Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA)
Final Evaluation of Jordanian Community Development Support Program
This evaluation assessed the Jordanian Community Development and Support Program (JCDSP), which aimed to enhance the socio-economic well-being and quality of life for Jordanian host community members, especially for Jordanian women and young women and men (ultimate outcome). The Program was delivered by CARE Canada and CARE International in Jordan in two phases. Phase 1 spanned three years, from 2014 to 2017, and lent assistance to meet the most critical needs of vulnerable populations from communities in Irbid, Mafraq, Zarqa, and East Amman. Its objective was to augment and supplement overwhelmed government services brought on by the large scale migration of Syrian refugees within these four target communities. The Program’s second phase, lasting 18 months (April 2018 to September 2019), responded to the longer term challenges and opportunities as more and more of the Syrian refugees made the decision to permanently settle in these communities. Under this phase, the Program shifted focus from humanitarian assistance to women’s economic empowerment, social cohesion and safety net enhancements. Accordingly, under this second phase, only two out of the three intermediate outcomes were maintained. As part of the shut-down process of the Program, CARE Canada and CARE International commissioned this summative evaluation to look at the success and challenges derived from this process. Through the collection of primarily qualitative data and augmented with data collected by the Program, this evaluation: 1. Assessed the degree to which the program has achieved its outcome results (impact) and the relative relevance, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of program activities to generate these outcome results as per the Program’s theory of change; and 2. Provide insight, analysis and recommendations to CARE Jordan, and the CARE federation regarding the strengths and challenges of the programming to inform and improve future programming. Read More...
Gender, Cash Assistance, and Conflict: Gendered Protection Implications of Cash and Voucher Assistance in Somalia/Somaliland
Protection issues are multi-dimensional in Somalia and Somaliland. Vulnerability is as much about physical violence as it is about drought and chronic food insecurity. The challenges that Somalia, Somaliland, and Puntland face can be roughly categorized into (a) environmental, or climate related, and (b) human-made crises. The recurring droughts of 2016 and 2017 left 5.4 million people in need of assistance and protection. Climate-related emergencies and increased violence with the rise of al-Shabaab and other violent non-state actors has led to migration internally and externally. Conflict shapes gender and protection issues across the region, increasing vulnerability, particularly for already marginalized groups like women, the disabled, and minority clans. The effects of conflict are not homogenous nor evenly distributed. Those living in the central and southern areas of Somalia have been particularly affected by the consequences of war, whereas those in the northeast (Somaliland) have experienced relative peace for almost a decade.
This study followed a five-phase empirical strategy that relied heavily on a multi-method approach. This empirical strategy involved the collection of original qualitative and quantitative data collected in Somaliland, Puntland, and Nairobi. Supplementing this primary data was a rigorous review of project data, ACLED violence datasets, and academic and practitioner literature. Issues which may not have strongly impacted the selected data collection locations— communities in Sool and Mudug—may in fact be some of the most prominent and challenging protection issues throughout Somalia and Somaliland as a whole. A structured review of primary data against the background of secondary data mitigates selection bias, whereby research findings are merely an artifact of the sample chosen to study. In a place like Somalia/land where there are high numbers internally displaced communities, the impact of violence—including gendered violence—is mobile, following survivors as they move from less secure areas to those that are more secure. Read More...
This study followed a five-phase empirical strategy that relied heavily on a multi-method approach. This empirical strategy involved the collection of original qualitative and quantitative data collected in Somaliland, Puntland, and Nairobi. Supplementing this primary data was a rigorous review of project data, ACLED violence datasets, and academic and practitioner literature. Issues which may not have strongly impacted the selected data collection locations— communities in Sool and Mudug—may in fact be some of the most prominent and challenging protection issues throughout Somalia and Somaliland as a whole. A structured review of primary data against the background of secondary data mitigates selection bias, whereby research findings are merely an artifact of the sample chosen to study. In a place like Somalia/land where there are high numbers internally displaced communities, the impact of violence—including gendered violence—is mobile, following survivors as they move from less secure areas to those that are more secure. Read More...
Cash and Voucher Assistance that Works for Women: 6 Lessons from the Field
A brief summary from a multi-country study on "what does gender-sensitive cash and voucher assistance look like?".
The study adopted a user-centric approach to data collection. This ensured consistent reflection with crisis-affected people throughout the process and increased our ability to capture complexity and enhance accountability. Read More...
The study adopted a user-centric approach to data collection. This ensured consistent reflection with crisis-affected people throughout the process and increased our ability to capture complexity and enhance accountability. Read More...
What Does Gender-Sensitive Cash and Voucher Assistance Look Like?
CARE is committed to being “cash ready” to achieve breakthroughs for women and girls in its cash and voucher assistance (CVA) and to convene other stakeholders on the gendered aspects of CVA. Building that commitment, CARE commissioned a study on gender-sensitive CVA from its own project participants. The study aimed at understanding the:
- Extent to which women, men, boys, and girls have been involved in the design of CVA and the implications of this involvement.
- Potential for CVA to foster positive and sustainable gender roles and relations that contribute to gender equity.
- Gender-related barriers and risks associated with collecting and receiving CVA including social and cultural
attitudes and protection risks. Read More...
- Extent to which women, men, boys, and girls have been involved in the design of CVA and the implications of this involvement.
- Potential for CVA to foster positive and sustainable gender roles and relations that contribute to gender equity.
- Gender-related barriers and risks associated with collecting and receiving CVA including social and cultural
attitudes and protection risks. Read More...
The Gendered Dimension of Multi-Purpose Cash Supporting Disaster Resilience (Arabic)
In 2017, in response to the mounting humanitarian crisis in Yemen, CARE Yemen and Action Contra la Faim (ACF) implemented a cash transfer program and community asset rehabilitation and skill building programing in the governorates of Abyan and Amran. This European Union (EU)-funded program integrated these interventions to enhance resilience building at household and community levels.
The overall objective of this study is to assess the impact of the Multi-Purpose Cash (MPC) on the resilience of households targeted by the program, with a focus on the experiences of female-headed households, their challenges with increasing their resilience, and barriers that male-headed households do not face. Read More...
The overall objective of this study is to assess the impact of the Multi-Purpose Cash (MPC) on the resilience of households targeted by the program, with a focus on the experiences of female-headed households, their challenges with increasing their resilience, and barriers that male-headed households do not face. Read More...
Are there gendered impacts to multi-purpose cash transfers intended to build resilience?
STARTING IN 2017 CARE YEMEN, in partnership with Action Contre la Faim (ACF), implemented a European Union (EU) consortium-funded resilience program in Abyan and Amran governorates. The project used a “Cash Plus” approach, combining ten monthly multi-purpose cash (MPC) transfers with the rehabilitation of vital community assets and livelihoods skills support. The program focused on previously underserved areas to enhance food and nutrition security, promote livelihood recovery and resilience of vulnerable
households, and stimulate local markets. Both interventions were deliberately integrated to enhance resilience building at the household and community levels.
See full evaluation here: http://careevaluations.org/evaluation/the-gendered-dimension-of-multi-purpose-cash-supporting-disaster-resilience/ Read More...
households, and stimulate local markets. Both interventions were deliberately integrated to enhance resilience building at the household and community levels.
See full evaluation here: http://careevaluations.org/evaluation/the-gendered-dimension-of-multi-purpose-cash-supporting-disaster-resilience/ Read More...
The Gendered Dimension of Multi-Purpose Cash Supporting Disaster Resilience
In 2017, in response to the mounting humanitarian crisis in Yemen, CARE Yemen and Action Contra la Faim (ACF) implemented
a cash transfer program and community asset rehabilitation and skill building programing in the governorates of Abyan
and Amran. This European Union (EU)-funded program integrated these interventions to enhance resilience building at
household and community levels.
The overall objective of this study is to assess the impact of the Multi-Purpose Cash (MPC) on the resilience of households
targeted by the program, with a focus on the experiences of female-headed households, their challenges with increasing
their resilience, and barriers that male-headed households do not face. Read More...
a cash transfer program and community asset rehabilitation and skill building programing in the governorates of Abyan
and Amran. This European Union (EU)-funded program integrated these interventions to enhance resilience building at
household and community levels.
The overall objective of this study is to assess the impact of the Multi-Purpose Cash (MPC) on the resilience of households
targeted by the program, with a focus on the experiences of female-headed households, their challenges with increasing
their resilience, and barriers that male-headed households do not face. Read More...
Cash support for vulnerable families affected by the Mosul Crisis
Recent crises and armed conflict resulted in destruction of productive assets, poverty, diminished livelihoods and incomes and dysfunctional infrastructure, particularly in West Mosul that was the epicenter of the IS conflict. With an overall objective to reduce vulnerability and strengthen the resilience of conflict affected households in Iraq, unconditional cash assistance was applied by the German Foreign Funding Office (GFFO) supported project to meet the beneficiary’s needs running from 15th January through 31st December 2018. The project reached a total of 1,075 families (6,403 individuals) through 6 rounds of un-conditional, multi-purpose cash transfers delivered to residents of Al-Shifaa, Al-Iqtsadein and 17 Al-Tammuz Neighborhoods in West Mosul.
In coordination with the local government in West Mosul, the Cash Working Group (CWG) and development actors in Mosul, CARE conducted a Rapid Needs Assessment (RNA) in Al-Iqtsadein and Al- Shifaa neighborhood on 12th March 2018. Following the project extension and budget top-up later in August 2018, the project expanded to now cover vulnerable families in 17 Al-Tamuz neighborhood in West Mosul. The neighborhood had unmet needs with no other humanitarian agency implementing cash projects. Using the socio-economic vulnerability criteria developed by the CWG (see Annex 1), CARE conducted a vulnerability assessment from 12-18th March 2018, interviewing 666 households. From this figure 294 eligible households in 17 Al-Tamuz neighborhood were supported with multipurpose cash. Read More...
In coordination with the local government in West Mosul, the Cash Working Group (CWG) and development actors in Mosul, CARE conducted a Rapid Needs Assessment (RNA) in Al-Iqtsadein and Al- Shifaa neighborhood on 12th March 2018. Following the project extension and budget top-up later in August 2018, the project expanded to now cover vulnerable families in 17 Al-Tamuz neighborhood in West Mosul. The neighborhood had unmet needs with no other humanitarian agency implementing cash projects. Using the socio-economic vulnerability criteria developed by the CWG (see Annex 1), CARE conducted a vulnerability assessment from 12-18th March 2018, interviewing 666 households. From this figure 294 eligible households in 17 Al-Tamuz neighborhood were supported with multipurpose cash. Read More...
Business-Based Solutions in Humanitarian Crises: Lessons from Zimbabwe
In response to heightened food insecurity in Zimbabwe, Crown Agents and CARE, through the Grain Trade Market Facility, utilised existing market structures to avoid a potentially devastating food disaster. Using innovative solutions that brought together both the public and private sectors the programme ensured that people could meet their basic food needs through mobile money transfers. Utilising private sector systems increased access to funds and guaranteed market demand. This improved the availability of grain nationwide, maintained price stability and ensured vulnerable households were able to meet their basic food needs. Read More...