPoint of Commodity Market Map
4. Template in PowerPoint...
Haiti – Unconditional Cash Transfers: Lessons Learnt
Report
The challenges of responding to the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti were huge and varied, prompting agencies to think and act creatively. Christian Aid’s partners were at the forefront of the humanitarian response, distributing cash to people affected by the disaster two weeks after the earthquake...
Vouchers for Flood Relief in Cotobato City and Sultan Kudarat, ARMM (Mindanao), the Philippines
Case Study
In response to a rapid-onset emergency, Action Against Hunger / ACF International, with funding from AECID, implemented a cash transfer program in Cotobato City, situated in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao in the Philippines. The project established a cash voucher program through local...
Tracking Spending on Cash Transfer Programming in a Humanitarian Context
Report
This briefing paper provides a brief overview of cash transfers by situating them within official development assistance (ODA) analysis. However, the core of this analysis concentrates on tracking cash transfer programme spending in humanitarian aid. For analysis of cash transfer spending in crisis...
Afghanistan: Hawala Cash Transfers for Food Assistance and Livelihood Protection
Case Study
In response to repeated flooding, ACF implemented a cash-based intervention in the Samangan and Day Kundi Provinces of Afghanistan. The project applied cash for work activities as well as unconditional cash transfers and made use of the local Hawala system to securely transfer money to beneficiaries. The...
A Practical Guide to Cash-Based Response
Guidelines and Tools
A Practical Guide to Cash-based Responses is a manual developed by Adeso to share the organisation’s experience in developing and implementing appropriate cash-based responses. The manual highlights some practical problems that are faced by implementation teams around the world and it is intended to...
Uganda – Cash Grants to Strengthen Returnee Livelihoods
Case Study
In support of the return and recovery effort of formerly war affected populations, ACF implemented a cash-based intervention in Otuke District of Northern Uganda. This programme assisted internally displaced persons (IDPs) with the return home and re-establishing their livelihoods. Vulnerable households...
Emerging Good Practice in the use of Fresh Food Vouchers
Report
The purpose of this Good Practice Review is to provide practitioners with information on emerging good practice in the use of Fresh Food Vouchers (FFV), as well as practical examples from the field. In the Introduction, the GPR reiterates the nature of a fresh food voucher and explains some advantages and...
ACF Cash-based Interventions 2003-2011 (poster)
Report
A one-pager / poster showing ACF’s cash-based interventions between 2003-2011, showing source of funding and type of intervention.
Reconnecting Zimbabweans to financial services through cash transfers
Blog Post
During 2008/9 the use of cash based responses to humanitarian crises in Zimbabwe was hindered by the severe economic crisis and hyperinflation the country experienced. However the transfer to a multi-currency system in 2009, based mainly on the US Dollar and South African Rand, enabled aid organisations...
The Use of Cash Transfers in Emergencies: A focus on the HoA response strategies
Presentation
A focus on the HOA drought response strategies
Good Practice Review 11: Cash transfer programming in emergencies
Guidelines and Tools
The GPR is intended for humanitarian practitioners who plan and implement emergency responses – both those who are already familiar with cash-based interventions and those who are not. It synthesises cash transfer guidelines, highlights lessons from evaluations and adds practical examples drawn from...
Humanitarian Exchange No. 49: Unconditional cash transfers: Giving choice to people in need
Report
This article in Humanitarian Exchange magazine (article begins on page 19) explains how Action Against Hunger has moved towards unconditional cash grants as a food security and livelihoods response in Northern Uganda. The article describes the technical features of the programme (transfer amount,...
Ukraine Red Cross cash transfer case study
Case Study
This case study examines the first ever Red Cross cash transfer initiative in the European Zone of the International Federation, as part of a home restoration programme in Ukraine following a devastating storm. The report details response analysis, rationale, programme summary, perceived impacts and...
Cash Programming in Haiti – Lessons Learned in Disbursing Cash
Report
The following report is the result of an initial 2 week mission to Haiti to investigate cash programming (including cash for work) amongst 17 organizations. It is not intended as an exhaustive review of 17 organizations’ practices, but attempts to look at what were some of the critical stages in cash...
Ready or not? Emergency cash transfers at scale
Report
Whilst there is significant experience of implementing cash transfer programmes (CTP) in emergencies this has seldom been at a scale comparable to in-kind responses. A number of critical gaps and blockages standing in the way of scaled up programming in the wake of a disaster have been identified...
Hard Cash in Hard Times: Cash transfers versus food aid in rural Zimbabwe
Case Study
This case study looks at Concern Worldwide’s pilot project to provide cash, instead of traditional food aid, to food insecure communities in Zimbabwe. The document briefly describes the conditions making it suitable for such a response, positive outcomes for the cash recipients, the cost effectiveness,...