Multipurpose Cash Assistance
Multipurpose Cash (MPC) are unrestricted cash transfers that people affected by crises can use to cover their basic needs. By its nature, MPC is the assistance modality which offers people a maximum degree of choice, flexibility and dignity. There is also growing evidence that it is more cost-efficient and cost-effective to meet multiple needs.
But this requires new ways of collaborating between humanitarian actors, at all stages of the program cycle, and across sectors. While solid tools exist to support collaboration, they have not been widely adopted and MPC is still used in an ad-hoc way. Challenges remain to be addressed if we are to successfully fit MPC into the humanitarian system.
Featured content
Multipurpose cash outcome indicators and guidance
Guidelines and Tools
The indicators in this document, developed by the Grand Bargain Cash Workstream, focus on the primary objectives of humanitarian Multipurpose Cash Assistance (MPC), and the outcomes to which MPC can most strongly contribute in a given context.
Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB) Decision Making Tools
Guidelines and Tools
Update: This publication was revised in 2022. Please read the revised publication here.
The purpose of this tipsheet is to accompany practitioners and decision makers through key stages in the process of calculating an MEB to: (a)
identify what is the most appropriate path to take in relation to their
particular context, identified objective, existing capacities and available
resources; and...
Operational Guidance and Toolkit for Multipurpose Cash Grants
Guidelines and Tools
This operational guidance and toolkit brings together worldwide expertise on cash-based interventions (CBIs). It provides comprehensive and practical guidance for humanitarian actors to assess the feasibility, conceptualise the design and structure the implementation of MPGs. The guidance focuses on MPGs whose primary objective is to meet basic needs as defined by affected people...
Definition of Minimum Expenditure Baskets (MEB) in West Africa
Report
Throughout 2017, five countries in West Africa have worked collectively to define minimum expenditure baskets, in order to better capture the contribution that humanitarian assistance is making to address the basic needs of affected populations, and improve the impact of assistance. This heavy process raises technical and coordination challenges. The CALP Network, with support from USAID /...
Thematic lead
Latest
Review Paper on Targeting Shift in Humanitarian Cash Assistance for Somali Cash Consortium
Report
The Somali Cash Consortium (SCC) has been in operation since 2017, providing Multipurpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) to newly displaced populations and critically underserved individuals in Operational Priority Areas. After October 2022, Somalia’s Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) adopted a...
Documentary – Palabras para Luciana – Delivering people-centered CVA to people on the move in Colombia
Video
This documentary shows the innovative CVA work of ZOA and RedRose with people on the move along the migration trails in Colombia. Innovative technology, human centered design and impact come together in this project that is implemented in a complex displacement setting.
The documentary tells the...
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,...
Humanitarian Crisis in the DRC: Why Cash is Best
Report
The policy brief, “Humanitarian Crisis in the DRC: Why Cash is Best” draws on from evidence and years of first-hand experience of implementing humanitarian programmes in the DRC to demonstrate that cash programming is critical to the effectiveness of the response in the country, where humanitarian...
Paving the Way Towards At-Scale Cash Assistance in South Africa
Report
Climate change presents severe threats in South Africa where droughts, floods, storms, and fires are becoming more frequent and intense, exposing vulnerable populations to heightened risks. After storm surges caused severe flooding of the KwaZulu and Free State provinces in January and April 2024, the...
Yemen Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB) and Multipurpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) – Transfer value calculation guidance
Report
The objective of this technical note is to provide direction and guidance to Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) actors in Yemen on the calculation of the transfer values for Multipurpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) using the Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB). In light of the current economic context in Yemen,...
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...
Livelihood Outcomes of Multi-purpose Cash Assistance: Services and Assistance for Enabling Recovery (SAFER)
Report
Since 2019, the severe economic crisis in Lebanon has plunged a large portion of the population into poverty. Over the last decade, poverty has more than tripled, reaching 44% in 2022. Many families were forced to adopt negative coping strategies such as reducing food consumption and withdrawing children...
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...
User Journeys of Cash + Entrepreneurship Participants: A journey mapping case study from Colombia
Report
The VenEsperanza Consortium’s latest report showcases the real experiences of participants who received cash assistance and complementary entrepreneurship programming though journey mapping. Inspired by human-centered design, journey mapping aims to understand diverse users’ needs, behaviors, and...
User Journeys of Cash + Savings Group Participants: A journey mapping case study from Colombia
Report
The VenEsperanza Consortium’s latest report showcases the real experiences of participants who received cash assistance and complementary savings group programming though journey mapping. Inspired by human-centered design, journey mapping aims to understand diverse users’ needs, behaviors, and...
East and Southern Africa Cash Working Group Leads and Co-Leads Workshop 2024 Report
Report
This report provides a detailed summary of the strategic discussions at the East and Southern Africa Leads and Co-Leads Workshop 2024. It highlights efforts to enhance cash coordination, improve quality, and promote unified approaches in the region. The document analyzes collaborative planning aimed at...
IOM Cash-Based Interventions: Annual Report and Case Studies 2023
Report
In recent years, IOM has placed special attention on increasing the use and coordination of cash-based interventions (CBI) across the organization in line with the Grand Bargain commitments and the IOM CBI Strategy 2022–2026.
In 2023, IOM continued to increase the use of CBI modalities to empower aid...
The Early Lessons of Cash Coordination in Poland
Report
This report provides learning and initial outcomes of multi-purpose cash coordination in the Polish operational context since the establishment of the Cash Technical Working Group. Amongst those, it documents how the coordination structure has evolved to address the unique demands of the refugee response...
Digital Lifelines: How the Kenya Red Cross Society transforms cash assistance with the 121 platform
Report
As a result of climate-induced extreme weather, large populations in Kenya are experiencing acute food insecurity. To protect lives and livelihoods, the Kenya Red Cross Society has been distributing cash among affected communities so they can meet their needs autonomously and with dignity. With the...
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...
Harnessing the Transformative Potential of Generative AI for Humanitarian Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance Opportunities, Risks, Barriers, and Recommendations
Report
This report, authored by Market Impact lead consultant Thomas Byrnes, explores
the transformative potential of Generative AI for Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance
(MPCA) programs in humanitarian contexts. The report is divided into four main
chapters.
- The Potential Opportunities of AI tools and...