Social Protection
Context
The State of the World’s Cash 2020 report found:
- Working with, through and alongside social protection systems is now considered key to strengthening the humanitarian-development nexus and humanitarians are increasingly active in this space
- Practitioners find that the three biggest challenges to effective linkages are: (i) lack of coordination between the actors involved, (ii) social protection systems are not designed to respond to crises, (iii) humanitarian practitioners lack expertise in social protection
- Critically, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to linking CVA and social protection. Trade-offs between efficiency, effectiveness, accountability, and sustainability must be considered to ensure the best outcomes for people living in crisis and depends on context, existing systems, and timeframe. Linking will not always be appropriate and social protection systems may not meet all needs. In many contexts, in the short to medium term at least, humanitarian programming will be required to fill gaps.
Current Priorities
The CALP Network has invested intensely in this thematic area over the last few years. We will continue to work closely with the SPIAC-B Working group on linking humanitarian (cash) assistance and social protection (formerly the Grand Bargain Sub-Workstream on Social Protection) and with the SocialProtection.org platform and the Online Community Social Protection in Crisis Contexts to develop evidence, produce capacity building materials and provide technical support to coordination actors.
Community of Practice
SocialProtection.org hosts a dynamic and collaborative online community of practice (CoP) bringing together individuals from diverse backgrounds interested in expanding social protection in crisis-prone areas. The CoP offers a space to exchange documents, insights, and news in order to progress and learn together. Its inclusive and member-led approach offers organisations and individual members a forum to increase learning and outreach, facilitating the exchange of experiences and expanding knowledge. A discussion group hosted by dgroups.org complements these activities by connecting users rapidly via email.
SPACE
There are a wealth of relevant resources from ‘Social Protection Approaches To Covid-19: Expert Advice’ (SPACE) published in the CALP library.
Featured content
Linking Social Protection and Humanitarian Cash and Voucher Assistance
Report
There is a growing momentum and body of work around the idea of developing stronger links between humanitarian cash and voucher assistance (CVA) and social protection (SP). This Briefing Paper for the CALP Network, based on a literature review, a survey, and interviews, is intended to inform the CALP Network’s overall approach in this area, and subsequently its capacity building and...
Linking Social Protection and Humanitarian Cash
Blog Post
The case for social protection to help people cope with shocks has always been clear and never more obvious than during the current Covid-19 crisis. These issues are currently playing out in real time as governments, donors and aid agencies scramble to find ways to get more help to more people to cope with the economic consequences of illness and lockdown. As the virus starts to take hold in...
Linking Social Protection and humanitarian cash and voucher assistance (CVA) – what do we really know and where to start? Findings from the CALP Network commissioned high level briefing paper at the time of COVID-19
Webinar
State of the World’s Cash 2020 Chapter 8 summary: Linking CVA and social protection
Report
Longstanding efforts to strengthen links between humanitarian CVA and social protection have been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with significant progress since the last report. CVA should aim to complement robust social protection systems where they exist and contribute to their strengthening where they are weak or early-stage. This chapter asks: ‘What opportunities and challenges...
Supporting the Linkages Between Humanitarian Cash and Voucher Assistance and National Social Protection Systems
Report
This tipsheet aims to support country-level coordination efforts to strengthen the engagement between humanitarian coordination groups that implement cash and voucher assistance (CVA) and existing social
protection or disaster risk reduction coordination actors and groups. In particular, it seeks to offers inter-cluster and cash working group coordinators simple practical tips for engaging...
Case Studies
Linking CVA and Social Protection in the MENA Region – Crib sheet
Report
Building linkages between humanitarian cash and voucher assistance (CVA) and social protection (SP) has become an increasingly prominent topic over the past five years and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has been at the centre of this evolution. The objective of this resource set (the crib sheet and 3, soon to be 6, regional case studies) is to ensure that the CALP Network...
Linking CVA and Social Protection in the MENA Region – Iraq Case Study
Report
Building linkages between humanitarian cash and voucher assistance (CVA) and social protection (SP) has become an increasingly prominent topic over the past five years and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has been at the centre of this evolution. The objective of this resource set (the crib sheet and 3, soon to be 6, regional case studies) is to ensure that the CALP Network...
Linking CVA and Social Protection in the MENA Region – Lebanon Case Study
Report
Building linkages between humanitarian cash and voucher assistance (CVA) and social protection (SP) has become an increasingly prominent topic over the past five years and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has been at the centre of this evolution. The objective of this resource set (the crib sheet and 3, soon to be 6, regional case studies) is to ensure that the CALP Network...
Linking CVA and Social Protection in the MENA Region – Yemen Case Study
Case Study
Building linkages between humanitarian cash and voucher assistance (CVA) and social protection (SP) has become an increasingly prominent topic over the past five years and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has been at the centre of this evolution. The objective of this resource set (the crib sheet and 3, soon to be 6, regional case studies) is to ensure that the CALP Network...
Linking Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) and Social Protection – Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT): Country Summary
Report
This country summary is part of a larger resource set, providing practitioners with examples of different approaches to linking CVA
and social protection.
Linking Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) and Social Protection – Turkey: Country Summary
Report
This country summary is part of a larger resource set, providing practitioners with examples of different approaches to linking CVA
and social protection.
Linking Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) and Social Protection – Lebanon: Country Summary
Report
This country summary is part of a larger resource set, providing practitioners with examples of different approaches to linking CVA
and social protection.
Thematic lead
Latest
Exploring linkages between Cash and Voucher Assistance and Social Protection in West and Central Africa
Webinar recording
This is the first in a series of webinars that aims to explore the connections between humanitarian CVA and social protection in West and Central Africa region. The webinar sought to frame the discussion with opening remarks from Dr. Sintike Tarfa Ugbe, Director of Humanitarian & Social Affairs of the...
Webinar series: Exploring linkages between Cash and Voucher Assistance and Social Protection in West and Central Africa
Webinar
There was a lot of buzz on the need to link humanitarian assistance to social protection (SP) systems, especially during the COVID pandemic. The linkage should encompass various contexts from stable well-organised states, preferred context by development and social protection stakeholders, to conflict...
Addressing Negative Socioeconomic Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic through Social Protection in Viet Nam – Supporting incomes and livelihoods with cash assistance in Dong Nai province
Case Study
In late April 2021, Viet Nam faced its fourth wave of COVID-19, with over 895 000 new cases reported. COVID-19 and related restrictions hindered livelihood options and vulnerable households faced financial stress to cover basic needs. Some of them lost their income and were unable to return to home...
Scoping Review on the Role of Social Protection in Facilitating Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation for Economic Inclusion among Rural Populations
Report
Rural populations, especially small-scale producers and women, are disproportionately impacted by climate change since their livelihoods depend largely on natural resources and weather patterns. This paper reviews the available evidence on the role of social protection programmes in facilitating climate...
Climate Funds and Social Protection: What is the progress to date?
Report
The 21st century has witnessed a profound transformation in our understanding of the climate crisis and its far-reaching impacts. As the world grapples with the consequences of global warming, it has become increasingly clear that addressing climate change is not merely an environmental challenge but a...
Climate Risk Impacts on Employment Opportunities for Youth in Pakistan: A survey report
Report
Pakistan faces a high level of disaster risk due to its exposure to a variety of natural and climate-related hazards including earthquakes, floods, landslides, storms and extreme temperatures (WBG & ADB, 2021). Research pertaining to the impact of these hazards on youths’ access and participation in the...
Concept Note: A purpose-driven global fund for scaling digital cash transfers to accelerate progress on ending extreme poverty by 2030
Policy paper
Advances a call for the creation of a new global fund dedicated exclusively to scaling digital cash transfers across low-income countries to accelerate progress on ending extreme poverty by 2030—a structure that would be very similar to GAVI. The working group is building on ideas put forward by...
Common Principles for Linking Humanitarian Assistance and Social Protection
Policy paper
The Social Protection Inter-Agency Cooperation Board (SPIAC-B) Working Group on Linking Humanitarian Assistance and Social Protection aims to strengthen links between humanitarian assistance (HA) and social protection (SP), with cash transfers as the main entry point. Our membership brings together...
Just in Time: Advancing anticipatory cash in Pakistan
Guidelines and Tools
Cash and voucher assistance in humanitarian response has grown significantly in recent years, with evidence showing that it supports the agency of recipients, reduces harmful coping strategies, supports local economies, and is a cost-effective form of humanitarian assistance.
The use of cash as a form...
Cash and Protection in the Ukraine Response
Report
This learning report stems from bilateral discussions with the Collaborative Cash Delivery (CCD) Network’s members in Ukraine and Poland, many of whom were on the cusp of designing or implementing C4P programmes as part of the Ukraine response and were seeking learning and experience from each other.
Cash Coordination in Poland: Early lessons learnt from the humanitarian response for Ukrainian war refugees
Case Study
This thesis was submitted for obtaining the Master’s Degree in International Humanitarian Action. By submitting the thesis, the author certifies that the text is from his hand, does not include the work of someone else unless clearly indicated, and that the thesis has been produced in accordance with...
Will our Opinion Matter? Community consultations on the design of multi-purpose cash programmes in Lebanon
Report
Since late 2019, Lebanon has been grappling with a severe economic and financial crisis. The Lebanese lira has lost more than 98 percent of its value, and over half of the Lebanese population is estimated to be living in poverty. The Government of Lebanon and development and humanitarian agencies have...
Feasibility of Achieving Resilience by Linking Vulnerable Populations Receiving Humanitarian CVA to Development and Social Protection
Report
This report evaluates the capacities for establishing linkages between humanitarian CVA and state-led social protection in Iraq, Libya and Yemen.
How do Labels and Vouchers Shape Unconditional Cash Transfers? Experimental Evidence from Georgia
Report
We implemented a randomized control trial in Georgia to study how labels and food vouchers affect household expenditure among low-income recipients of unconditional cash transfers. Households were randomly assigned to receive only an unconditional cash transfer, a label indicating an amount intended for...
Data Sharing in Humanitarian Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA): A look at risks, threats and mitigation technologies
Report
This research, conducted by The Engine Room between March and October 2023, was commissioned by the Norwegian Refugee Council in collaboration with the DIGID consortium to map risks and threats related to data sharing in CVA, and to evaluate potential technological approaches that might mitigate these...
Joint Market Assessment Round 2
Report
This report assesses the feasibility of implementing Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA), specifically Multipurpose Cash Assistance (MPCA), to support individuals impacted by the February 6 earthquakes. The evaluation focuses on the acceptance of various forms of cash modalities, availability of key items,...
Ensuring Inclusive Cash and Voucher Programming in Vanuatu
Report
Save the Children is expanding its cash and voucher programming in Vanuatu; helping families to overcome financial barriers to improve outcomes for their children and advocating for investments in a national social protection system.
This report presents the findings of a Gender Equality, Disability...
WVI Cash Roadmap 2.0 – New Avenues – Leveraging, multiplying “Nexus” cash to take children and their families further than imagined
Policy paper
WVI's strategic global Cash Roadmap 2.0 (2024-2027) speaks to the organisations' commitment that amidst polycrises and resourcing constraints, there is urgency to maximise and multiply World Vision's capabilities, assets and cash voucher programming (CVP=CVA) is a powerful tool to do so.
Increasing...
Rethinking Social Protection and Climate Change: The medium-term implications of climate change for social protection policy and programming in the Asia-Pacific region
Report
Accelerating climate change will generate significant social, economic and political disruption globally and in the Asia-Pacific region by the middle of this century. It will profoundly reshape the socio-economic risks people face and their ability to meet basic needs, significantly extending poverty and...
Cash for Protection Guidelines for Protection Partners
Guidelines and Tools
This document provides guidance and clarification on the implementation of cash for protection activities in Yemen, with the view of ensuring a common understanding and harmonizing practices. In particular, these guidelines aim to: provide a definition of cash for protection and specify its...