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
SPACE Economics of Early Response and Resilience to COVID-19: Ethiopia
Guidelines and Tools
The 2013 and 2018 Economics of Early Response and Resilience (TEERR) studies demonstrated the significant economic gains of investing in a more proactive response to crises. The first study was funded by DFID in 2013, followed by a more in-depth analysis in 2018 with USAID in three countries – Ethiopia,...
Millennial Cities
Guidelines and Tools
View the resource here: https://millennialcities.com/interactive-data-tools/ Millennial Cities is an interactive web mapping site that provides access to important maps, data, and web mapping applications related to climate change, social justice, the environment, and more. The purpose of including these...
SPACE Linking Humanitarian & Social Protection Information Systems in the COVID-19 Response And Beyond
Guidelines and Tools
This note provides a background briefing and five key questions for humanitarian programme staff to consider when making decisions regarding the use of their Information Systems in COVID-19 responses, and beyond. It focuses in particular on contexts of transition from humanitarian to longer-term,...
SPACE Guidance for Framing Case Studies on Social Protection Responses to COVID-19
Guidelines and Tools
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the important role of social protection approaches in response to large covariate shocks. There is a lot to be learned from countries’ collective experience, including documenting what has happened to date and what this implies for the future. Even before more...
Cameroon: Country mapping – large scale cash transfers for COVID-19 response
Report
A rapid exploratory review aiming to identify recommendations for strengthening linkages between humanitarian cash and voucher assistance and national social protection mechanisms.
Ep. 4. How to link social protection and humanitarian CVA: What do we really know and where to start?
Podcast
In this episode of the CashCast, we explore how to Link Social Protection and Humanitarian Cash and Voucher Assistance.
SPACE Useful COVID-19 and Social Protection Materials
Guidelines and Tools
This is a living document tracking relevant COVID-19 and Social Protection Materials.
SPACE Social Protection Approaches to COVID-19: Expert advice helpline
Guidelines and Tools
Countries across the globe are using or adapting social protection systems and programmes, including labour market policies and social insurance schemes, as well as humanitarian cash assistance, to respond to the range of immediate and medium-term impacts of COVID-19. Getting assistance to those who need...
SPACE Social Protection and Humanitarian Cash and Food Responses to COVID-19: Needs, Coverage, and Gaps
Guidelines and Tools
The direct economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns are leading more people into poverty and hunger. Estimates to date on the impact of COVID-19 on poverty and food security are an important first step towards understanding the potential scale of need. However, they are mainly...
Haiti Country Mapping: Large-Scale Cash Transfers for COVID-19
Report
As COVID-19 impacts on health, livelihoods, and well-being of all people around the world, the UN Under Secretary General – Emergency Relief Coordinator called on international community for a recovery package of USD90 Bn necessary to support 700 million extremely vulnerable people around the world. In...
Somalia: Country mapping – Large Scale Cash Transfers for COVID-19 Response
Case Study
This is a rapid country review aiming to identify the best ways to fast-delivery of these cash transfers by: (i) prioritising reasonably actionable measures to channel the available aid towards the most in need, and (ii) identifying a better modus operandi for an articulated humanitarian and development...
SPACE The Potential Role of Economic Inclusion Programmes to Respond to Those Affected by COVID-19
Guidelines and Tools
COVID-19 is accentuating the risks facing an increasing number of poor and vulnerable individuals and households in a myriad of ways. As the effects of the crisis evolve, many actors are considering whether and how to complement social assistance measures with additional inputs, components and linkages...
SPACE Programming Options: ‘Cash Plus’ Approaches in the Response to COVID-19
Guidelines and Tools
It is important to consider interventions that go beyond transferring cash or vouchers and to consider a range of complementary interventions that can be implemented alongside cash transfers. This not only provides the opportunity to maximise the benefits of the cash itself but enables a more...
SPACE Value for Money of Social Protection and Humanitarian Cash Transfers in the Context of COVID-19
Guidelines and Tools
Social protection and humanitarian cash responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have emerged globally within the last few months, with more responses to come as the early phases of lockdowns have in many places been replaced with the beginnings of L-shaped recessions and on-going extreme economic hardship for...
SPACE Identifying Practical Options for Linking Humanitarian Assistance and Social Protection in the COVID-19 Response
Guidelines and Tools
This short note examines the relationship between the humanitarian assistance sector and the routine social protection sector in response to COVID-19. Whilst a variety of guidance is being developed to support humanitarian practitioners around the response to the pandemic, less material exists that guides...
SPACE Preparing for Future Shocks: Priority Actions for Social Protection Practitioners in the Wake of COVID-19
Guidelines and Tools
The purpose of this brief is to help social protection actors think through potential options/strategies to strengthen the preparedness of social protection systems to respond to future shocks. The responses to COVID-19 have highlighted the stark limitations of many social protection systems, particularly...
SPACE Social protection for older people during COVID-19 and beyond
Guidelines and Tools
This document provides information and guidance on social protection and older people, with a focus on pensions to cushion the economic impacts of COVID-19. It is intended as an advisory for people involved in planning and delivering social protection support for older people across a range of contexts....
SPACE Strengthening Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) During the Implementation of Social Protection Responses to COVID-19
Guidelines and Tools
The aim of this document is to highlight the key gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) considerations to be considered in the implementation of social protection, with a specific focus on cash transfers, in response to COVID-19. It provides guidance on how to ensure that the delivery of programmes...
Stepping up CVA with COVID-19: Paving the way we respond to future crisis
Report
COVID-19 has thrown the world into lockdown and taken a tremendous toll on the health, social, and economic status of vulnerable communities, households, and individuals. Limitations on daily activities and an over-arching health crisis, restrictions on movement, closures of schools and businesses have...
The Provision of Cash and Voucher Assistance in the Response to the Venezuela Refugee and Migrant Crisis: Findings and lessons learned – Main report
Report
This study, for which data was compiled between March and April 2020, seeks to document lessons and good practices in the delivery of CVA in Ecuador and Colombia by humanitarian organisations and governments, in response to migrants and refugees from Venezuela. The purpose of this analysis is...
