For several years, UNICEF has been working in the area of cash transfer programming as part of its global mandate to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities in order to achieve their full potential. UNICEF has been running several cash-based transfer programmes in both emergency and development contexts. It has been working to bridge the humanitarian-development nexus and strengthen the linkages between shock-responsive social protection and humanitarian cash transfer programming. Efforts to strengthen the synergies in recent years have contributed to increased availability of guidance documents, for example; however, opportunities to strengthen the organization of cash-based programming in emergencies remain.
This evaluation of UNICEF’s social protection programming in emergencies, focusing on the use of cash-based transfers, is carried out to respond to the prevailing need to provide reflections on UNICEF’s work on social protection in emergencies, particularly relevant in the absence of a comprehensive evaluation of programming of this kind within UNICEF.
The main purpose of this evaluation is twofold: (i) to understand what emergency cash transfer programmes with UNICEF inputs (financial and technical) work and under which circumstances, i.e. where, when, why, for who and how; and (ii) to identify how UNICEF can improve the effectiveness, impact and sustainability of its programming. In the long-run, this evidence will help UNICEF to improve the impact of cash transfers on vulnerable populations affected by emergencies, and to bridge the humanitarian-development nexus by strengthening linkages between developmental social protection and humanitarian cash-based transfers. Moreover, evidence on what works can serve to strengthen UNICEF’s global position in social protection in emergencies, and also enhance the capacity within UNICEF to design, deliver and coordinate these programmes.
Year Published | |
Type | |
Joint | No |
Partner/s | N/A |
Consultant name | |
Agency Focal Point | Sarah Capper |
Focal Point Email | scapper@unicef.org |
Managed by Independent Evaluation Office | No |
Geographic Scope | Country |
Country/ies |