Cash Working Groups: a preliminary mapping Global Cash Working Group Geneva, 4 February 2016 Picture: WFP
Background Brief overview of the state of cash working groups in emergency settings to stimulate discussion Short questionnaire and follow-up interview with CWG coordinators where available 29 crisis-affected countries and six regional hubs surveyed 20 country-based and three regional cash working groups provided inputs Varied in structure, function and focus, but common themes and challenges
Where are country-based cash working groups active? Of the 30 crisis-affected countries surveyed, 22 had some form of active cash working group, although these varied significantly. Of the eight countries surveyed who do not currently have an active cash working group, five are actively exploring the creation of such a group. Active cash working group Nepal Myanmar Philippines Jordan Iraq Lebanon opt N Syria (from Turkey) Chad DRC Liberia Sierra Leone Mali Burkina Faso Mauritania Nigeria Somalia (temporarily integrated into West Africa Regional group) Ukraine Afghanistan Pakistan South Sudan CAR No CWG but exploring Niger Cameroon Sudan Fiji feasibility study under way Ethiopia plan to establish CWG in second quarter 2016 No CWG, not exploring Cote d Ivoire Colombia Eritrea
Active Country-based Cash Working groups 4
Regional cash working groups Of the six regional hubs surveyed, three had active cash working groups led by CaLP Asia, East Africa and West Africa. Regional hubs serve the function of providing technical support and quality assurance to country-based CWGs in their regions, and sharing best practice from the regional and global levels. Dedicated CaLP capacity to strengthen cash programming across the region. These CWGs expressed frustration with the ad hoc nature of cash coordination in their regions and highlighted challenges with linking cash assistance with government social protection systems.
How long have cash working groups been active? Most of the groups have been established recently, with 5 of the 20 groups surveyed having been established in their current form in the last year. Somalia s cash working group is the longest standing, established in 2008, The first meeting of Nigeria s Cash Working Group in its current form was held in November 2015. Ethiopia is forming a cash working group which will meet in the second quarter of 2016.
Evolution over time There has been a significant scaling-up in cash-based programming over the past 12 months, especially multipurpose. Guidance on how this should be harmonized, how technical standards should be assured and how lessons should be learned have not been forthcoming. Two broad trends: 1) Technical-> strategic 2) Focus food security -> multisector Picture: CAFOD
(1) What are the structures/ models? Less institutionalized (no seat at HCT/ICCG, NGO-led, smaller membership) More technical Jordan Bangladesh opt Sierra Leone More strategic DRC N Syria (evolving over time from a technical to a strategic group) Somalia More institutionalized (including government and private sector, clearly linked to existing architecture) Chad Mali South Sudan Liberia Ukraine Yemen Myanmar Nepal Pakistan Philippines Iraq Afghanistan
(2) What are the structures/ models? Under food security cluster opt South Sudan Pakistan Yemen Chad Burkina Faso Formerly under food security cluster Yemen Afghanistan Nigeria Liberia (formerly under Early Recovery cluster) Independent multisectoral (within humanitarian architecture) Myanmar Ukraine Philippines Iraq (HRP chapter) Nepal N Syria Spontaneous, informal multisectoral groups (outside humanitarian architecture) Jordan Sierra Leone Mali Somalia DRC Lebanon (part of Basic Assistance WG)
Chairing and leadership NGO chair UN chair NGO/UN co-chair Rotating NGO/UN/Govern ment co-chair Bangladesh (Oxfam) Jordan (NRC) opt (ACF) Turkey (SCI) Chad (CRS/ Oxfam) Sierra Leone (ACDI/VOCA, SCI) Nigeria (CCFN/ CRS) Somalia (ADESO) Myanmar (WFP) South Sudan (WFP - ordinarily NGO-chaired) Lebanon (UNHCR) Philippines (OCHA, with rotating cochair) Ukraine (OCHA) Iraq (UNHCR/ MercyCorps) Yemen (WFP/ Oxfam) Burkina Faso (WFP, ACF) Afghanistan (WFP, NRC) Nepal Pakistan DRC Mali (WFP, Oxfam, Social protection ministry) Liberia (Government chair with support from UNDP)
Links with coordination architecture Officially represented at ICCG/ HCT Turkey (recent) Yemen Philippines Ukraine Nepal (ICCG now disbanded) Iraq Philippines (during emergency periods only) No ICCG seat but systematic reporting to HCT and ICCG through chair Burkina Faso Myanmar Pakistan Afghanistan DRC Ad-hoc reporting through attendees with an HCT/ Inter-Cluster seat Bangladesh Jordan opt Sierra Leone Somalia Mali
Interaction with Government Government regularly participates Philippines Lebanon Yemen Chad Mali Pakistan Sierra Leone Liberia Some government engagement Bangladesh Nepal opt Burkina Faso Afghanistan South Sudan Iraq No government engagement Myanmar Jordan Turkey Somalia South Sudan Ukraine DRC
Info sharing Technical guidance Harmonizing tools MEB Market monitoring Financial services mapping Testing innovation Links with development Advocacy Coordinating multipurpose cash Activity mapping (3W) Capacity building PS/ Govt interface Cash strategy Main activities and outputs Nepal X X X X X X Bangladesh X X Myanmar X X X X X X X X X X Philippines X X X X X X X X X Iraq X X X X X X X X X Jordan X X opt X X X N Syria X x X X X X x X x x X Yemen X X X X Chad X x X X X Sierra Leone X X X Liberia X X X Burkina Faso X X X X X Mali X X X X X Nigeria X X X X X DRC X X X X X X X X X South Sudan X X X X X X Somalia X X X X X X X X Afghanistan X X X X X X X X X X X Pakistan X X X Ukraine X X X X X X X X X
Funding Attendance Coordination with government Links with coordination architecture Information sharing Capacitybuilding Improving tools and guidance Advocacy financial delivery mechanisms Use of multipurpose cash Major Challenges Bangladesh X X X X X Nepal X X Myanmar X X X X X Philippines X X Iraq X X X X X Jordan X opt X N Syria X X x X Yemen X X X X X Liberia x x Sierra Leone X X Nigeria X X DRC X X X X X X Mali X Chad X X X X Somalia X X X X X South Sudan X X X X X Pakistan X X Afghanistan X X X Ukraine X X X X
Support needed Funding and IM capacity to support CWGs Guidance on use and coordination of multipurpose cash Best practice/ lessons from other context Standardized tools Advocacy with donors on engagement with eg ECHOfunded coalition of NGOs Guidance on role of private sector Guidance on linkages with development and social protection Support in better linking to existing coordination structures Support is being provided through CaLP s Regional Working Groups Picture: CaLP
Any reflections? Picture: OCHA