Can social protection systems be a way to deliver cash and voucher assistance (CVA) more efficiently and effectively in a time of crisis?  Protracted and more frequent emergencies increase the need for better connections across humanitarian and development work.  Humanitarians these days often face long term, recurrent and chronic crises.  The use of social protection systems to support poor and vulnerable people is becoming increasingly common in developing countries and contributes to reduced vulnerability to crises.  Where and should the two be linked?

CaLP’s first State of the World’s Cash Report notes that the case for linking humanitarian CVA with social protection systems is becoming clearer but requires long-term technical and strategic support. The topic was adopted as a new sub-workstream during the 2018 Grand Bargain Cash Workstream meeting.

Current priorities

CaLP is exploring the potential of linking social protection policies and programming (SP) to humanitarian CVA and are working in close collaboration with the Grand Bargain sub-workstream and the Social Protection in Crisis group from Social Protection.Org.  This work includes:

1. the commissioning of a high-level overview paper of the latest frameworks and practice to inform and make recommendation for future capacity building work and revision of the existing training;
2. a ‘Crib Sheet’ of regional experience for future capacity building for MENA to highlight the needs and ways forward here;
3. hosting and supporting further development of work by the British Red Cross and the GB leads to map relevant experiences and thinking.

Close collaboration with the GB subworking Group and SP in Crisis should help with the development of a common forum that brings together SP and CVA practitioners to encourage conversations about what might work, how and where in a more collective and strategic way.  Learning will be shared through blogs, podcasts, reports, webinars and face to face meetings.