Research: The State of Humanitarian Cash and Voucher Assistance in the Americas 2018-2023

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The CALP Network is a dynamic global network engaged in the critical areas of policy, practice and research in humanitarian cash and voucher assistance (CVA) and financial assistance more broadly.

What makes CALP unique is its diversity. CALP members currently include local and international non-governmental organizations, United Nations agencies, the Red Cross/Crescent Movement, donors, specialist social innovation, technology and financial services companies, researchers and academics, and individual practitioners.

Together we seek to better meet the needs and improve the outcomes for people affected by crisis. To do this we ensure that CVA is a central, scalable component of quality, timely and appropriate humanitarian assistance, and that the need to sustain positive outcomes for people over the longer term is considered.

We envision a future where people are enabled to overcome crises with dignity, by exercising choice and their right to self-determination. This helps to sustain their well-being over time.

To do this we catalyze the power, knowledge and capacities of our diverse global network, alongside other local, national, regional, and global actors, all of whom are seeking to secure better outcomes for people living in crisis contexts. Our role as a collective is to generate alignment in the approaches and actions of those within and across our network to help optimize the quality and scale of humanitarian CVA.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

OVERVIEW

CALP seeks to conduct a review of the state of humanitarian CVA in the Americas from 2018-2023. The review process will include an interactive online event where CALP’s network can contribute to the final report, particularly looking at the way forward in the humanitarian community.

CONSULTANCY RATIONALE

The State of the World’s Cash 2023 report shows that while the use of CVA is continuing to grow as a percentage of international humanitarian assistance, the pace of growth is slowing. While CVA now accounts for 21% of international humanitarian assistance it could account for up to 50% if used wherever appropriate. Importantly, evidence also shows that CVA is the preferred form of assistance by most people in crisis and so increasing the use of CVA is, at heart, a people centered issue as well meeting the efficiency and effectiveness ambitions of donors and implementing agencies.

A study in late 2022, showed that there is no simple way of increasing the use of CVA rather, there are a myriad of actions needed at all levels and by all actors involved. Among other factors, the study found that habits, organizational preference and inertia often stall change. At the same time, the State of the World’s Cash 2023 report highlights those myriad actions.

Although humanitarian CVA is not new to the Americas, its use at scale (i.e., meeting the needs of a sizable percentage of affected populations with CVA) and in various contexts throughout the region is a recent phenomenon. Haiti is the outlier in the region where CVA has been widely used for at least ten years. The three responses that propelled the growth humanitarian CVA across the region are recognized as the crisis in Venezuela, COVID-19 responses, and tropical storms Eta and Iota (November 2020).

With at least five years of widespread humanitarian CVA in the Americas, there is an opportunity to review the maturity of the use of the modalities, the tendencies, and where there needs to be more growth in the Americas.

The review will help stakeholders gain perspective, celebrate achievements, recognize, and build enablers, address barriers and challenges and provoke change. The review will also assist CALP to better support humanitarian action in the region (e.g., by convening forums to discuss findings and looks for solutions; share learning and examples of good practice, mobilize collective action on specific issues, and contribute examples to the updating of CALP training materials). Lastly, the review will make the experience and evidence on humanitarian CVA from the Americas more accessible to actors outside of the region, share examples that may be useful for thinking in other regions, and shine a light on the advancements on a global level.

Against this backdrop, CALP is commissioning a review covering the period of 2018-2023. The start date coincides with the formation of the regional response for Venezuela (R4V). A five-year span gives breadth and encompasses multiple funding cycles for different donors. The study will include the three sub-regions of Mexico and Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.

OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The main research question is:What progress has been made with humanitarian CVA in the Americas region from 2018-2023?

Specific questions

• What factors drive or enable the use of humanitarian CVA in the region (e.g., needs, preferences of recipients, types of people being targeted, expected outcomes, modalities available, access to financial service providers, type of organizations implementing etc.)? Are there major gaps in the programming based on the available literature?
• To what extent was humanitarian CVA visible in humanitarian response in the region during the period (i.e., CVA and non-CVA specific literature, humanitarian appeals, donor materials)?
• To what extent does the evidence point to the responses with CVA being people centered?
• How has locally led response been reflected in the responses using CVA?
• What innovations are coming out of the Americas related to ways of working?
• What are the key learnings and promising practices that are happening in the Americas with humanitarian CVA?
• Where is the Americas going with humanitarian CVA? What are the opportunities to scale the use of humanitarian CVA?
• What could be the main challenges and opportunities that actors in the region could face with humanitarian CVA in the next five years?

KEY DELIVERABLES / MILESTONES

The following are the final deliverables to be completed by the end of the consultancy, unless otherwise discussed and agreed upon by the Action Against Hunger-USA and Consultant:

• Deliverable 1: Inception report and data collection methodology: due 11 March 2024.
• Deliverable 2: First draft of report: due date 31 May 2024.
• Deliverable 3: Final approved report, data sets and online event: due date 5 July 2024; the final report should be no more than fifty pages including all annexes.

These are estimated dates and the exact timeframe for deliverable #1 and #2 will be decided with the consultant. The date for deliverable #3 is non-negotiable.

TENTATIVE TIMELINE & ACTIVITIES

This scope of work will cover approximately 30 days between the 16th of February and the of 5th July 2024.

Any additional days and/or modification of Start/End dates must be completed before additional work is commenced.

WORKPLAN/METHODOLOGY

Steps of the consultancy include:

• Discussions with the CALP team to set expectations.
• Desk review based on the documentation available (report, publications, studies, etc.) CALP will provide an initial list of key documents, key words, and lists of contexts (See Annexes).
• Engage periodically in CALP-led spaces to discuss research, progression, key findings and related decision making.
• Select key informant interviews once initial review is completed (CALP to help with the list),
• Participate in up to two online events to “ground truth” the study and construct recommendations with the CALP network (CALP to organize and convene).
• Elaboration of a draft and final report. CALP will provide its style guide which the consultant must use for citations and terms.
• Monthly meetings with CALP staff to follow up on activities and to provide feedback.

MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS

This consultant will report directly to the Responsible Manager, listed above, who will be responsible for approving deliverable(s) and invoice(s). The Americas Deputy Regional Representative will provide additional technical support.

Action Against Hunger is a host of the CALP Network; we are a U.S.-based organization, and as such must comply with U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules and regulations. If you are selected for the consultant work, and choose to work with Action Against Hunger USA, you must provide the proper IRS form to determine your tax status either with a W-9 form or W-8 form, depending on your tax situation. Please visit www.IRS.gov for more information. Any tax questions should be directed to your tax advisor. Contracts and payments are dependent upon receipt of the signed IRS form. Payment of Invoices is net 30 days. Additional details are provided in the service contract. There are no travel costs associated with this contract.

Applications from anywhere where are welcome just note that the selected consultant is required to complete the U.S. tax forms stated above.

Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the consultant may be required to sit for extended periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames. Must be able to proofread own work accurately so that only minor corrections are needed on an infrequent basis.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a consultant to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

• Must provide own computer, internet, software, and other basic office supplies required to complete the duties for this consultancy.
• Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as needed or required by contact with the Project Team or other partners.

MINIMUM DETAILS IN APPLICATION

For this piece of work, CALP is looking for the following expertise:

• Good understanding of current humanitarian CVA Americas; experience working the region preferred.
• Knowledge of global CVA trends.
• The ability to communicate technical subject matter (in oral and written forms) to people with varying technical knowledge/skills and from different educational and cultural backgrounds.
• Experience in leading online learning events.
• Consultant(s) must be fluent in Spanish and English; spoken and reading ability of French is highly desired.
• Excellent research skills including the capacity to collect and analyze large quantities of information and identify critical trends and findings.
• Excellent writing skills that are succinct and accessible.

**Note that this report can be written in Spanish or English with a strong preference for Spanish.

How to apply

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS AND PROCESS

Expressions of Interest should include:

• Technical proposal explaining why this is important and how your work will make it engaging and interesting for the intended users (maximum four pages).
• Financial proposals (maximum one page) based on a daily rate quoted in USD only.
• CV(s) of consultant(s) indicating who is the lead consultant and expected contract holder; and
• An example of previous work (preferably written in Spanish if proposing to draft this report in Spanish, otherwise in English).

All the items should be sent to hqprocurement@actionagainsthunger.org and holly.radice@calpnetwork.org no later than 11:59 Nairobi, 29 January 2024 with the subject line: “CALP Americas Study”.

Any additional clarifications on the consultancy should be addressed to holly.radice@calpnetwork.org.

This work will be made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of CALP and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.