Monitoring and Evaluation
Most M&E challenges, such as a lack of sufficient investment and capacities, are not specific to CVA. But those that are relate primarily to monitoring outcomes for unrestricted transfers. The flexibility of cash transfers can make it difficult to determine appropriate outcome indicators, as they may involve a combination of sector-specific and cross-cutting indicators. At the same time, there are limitations on gathering accurate data on how cash transfers are spent.
Grand Bargain signatories have committed to ensuring relevant M&E mechanisms are in place for cash, and increasing understanding of the costs, benefits, impacts and risks of cash relative to other modalities. Building on this, the GB cash workstream has action points including the development of common outcome indicators for multipurpose cash, and metrics for analysing value for money. Systematic value for money analysis has been limited by factors including a lack of agreed upon approaches, the need for quality outcome data, and the intensive nature of the analysis.
Current priorities
As part of the Grand Bargain cash commitments, the CALP Network has co-led (with USAID and CRS) the development of Multipurpose Cash Outcome Indicators. The draft for testing is currently available in English, French and Spanish via the library.
Related initiatives
Featured content
Multipurpose Cash Outcome Indicators – Final Draft for Testing
Guidelines and Tools
Note that the MPC indicators have now been revised. Please click here to access the updated Multipurpose Outcome Indicators and Guidance, which is available in Arabic, English, French and Spanish. Multipurpose Cash Outcome Indicators – Final Draft for Testing Multipurpose cash (MPC) is a type of assistance intended to enable people to meet their basic needs through local...
Monitoring 4 CTP: Monitoring Guidance for CTP in Emergencies
Guidelines and Tools
This guidance provides a central resource to promote a common understanding of the most important monitoring considerations for humanitarian projects using cash transfer programming (CTP). The primary audience for this guidance is field-level practitioners, from organisations directly involved in the design, implementation, monitoring, and accountability of projects using cash and vouchers...
Cost-Efficiency Analysis of Basic Needs Programs: Best Practice Guidance for Humanitarian Agencies
Guidelines and Tools
The Efficiency, Effectiveness and Value for Money Sub-Workstream is pleased to share the final output on Cost-Efficiency Analysis of Basic Needs Programs: Best Practice Guidance for Humanitarian Agencies (attached).
Cost-efficiency analysis estimates the ratio of program costs to outputs created, allowing you to compare cost-per-output for programs which all produced the same output. Such...
Thematic lead
Latest
Global Cash Policy Network Call: the UN Common Cash System
Report
On 5 December, Principals of UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP and OCHA announced the launch of a joint system for the design, delivery and monitoring of cash assistance. This is a welcome step towards improved collaboration between United Nations agencies, with the potential to increase the effectiveness, efficiency...
Cash for Shelter in Kenya – A Field Experience
Report
A study of a cash for shelter project in Kalobeyei that highlights how UNHCR uses cash assistance to help the refugees to transition to more durable solutions, in this case, integration with the host community. The project presents a paradigm shift from the traditional refugee camp planning process.
It’s humanitarian planning season! Ten tips for strengthening the inclusion of cash assistance as part of the HRP process
Blog Post
It’s November and humanitarian planning season is in full swing. To its advocates, the Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) and Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) process is a critical opportunity to collectively allocate resources and capacities to meet the most urgent humanitarian needs in a given context....
How Cash and Food Transfers and Asset Creation Can Contribute to Women’s Empowerment: Learning from Niger, Kenya and Zimbabwe
Report
From ‘Collected Papers on Gender and Cash Transfer Programmes in Humanitarian Contexts’. Existing gender inequalities mean that disasters and conflicts impact women, men, girls and boys differently. Cash based assistance is one of the most significant developments in humanitarian assistance in recent...
Evaluation of the 2017 Somalia Humanitarian Cash-Based Response
Report
After several years of poor rainfall, the humanitarian community responded to a famine alert issued in January 2017 with a significant scale-up of funding and programmes. Having originally published a 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) in November 2016, by May 2017, the Somalia Humanitarian Country...
An Assessment of ChildFund’s Emergency Cash Transfer Project in The Gambia
Report
Review of ChildFund’s pilot cash transfer intervention using mobile money, assisting people displaced by political crisis. Includes description of project design, results, assessment, and recommendations for future cash-based interventions. Project participants appreciated the cash which they used to...
Moving Forward with Cash in Haiti: A Review of Cash-Based Interventions during Hurricane Matthew Response in Haiti
Case Study
Mercy Corps, with funding from European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) has conducted an extensive review of lessons learned and contextual data, combined with key informant interviews and workshops to compile, analyse and present core lessons from the Hurricane Matthew cash-based...
The Grand Bargain Cash Meetings: what did we learn, how are we doing, where next?
Blog Post
After cash focal points from Grand Bargain signatory organisations gathered in Rome for the second annual meeting of the Grand Bargain cash workstream, we ask how much progress has been made towards commitments, and what remains to be done.
Multi purpose cash and sectoral outcomes – Afghanistan case study
Report
The repatriation cash grant has helped Afghan returnees from Pakistan to meet a number of basic needs upon return. The cash grant is used for transportation costs, to buy food and address important shelter needs, thus contributing to aspects of reintegration. At the same time, poor security of tenure and...
ERC Learning Event: Scaling up our tools and approaches for multi-purpose cash grants
Blog Post
Watch the videos and read the recommendations from the ERC MPG Consortium event in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
MPG Monitoring Toolkit Development and Guidelines
Guidelines and Tools
This toolkit is designed to serve as a core resource for developing and conducting monitoring of MPG programmes. The tools themselves serve as templates and should be adapted to the local context and objectives of the specific MPG programmes to be monitored. Particular care should be taken to align...
Emergency Response Capacity (ERC) Consortium – Ethiopia: Building an evidence base on operational models for the delivery of CTP
Report
The Emergency Response Capacity (ERC) Consortium for the Uptake of MPGs is formed by Save the Children, the CALP Network, Danish Refugee Council, Mercy Corps, and OCHA with ECHO financing. Its primary aim is the improvement of capacity, coordination and evidence for multi-purpose cash grants through the...
Cash Based Assistance PQ Toolbox Now Live!
Blog Post
The CALP Network has developed a programme quality toolbox for cash-based assistance. The toolbox provides a set of common standards and acions for quality CBA. Each action is supported by a set of guidelines and ready to use tools and templates on 'how' to acheive quality CBA. It can be used across CBA...
Seven Steps to Scaling Cash Relief: Driving Outcomes and Efficiency
Guidelines and Tools
As we approach the mid-point of our five-year strategy, this briefing explores the way in which the IRC has embraced cash relief programming and is seeking to drive efficiencies and maximise impact. It defines seven steps that the IRC has taken to scale cash relief. It goes on to argue that...
My Needs, Our Future
Report
Since the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year in Jordan, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Child Cash Grant (CCG) launched its new phase, an equity-driven, integrated social protection programme for all children in Jordan called Hajati, or ‘my need’ in Arabic. The new programme built on...
Greece Cash Alliance: Building an Evidence Base on Operational Models for the Delivery Of CTP
Report
The primary aim of this case study is to map out aspects of the Greece Cash Alliance (GCA) operational model influencing key drivers of quality (effectiveness, efficiency and accountability) in the delivery of multipurpose cash grants (MPGs). The GCA was launched in April 2017 with funding from ECHO, in...
Emergency Response Capacity (ERC) Consortium – Nigeria: Building an evidence base on operational models for the delivery of CTP
Report
This case study aims to review and map out how aspects of the Enhanced Response Capacity (ERC) consortium model have influenced key drivers of quality (effectiveness, efficiency and accountability) in the consortium’s Nigeria pilot. Formed at the global level in 2015, the ERC Consortium is comprised of...
Multi-Sector Market Assessment Fafan Zone, Ethiopia
Report
This report covers the findings of the Multi-Sector Market Assessment (MSMA) conducted in Fafan Zone, Ethiopia in February and March 2018. The assignment formed part of the ERC-MPG Consortium on Approaches to Transformative Humanitarian Cash Transfer programming and is intended to support joint,...
Targeting in social protection systems: comparative study on two “HEA” methods and a “PMT” targeting method for cash transfer programmes in Gao circle, Mali, 2016-17
Report
Social safety nets are becoming a key instrument of povery reduction policies in Sub-Saharan Africa; they are a basic element of social protection systems that include adaptive social protection. Social protection systems aim to target both chronically poor households and those who are slightly better off...
Optimizing Benefits and Mitigating Risks of Integrating Cash-Based Initiatives and GBV Programming: Case Studies from Irbid and Mafraq, Jordan
Report
This case study provides an overview of assessment and monitoring activities
conducted by Mercy Corps and the International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Women’s Commission to:
a. mainstream gender-based violence (GBV) considerations in cash-based interventions
b. utilize cash within a GBV...