Social Protection and Humanitarian Cash Assistance
The use of social protection systems to support vulnerable people is becoming increasingly common in developing countries, and can provide a channel through which cash transfer programming can be delivered in times of crisis. But to do so effectively will require increased coordination between humanitarian and development actors and a long term support.
What role can social protection systems play in responding to
humanitarian emergencies? (OPM – as part of the
DFID-funded Shock Responsive Social Protection research)
Why is this theme important?
Humanitarian crises are becoming more complex and severe, and increasingly protracted, cyclical, or both. At the same time, there has been growth in the number and scale of social protection programmes across many developing countries. Protracted and more frequent emergencies increase the need for better connections across humanitarian and development work. Where appropriate, it can be more effective and efficient to assist crisis-affected populations through social protection systems.
Cash transfers are a common means of providing social assistance, while their use in humanitarian aid is also increasing. Social protection systems are being used to deliver humanitarian cash assistance more and more, including building the capacity of systems to respond to shocks. CaLP’s State of the World's Cash Report notes that the case for linking humanitarian CTP with social protection systems is becoming clearer but requires long-term technical and strategic support. The increasing importance of this topic has been highlighted by its adoption as a new sub-workstream during the 2018 Grand Bargain Cash Workstream meeting.
What should progress look like in this area?
Social protection systems vary from country to country, so learning must be applied across contexts carefully. However, these common issues can guide progress:
- Further develop the evidence base on when and how it is appropriate to link humanitarian response to social protection systems. What improves efficiency and effectiveness in a given context and system?
- Develop the evidence base on when and how humanitarian programmes can contribute to strengthen social protection systems
- Improve coordination and opportunities for co-working between humanitarian and social protection stakeholders, both before and during crises. Determine which stakeholders should be involved, their roles and responsibilities, and the most effective spaces for cooperation in a given context
- Build the respective capacities of humanitarian and social protection practitioners to better work together
- Develop guidance for policy makers and practitioners on which contexts to prioritize and how best to design and implement programmes
Ongoing initiatives and news
OPM Shock Responsive Social Protection Systems
From 2015-2018 Oxford Policy Management (OPM), lead a UK DFID-funded research project on Shock Responsive Social Protection Systems with the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), CaLP and INASP. The study aimed to strengthen the evidence base as to when and how social protection systems can better scale up in response to shocks in low-income countries and fragile and conflict-affected states (FCAS).
The project produced a wide range of outputs, including: an infographic on ways to adapt social protection systems for humanitarian crises; a literature review of publications on shock responsive social protection systems; and a synthesis report of the consolidated findings from the research, and a toolkit (see Tools & Guidelines section on this page). In depth case studies, reviews, policy briefs and translations can be found here. You can also join the online community on Social Protection in Crisis Contexts on Socialprotection.org.
Please contact Valentina Barca of OPM, at valentina.barca@opml.co.uk if you have any questions.
CaLP
Recent and ongoing CaLP initiatives on this topic include:
- Learning Event in West Africa (April 2018): The link with national social protection systems: a recap of our Sahel learning event.
- Publication of the case study Meeting Food Needs in the Sahel Through Government Cash Transfers: The Experience of Senegal
- Developing a Learning Agenda for the MENA Region: In collaboration with the Regional Social Protection Working Group, CaLP has started work to help coordinate the development of a learning agenda on linking humanitarian assistance and social protection.
- CaLP Scoping Exercise: To determine how best to contribute and add value to wider work on this topic, CaLP has undertaken a light touch scoping exercise to explore and analyse these issues. Outputs from this will be used to inform future planning.
Learn more
Training Courses & Materials
CTP and Social Protection Part 1: Linking Humanitarian CTP and Social Protection - an Introduction.
Available in English French and coming soon in Arabic.
CTP and Social Protection Part 2: Designing CTPs that are Linked to Social Protection.
Available in English and coming soon in French and Arabic
Social Protection and CTP
A 1.5-day face to face training course developed by CaLP, available in English
Please log in to Kaya to access these courses.
Various courses on social protection, including both on-line and face to face courses, can be accessed through the Virtual Campus at socialprotection.org
Evidence & Other Resources
- Human(itarian) Capital? Lessons on Better Connecting Humanitarian Assistance and Social Protection (Ugo Gentilini, Sarah Laughton and Clare O’Brien)
- The Role of Cash Transfers in Social Protection, Humanitarian Response and Shock-Responsive Social Protection (IDS Working Paper – Keetie Roelen, Rachel Sabates-Wheeler)
- Social Protection and Humanitarian Response: What is the Scope for Integration? (Martina Ulrichs and Rachel Sabates-Wheeler)
- Workshop On Evidence On Social Protection in Contexts of Fragility and Forced Displacement (Unicef Innocenti – June 2018)
- The State of Social Safety Nets 2018 (World Bank)
- Bridging Humanitarian Responses and Long-Term Development through Transformative Changes—Some Initial Reflections from the World Bank’s Adaptive Social Protection Program in the Sahel
- UNHCR Mapping of Social Safety Nets for Refugees
- The World Bank’s Ugo Gentilini publishes a weekly review of the latest social protection evidence and resources. Access this here
How to: Tools & Guidelines
- Working with cash-based safety nets in humanitarian contexts. Guidance note for humanitarian practitioners (CaLP)
- Shock Responsive Social Protection Systems Toolkit (Oxford Policy Management)
News & discussion
- Three takeaways from the ECOSOC-HAS discussion on linking cash transfers with social protection systems (CaLP Blog)
The D-Group discussion responding to the blog can be found here - Rethinking humanitarian aid: A call for humanitarian social protection (UNU_MERIT)
- Beyond cash transfers: Social protection in fragile contexts (capacity4dev.eu)
- Shock protection: Linking humanitarian aid and social protection (capacity4dev.eu)
- Development Pathways runs a series of blogs of the topic of social protection, accessible here
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