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
Sahel Adaptive Social Protection Trust Fund: Linking humanitarian cash assistance and national social protection systems – Burkina Faso Case Study
Case Study
The Sahel Adaptive Social Protection Programme (SASPP) aims to help poor and vulnerable households become more resilient to the effects of climate change, and to expand the reach of shock-responsive cash transfer programmes in six Sahel countries: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal....
Cash Transfer Programmes Review in Kachin/Northern Shan and Rakhine States
Case Study
The use of Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) in Myanmar dates to 2008, with the first CVA emergency response to Cyclone Nargis. By 2020, more than one million people received a total of 35.6 million USD worth of CVA, distributed by 63 organisations nationwide. Even so, government acceptance of CVA was not...
Social Protection as an Enabler in Scaling up Forecast-based Financing using Impact-based Forecasting
Report
This paper serves as an introductory brief for understanding the potential of social protection (SP) systems to be used as Forecast-based Financing (FbF) mechanisms in Asia Regional Resilience to a Changing Climate (ARRCC) countries. FbF helps to facilitate cash-based early actions prior to shocks using...
Role of International Organisations in promoting localisation agenda: case study of social protection in South Sudan
Presentation
Humanitarian organizations have been constantly aiming to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of response. Standards, codes and frameworks have evolved. Still, long lasting dichotomy has plagued international humanitarian architecture. In recent times, there have been growing realization for the need to...
Toolbox – Linking Humanitarian CVA and Social Protection
Guidelines and Tools
Finding the right information about linking social protection to CVA can be challenging; there are simply so many materials to select from. This toolbox makes that work easier, bringing together a key set of 150+ practical resources, guidance and templates all in one place. The resources are sourced...
Linking Forecast-based Financing and Social Protection: Why should national societies care?
Report
This advocacy brief aims to provide National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies with an overview of how linking Forecast-based Financing (FbF) and social protection (SP) approaches can help in early action and preparedness. It showcases examples from National Societies in Kenya, Malawi and the...
Livelihoods Capacity and Needs Assessment of Vulnerable Households in the Gaza Strip
Report
Throughout 2019 to 2021, Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe in Gaza has collaborated with the Palestine Association for Education and Environmental Protection (PAEEP), a registered local non-profit organization. To further expand the evidence base for the design
of future projects, Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe and...
Responding to Shocks Using Social Protection: Principles and a Framework for NGOs
Guidelines and Tools
This overview provides an initial operational framework to guide decision-making as NGOs engage with SP systems and programmes. It outlines key guiding principles and specifies the value-add of NGOs engaging with systems of SP. It aims to complement and balance the considerable existing work aimed at,...
Sahel Adaptive Social Protection Trust Fund: Linking humanitarian cash assistance and national social protection systems – Senegal case study
Case Study
The Sahel Adaptive Social Protection Programme (SASPP) aims to help poor and vulnerable households become more resilient to the effects of climate change, and to expand the reach of shock-responsive cash transfer programmes in six Sahel countries: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal....
Oxfam’s humanitarian social protection approaches in the context of COVID-19
Report
A learning brief illustrating how responses can strengthen social protection systems
Armenia Cash Transfer Standard Operating Procedures to support Government-led cash based programmes
Report
The sub-working group on humanitarian cash transfer programming, within the UN Coordination Steering Group, gathers more than 20 organizations – comprising UN agencies, humanitarian NGOs and development partners. The group is working together to develop common and aligned approaches to cash-based...
SPACE Adaptive social protection and decentralisation: a conceptual framework
Guidelines and Tools
The purpose of this paper is to provide an entry point for discussion of -and practical engagement with- the potential for linking the Adaptive Social Protection and Decentralisation agendas, in the first instance by technicians and practitioners within the German Development Cooperation. The need to...
Market-Based Programming in Wash – Technical guidance for humanitarian practitioners
Guidelines and Tools
The purpose of this document is to provide practical guidance on market-based programming (MBP) in humanitarian WASH responses. This guidance is intended for: Humanitarian WASH practitioners Cash and markets practitioners Humanitarian business support teams supporting WASH programmes WASH Cluster/Sector...
SPACE Framework for shifting bilateral programmes to local actors
Guidelines and Tools
This document presents an initial framing developed to support analysis of separation of functions, Value for Money and risk, to help facilitate a shift from UN/INGO led programmes, to locally-led models that draw on the complementarities between UN, INGO and LNO key strengths. It also reports on the...
SPACE Direct support to local actors: considerations for donors
Guidelines and Tools
The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the critical role of local actors, including governments, and local and national NGOs, in the design and delivery of programming. Movement restrictions and a rapid scale-up of humanitarian and social protection assistance to new populations have driven a greater focus...
Exploring Self-Reliance at the Humanitarian-Development Nexus: A Longer-Term Review of MPCA Outcomes
Report
Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) is provided to extremely socio-economically vulnerable individuals to alleviate financial hardship. In Iraq, MPCA is intended to act as temporary consumption support so that households may eventually be linked with social protection assistance or return to...
Changing the mindset – turning theory into practice: Incorporating gender-sensitivity into linked humanitarian cash and social protection interventions
Members event
This is one of a series of webinars organised by the Grand Bargain Cash Sub Group, co-led by IFRC, UNICEF and FCDO to engage humanitarian actors with social protection by exploring the linkages between the two agendas and the design and implementation of Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA).
We Don’t Do a Lot for Them Specifically
Report
Cash based assistance is a large part of government and NGO responses to social protection needs during the COVID-19 crisis. But is this assistance reaching people with diverse SOGIESC (aka LGBTIQ+ people). There are clear needs, borne of systemic discrimination, including loss of informal sector work,...
We Don’t Do a Lot for Them Specifically – Quick Guide
Report
How to promote better nutrition through social assistance – A guidance note
Guidelines and Tools
This guidance is intended to inform the design or adaptation of the following social assistance interventions to make them more nutrition-sensitive (see Box 1): cash transfers, cash-plus, in-kind transfers, school feeding, and public works programmes.