This report explores the opportunities cash presents to catalyze change in the humanitarian system examining CVA's journey and highlighting its potential to drive positive change CVA is arguably the most impactful change in the humanitarian system over the past two decades delivering choice and dignity to millions in crisis suggests that its full transformative potential is at risk This report delves into CVA’s “unfinished business” and its role in enabling choice and dignity for crisis-affected people The humanitarian system faces mounting pressures: These challenges necessitate a systemic approach to change exploring both incremental changes within the existing system and transformational pathways that reimagine humanitarian aid This report examines two pathways for change: This report analyzes CALP’s contributions to systems change and proposes opportunities for its future role This report serves as a call to action for CALP and its members to embrace systems change ensuring that CVA delivers on its promise of choice and dignity for all people in crisis It urges CALP to navigate the complex dynamics of the humanitarian ecosystem promoting both incremental and transformational change to create a more just and equitable future for humanitarian aid Head of Network Development RegionsGlobal Dan February 26, 2025Agri-Business, Education, Event The California Agricultural Leadership Program (CALP) is accepting applications for its class 55 targeting mid-career professionals in agriculture The theme this year is “Collaborating from Peaks to Plains.” Tickets can be purchased online at ColoradoAgForum.com for an early-bird price of $160 Students and Colorado Ag Leadership Program alumni have an opportunity to purchase at a discounted rate “The class is working hard to bring speakers who embody the theme of “Collaborating from Peaks to Plains including our keynote and general session speakers Randy Frazier of Arkansas and The Farm Babe; Michelle Miller,” said CALP Executive Director CALP is excited continue their partnership with the Butterfly Pavilion where the pre-forum reception will be hosted on Feb More information can be found at ColoradoAgForum.com Follow us on Facebook @coloradoagforum to be the first to know about speakers as they are confirmed — Colorado Agricultural Leadership Program — World Beef Expo is pleased to announce that they will be paying $35,000 in cash prizes at the 30th Anniversary World Beef Expo Junior Market Steer Breed Show and the Junior Crossbred Market Animal Show will each pay out a total of $4,000 to the Top […] — The 2022 Colorado’s Electric Cooperatives Junior Livestock Sale held yesterday at the Colorado State Fair raised more than $491,000 in the auction of 139 animals raised and shown by young people from across Colorado DENVER — The Colorado FFA Foundation is pleased to announce three inductees representing Colorado politics water and agricultural advocacy into the Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame Jerry Sonnenberg (Sterling) and Ben Rainbolt (Platteville) will all be formally honored and inducted into the Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame on February 23 Texas — Madalyn Richards ’25 was no stranger to the pressure of the rodeo arena she had faced countless nerve-wracking moments before her final run at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper a rare sense of nervousness washed over her It was an unusual feeling for someone who […] NCBA Warns Cattle Producers That Corporate Transparency Act Reporting Requirements Will Return First-Of-Its-Kind Project to Improve Muscadine Grapes Be sure you have your GPS enabled and try again This document aims to contribute to our understanding of the similarities and differences of supporting community led response (sclr) and Group Cash Transfers (GCTs) This is an evolving space and not every practitioner will agree with every nuance presented Email: PSFS.Minister@gov.bc.ca math and digital skills will continue to benefit from access to free adult literacy programs throughout B.C The Province invests $3.4 million annually to support the Community Adult Literacy Program (CALP) CALP funding directly supports the delivery of adult family and Indigenous literacy programs that help people gain skills in basic literacy the CALP funding will support 102 literacy programs delivered by 71 providers in 132 communities across B.C community-based programs help learners gain the skills necessary to pursue job and educational opportunities access basic services and participate in their communities The programs are delivered by trained volunteers and offer one-on-one tutoring small-group classes and drop-in literacy support and the 2024-25 funding supports the second year of the current funding cycle (2023-25) the CALP served more than 5,275 core learners: More than 8,000 individuals also accessed literacy supports on a casual For more details about the Community Adult Literacy Program (scroll to bottom), visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/adult-education/adult-upgrading To see a list of the 2024-25 Community Adult Literacy Program funding recipients, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/CALP_Recipients.pdf View the Ministry's latest photos on Flickr Watch the Ministry's latest videos on YouTube All of them are public and are located in the town Next you have an index with all the points that we are going to deal with const height_div=document.querySelector('#indice_contenido').offsetHeight;jQuery(function(){var top_div=jQuery('#indice_contenido').offset().top;var total_div=parseInt(height_div)+parseInt(top_div);jQuery(window).scroll(function(){var scroll=total_div-jQuery(window).scrollTop();if(scroll The Azorín Infant and Primary School (CEIP) in Calp has been in operation since the 1980-81 academic year It has several buildings and the outdoor area is divided into a primary school playground See more information. CEIP Gabriel Miró is located in the Gargasindi district close to other educational centres in the town See more information. CEIP Mediterrani Calpe is a public educational centre It has 3 pre-school units and 6 primary education units See more information. Oltá is a Preschool and Primary School that offers support to the educational community at these levels It has 3 pre-school units and 11 primary units See more information. Δdocument.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()) Communication Mitjà subsidized by the Generalitat Valenciana Customize your consent preferences for cookie categories and advertising tracking preferences for the purposes and features and vendors below You can give your consent individually for each cookie category third party provider y Google advertising technology providerMost providers require explicit consent for processing personal data you have the right to object to their use of legitimate interest Necessary cookies are crucial for the basic functions of the website and the website will not function as intended without them These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities such as sharing website content on social media platforms Advertising cookies are used to deliver visitors personalized advertisements based on the pages they visited before and to analyze the effectiveness of the 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can be very useful for improving products and services as well as creating new ones based on user interactions This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers Content presented on this service may be based on limited data such as the website or application you are using or content you are interacting with (or have interacted with) (for example to limit the number of times you are presented with a particular video or article) Your data may be used to monitor and prevent unusual and potentially fraudulent activity (for example as well as to ensure that systems and processes operate correctly and securely it can be used to correct any problems that you the publisher/media outlet or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads The decisions you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to these entities in the form of digital signals (for example This is necessary to allow both this service and the entities to respect these preferences Your device may be distinguished from others based on the information it automatically sends when you access the Internet (for example the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes set out in this document your exact location (within a radius of less than 500 meters) may be used to support the purposes explained in this document Humanitarian cash assistance at a crossroads Unlocking the potential of cash assistance to meet people’s humanitarian needs will require greater effort and change The latest State of the World’s Cash report highlights that the volume of cash and voucher assistance has grown dramatically Providing people with Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) during disasters and emergencies means that they can decide for themselves how to meet their needs in the face of crises And a growing body of evidence supports the fact that people usually prefer to receive aid in this way The use of CVA has been widely hailed as a key component of more people-centred aid $7.9 billion dollars was transferred as cash or vouchers to crisis-affected people – a 41 % increase from the year before This is a huge change in humanitarian action given CVA as a form of humanitarian assistance is a relatively recent phenomenon CVA only gained attention in the wake of the 2004 Tsunami and then seeing a major increase in use following the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016 Karen Peachey explains some of the reason behind this growth; “One – people prefer it Cash in a crisis can mean the difference between getting what you want Two – humanitarian policies have gradually changed to support its increased usage it’s effective and can be rolled out relatively quickly and efficiently: which is why we saw so many governments and humanitarian agencies around the world turning to cash as a central part of their response during the COVID-19 pandemic.” looking at the growth of CVA in dollar terms alone doesn’t provide the full picture: It’s true that CVA volume has increased but so too has overall humanitarian assistance In percentage terms the growth does not look so impressive Currently CVA accounts for 21% of international humanitarian assistance research shows that if used whenever and wherever appropriate it could form up to 50% So why does CVA not make up a larger proportion of overall aid According to the report the answer lies in standing back and looking at the whole picture – the CVA ecosystem is large and complex – every percentage point increase in the use of CVA needs multiple changes within organisations there are changes needed between organisations – who does what how they work together and how they coordinate CVA is not an island – it exists as part of the wider humanitarian system which itself sits within financial all of which offer incentives as well as barriers to change What’s clear is that the use of CVA can increase as the response during COVID-19 demonstrated after the COVID-19 response its use slipped back – the reasons for that are harder to unpack Peachey continues; “The truth is that systemic change takes time After making the big commitments that offer a vision of change it’s then about changing mindsets across many teams and altering a myriad of systems and processes And this needs to happens not just in one organisation – but in every single organisation that makes up the humanitarian system Translating commitments into system wide change is not simple.” The report also offers solutions towards a more rapid and decisive growth in CVA stronger linkages between CVA and other forms of financial assistance offer the potential for greater efficiency and effectiveness help people to cope with crises and shocks invest in the health and education of their children The possibility to link CVA more closely to these mainstream systems represents huge opportunities for growth The report stresses that it’s not a simple ‘fix’ and won’t be appropriate in all situations but if investments are made this could lead to a break-through There are gains to be made in many other areas too the amount of money transferred to people in crisis) is not the only issue Improvements are also needed in terms of quality Peachey explains; *“It’s no good providing vouchers if people prefer cash or providing cash in a way people don’t like We need to be thinking more about quality from the perspective of people on the receiving end of assistance not just the metrics of organisations.” *The report highlights good practices around quality such as co-designing programmes alongside people in crisis and basing programme design on a robust understanding of the context It highlights that to reach the most vulnerable 20% of people CVA must be specifically tailored to meet their needs and help connect them with other services as required “There’s need for flexibility – a one-size-fits-all approach does not work As humanitarians we must remain willing to innovate and adapt programmes based on what crisis-affected people tell us There is so much good practice already out there the report sounds an alarm bell against the risk of complacency: There remains huge potential to increase the volume of CVA and to make it more people centred Some feel that the use of CVA is now accepted and the ‘battle is won’ CVA will not reach its potential unless further changes are made to the underlying structures and day to day processes of the humanitarian system.This requires ongoing collective effort and commitment from all stakeholders The State of World’s Cash 2023 provides a neutral and insightful picture of the humanitarian sector It provides a compelling message to all humanitarians to work collectively towards an increase in the use and quality of CVA and increase choice and dignity for people in crisis A glossary is simply an alphabetical list of terms or words found in or relating to a specific subject with explanations This is a glossary of terms or words relating to the use of cash and vouchers in humanitarian assistance The primary objectives of this Glossary are to provide clarity and encourage common understanding and harmonized use of terms and definitions for cash and voucher assistance Since CaLP produced the first version of this glossary in 2011 the scale and variety of humanitarian interventions using cash and/or vouchers has expanded significantly and brought the engagement of a wider and more diverse community of practice These changes have also been reflected in an evolving understanding and use of some definitions and the introduction of multiple new terms It should be noted that these definitions are intended for application in relation to the use of cash and/ or vouchers in humanitarian programming and may not reflect how some terms are understood in other contexts or by other audiences revising and updating the Glossary on an annual basis This process (see flowchart below) is coordinated by the CaLP Secretariat and undertaken through the CaLP Technical Advisory Group (TAG) The TAG is a group of 25 technical experts in the field of cash and voucher assistance Feedback on the glossary from anyone is welcomed on an ongoing basis which is used to inform proposed edits and additions These proposed changes are put out for formal consultation once a year after which further revisions are made and put to the TAG for validation Following this the updated Glossary is published and the cycle begins again (feedback – consultation – validation – publication) Please check entered address and try again or go to homepage EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOR HUMANITARIAN COUNTRY TEAM delivered through humanitarian actors and social protection systems offer great opportunities for beneficiary impact and alignment with donor priorities – but this potential is not fully utilized due to lack of a common vision and strategic direction cash programming takes place at large scale The scale of the program represents an achievement – but cash programming is fragmented Humanitarian and social protection systems do not work together beneficiary caseloads are likely to overlap and coordination mechanisms are weak This weakness has three major impacts: (1) the most vulnerable may not receive appropriate support and combined program impact is not maximised (2) the humanitarian system’s resources are used inefficiently and (3) risks associated with cash transfers are exacerbated For the humanitarian and social protection systems the larger impacts of these weaknesses are: (1) that the system may face challenges to efficiently absorb large-scale funding responding to COVID-19 (2) the response still has a significant way to go to align with global best practice on cash and global guidelines incuding the Common Donor Approach to Humanitarian Cash Programming and the UN Common Cash Statement commitments and (3) the system is not optimally placed to build nexus programming Significant efforts have been made to ensure that cash programming has the maximum impact on saving lives and preventing humanitarian suffering in this challenging context The Cash and Markets Working Group (CMWG) has been strengthened with additional resources OCHA is taking measures to support exchange of information about beneficiary lists A consultant has been selected to support work on data interoperability between WFP UNCCS agencies have developed a Yemen Action Plan with specific actions around collaborative procurements All of these initiatives represent steps to improve efficiency– but much still remains to be done This is a critical moment for the HCT to shape future programming Both social protection and humanitarian funding cycles are being renewed donors and implementing partners are reviewing program effectiveness as well as a variety of projects that can act as building blocks for a more effective system In order to strengthen humanitarian response in Yemen it is necessary both to take immediate steps to support more effective working between humanitarian and social protection cash programs Develop a common program vision for all cash assistance in both the humanitarian and social protection sphere need to be operating within a shared program vision and framework donors and the HCT should first develop consensus between themselves then organise an in-depth workshop with all relevant actors resulting in a concise shared vision statement and a roadmap for achieving this aspects of the big picture that are not commonly understood by the major actors (which may include the possible level and degree of overlap between beneficiary lists and district level mapping of interventions) – should be identified Donors should provide resources and agencies should cooperate to fill in these gaps the HCT and the donor community should adopt the following principles: A high-level meeting titled “The Need for a Humanitarian Policy Refresh” took place on 15 June 2023 organized by USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance and the CALP Network The meeting brought together over 130 senior leaders from more than 100 organizations worldwide to address the pressing issues surrounding cash and voucher assistance (CVA) in humanitarian response The purpose of the meeting was to launch a collaborative process to develop a collective vision and to refresh and renew policy commitments ensuring better assistance for crisis-affected populations globally The collaborative process intends to drive forward the development of CVA as a key means of achieving more people-centred and effective aid 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Silver Spike Investment Corp a specialty finance company that has elected to be treated as a business development company today announced that it entered into a definitive agreement with Chicago Atlantic Loan Portfolio LLC (“CALP”) for the purchase (the “Loan Portfolio Acquisition”) from CALP of a sizeable portfolio of loans (the “CALP Loan Portfolio”) The Company will acquire the CALP Loan Portfolio in exchange for newly issued shares of the Company’s common stock with a net asset value equal to the value of the CALP Loan Portfolio The Loan Portfolio Acquisition is consistent with the Company’s new The closing of the Loan Portfolio Acquisition is subject to certain customary closing conditions Assuming satisfaction of the conditions to the transaction the Loan Portfolio Acquisition is expected to close in mid-2024 the CALP Loan Portfolio comprised 24 loans with an aggregate value of approximately $130 million CALP has agreed to use reasonable best efforts to add 4 loans with an aggregate value of approximately $43 million to the CALP Loan Portfolio prior to the closing of the Loan Portfolio Acquisition The Company and CALP may also agree to the addition of other loans to the CALP Loan Portfolio prior to the closing of the Loan Portfolio Acquisition The addition of certain loans to the CALP Loan Portfolio requires third-party consents and/or such loans may need to be acquired by CALP and there can be no assurance that any additional loans will be added to the CALP Loan Portfolio prior to the closing of the Loan Portfolio Acquisition Certain loans may also be removed from the CALP Loan Portfolio upon the agreement of the Company and CALP The pro-forma information presented herein is based on data of the Company data as of September 30 2023 and CALP Loan Portfolio data as of January 1 Based on CALP Loan Portfolio data as of January 1 following the closing of the Loan Portfolio Acquisition the Company is expected to have approximately $213 million in net assets and investments in approximately 27 portfolio companies As of the closing of the Loan Portfolio Acquisition CALP is expected to own the majority of the Company’s common stock The Loan Portfolio Acquisition was unanimously approved by the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”) upon the recommendation of its special committee consisting solely of independent directors The Company’s present officers will continue to be a part of the Company’s management team following the Loan Portfolio Acquisition Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company “We are very excited to announce the agreement for the Loan Portfolio Acquisition We believe that the Loan Portfolio Acquisition is a compelling transaction that will enhance value for our stockholders and we view the Loan Portfolio Acquisition as an important step on our path to achieving greater scale trading liquidity and access to capital markets for the Company.” The Company believes that the Loan Portfolio Acquisition is compelling for stockholders for several reasons: served as financial advisor and Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP served as legal counsel to the special committee of the Board Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP serves as legal counsel to the Company Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP serves as legal counsel to CALP today announced that it separately entered into a definitive agreement with Chicago Atlantic BDC Holdings pursuant to which a joint venture between Chicago Atlantic and SSC would be created to combine and jointly operate SSC’s subject to certain Company stockholder approvals and customary closing conditions (the “Joint Venture”) The Joint Venture would cause the automatic termination of the existing advisory agreement with SSC upon the recommendation of its special committee a new investment advisory agreement with SSC to take effect upon closing of the Joint Venture the Company would be renamed Chicago Atlantic BDC and SSC would be renamed Chicago Atlantic BDC Advisers The Company will host a conference call at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, February 20, 2024 to discuss the Loan Portfolio Acquisition. Participants may register for the call here A live webcast of the call will also be available on the Company’s website at ssic.silverspikecap.com A presentation containing a discussion of the Loan Portfolio Acquisition will be referenced on the call and has been posted to the Company’s website at ssic.silverspikecap.com and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) A replay of the call will be available at ssic.silverspikecap.com by the end of the day on February 20 The Company is a specialty finance company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 The Company’s investment objective is to maximize risk-adjusted returns on equity for its shareholders by investing primarily in direct loans to privately held middle-market companies with a focus on cannabis companies and other companies in the health and wellness sector an investment manager focused on the cannabis and alternative health and wellness industries Some of the statements in this communication constitute forward-looking statements because they relate to future events future performance or financial condition of the Company or the Loan Portfolio Acquisition The forward-looking statements may include statements as to: future operating results of the Company and distribution projections; business prospects of the Company and the prospects of its portfolio companies; and the impact of the investments that the Company expects to make words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “intend,” “should,” “could,” “can,” “would,” “expect,” “believe,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “predict,” “potential,” “plan” or similar words indicate forward-looking statements although not all forward-looking statements include these words The forward-looking statements contained in this communication involve risks and uncertainties Certain factors could cause actual results and conditions to differ materially from those projected financial markets and political environment including the impacts of inflation and rising interest rates; (ix) risks associated with possible disruption in the operations of the Company or the economy generally due to terrorism war or other geopolitical conflict (including the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine) natural disasters or global health pandemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic; (x) future changes in laws or regulations (including the interpretation of these laws and regulations by regulatory authorities); (xi) changes in political the interest rate environment or conditions affecting the financial and capital markets that could result in changes to the value of the Company’s assets; (xii) elevating levels of inflation on its portfolio companies and on the industries in which it invests; (xiii) the Company’s plans particularly with respect to business development companies or regulated investment companies; (xxi) the ability of CALP to obtain the necessary consents for or otherwise identify and obtain additional loans for including in the CALP Loan Portfolio; (xxii) the regulatory requirements applicable to the transaction and any changes to the transaction necessary to comply with such requirements; (xxiii) the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to the consummation of the transaction and the possibility in that in connection that the closing will not occur or that it will be significantly delayed; (xxiv) the realization generally of the anticipated benefits of the Loan Portfolio Acquisition and the possibility that the Company will not realize those benefits in part or at all; (xxv) the performance of the loans included in the CALP Loan Portfolio political and governmental risks and other risk factors affecting the business of the Company and the companies in which it is invested as described in the Company’s public filings with the SEC and (xxxii) other considerations that may be disclosed from time to time in the Company’s publicly disseminated documents and filings The Company has based the forward-looking statements included in this communication on information available to it on the date of this communication and it assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements Although the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements you are advised to consult any additional disclosures that the Company may make directly to you or through reports that the Company in the future may file with the SEC quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K Additional Information and Where to Find It This communication relates to a proposed business combination involving the Company and CALP along with the related proposals for which stockholder approval will be sought the Company intends to file relevant materials with the SEC including a registration statement on Form N-14 which will include a proxy statement and a prospectus of the Company (the “Proxy Statement/Prospectus”) This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933 STOCKHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT ARE FILED OR WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY THE LOAN PORTFOLIO ACQUISITION AND THE PROPOSALS Investors and security holders will be able to obtain the documents filed with the SEC free of charge at the SEC’s website or from the Company’s website at ssic.silverspikecap.com executive officers and certain other members of management and employees of the Adviser and its affiliates may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of the Company in connection with the Loan Portfolio Acquisition be considered participants in the solicitation of the Company stockholders in connection with the Loan Portfolio Acquisition will be contained in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus when such document becomes available This document may be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above and under no circumstances is it to be construed as a prospectus or an advertisement and the communication is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase any securities in the Company or in any fund or other investment vehicle managed by the Adviser or any of its affiliates Investors:Bill HealyBill@silverspikecap.com212-905-4933  the use of cash transfer programming (CTP)1 in humanitarian assistance has grown significantly we estimate that $2.8bn in humanitarian assistance was disbursed through cash and vouchers up 40% from 2015 and approximately 100% from 2014 the move to CTP has strong roots and is set to continue CTP is widely recognised as one of the most significant areas of innovation in humanitarian assistance The weekly Global Overview aggregates information from a range of sources and provides the latest updates on and a ranking of current humanitarian crises CERF funding enabled 12 UN agencies together with 589 partners to provide life-saving assistance in 2016 and 2017 to 22.5 million people in humanitarian emergencies in 47 countries o Budgeting the cost for dedicated coordinator and information management support in proposals and HRPs o Building funding into existing mechanisms rather than seeking stand alone coordination funding ● Developing shock-responsive social-protection is complex and takes a lot of time and relationship building with government It is key to look at what already exists in government programs and policy as CVA is being designed including: relevant decrees and laws on CVA in social safety nets (such as the draft ASEAN guidelines) ● Don’t limit the linkages to social safety nets Other important linkages include: public works CWG participants agreed that having the government co-lead CWGs was effective in ensuring the strategic relevance of the CWG and also resulted in greater stakeholder engagement ● The CaLP resources were new to most participants but are available online and CWG leads should stay in touch through the following channels: o Discussion groups registration at: http://www.cashlearning.org/resources/d-group o CaLP library: http://www.cashlearning.org/resources/library and submit your resources here: http://www.cashlearning.org/resources/add-your-resource o PQ Toolbox, a step-by-step guide, tools and templates to ensure quality CVA: http://pqtoolbox.cashlearning.org/ o CaLP Glossary: http://www.cashlearning.org/resources/glossary o Thematic pages on MPC, risk, sectors, social protection, etc.: http://www.cashlearning.org/thematic-area/thematic-area-1 o The Cash Learning Hub hosted by Kaya: http://www.cashlearning.org/capacitybuilding-and-learning/training o Training: http://www.cashlearning.org/capacity-building-and-learning/training-calendar Through in-depth analysis of the latest data and careful modelling this study maps the current scale of CVA and unpacks the opportunities and challenges involved towards it fully reaching its potential 4 December 2022 — By Corinna Kreidler The use of cash and voucher assistance (CVA) has grown rapidly in recent years nearly doubling as a proportion of international humanitarian assistance since 2016 and now accounting for approximately 19% Yet it is clear that there is potential to increase the use of CVA significantly more If CVA were delivered wherever feasible and appropriate it could account for at least 30% and up to 50% of global humanitarian assistance The global use of CVA would have reached 30% of the total reported humanitarian operations in 2021 The pace of growth in the use of CVA is slowing yet we are far from levels that would be achieved if CVA is used wherever and whenever appropriate This study unpacks the potential – and the barriers the humanitarian community needs to overcome – to fully realise CVA as an effective tool to respond more effectively to the preferences of people in contexts of crisis The research conducted interviews with 10 non-operational CVA actors (donor agencies global coordination bodies and Cash Working Group coordinators) and 22 operational agencies the operational agencies were selected from the three sectors that form the bulk of CVA (food security/livelihoods it was seen as important also to include some representatives from other sectors where CVA is not (yet) an important modality To develop an overall figure on the potential volume of CVA data was combined from CALP’s and DI’s data collection and calculations agencies shared and public quantitative targets for CVA Proxy targets were identified for other agencies based on the assessments made by key informants For organizations without any information on CVA targets we added actual volumes of CVA implemented in 2021 Whilst this report looked at the potential to scale CVA The evolving landscape of cash and voucher policies examined the policy gaps and opportunities to improve in this area the reports provide new insights into what is possible the complex web of policies that influence the humanitarian system and the impediments to change effective aid: The urgent need to accelerate progress on cash and voucher assistance for people in crisis summarizes the essence of the two reports and concludes that there is an urgent need for a new policy direction We would encourage those whose work involves supporting people in crisis to continue engaging in a dialogue about the future of CVA – and establish and/or renew CVA commitments so that we do not miss this opportunity to make a difference for people affected by crisis If you would like to stay abreast of any formal events of developments please sign up to receive emails from the CALP Network People looking to improve their lives through improved reading math and digital skills will benefit from increased access to free adult literacy programs throughout B.C “Improving literacy and numeracy skills is a large step forward that has a massive impact on people’s quality of life improving job and career prospects and thriving in B.C.’s robust and strong economy,” said Selina Robinson Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills “This investment will connect people with the skills they need to take the next step in their educational and career journey.” this funding will support 102 adult literacy programs to be delivered by 71 providers in 132 communities around B.C that will support more than 16,000 people in the province This annual investment builds on last year’s 97 programs in 128 communities “Adults who increase their literacy and essential skills have more job opportunities are more likely to continue their education and have better health – creating brighter futures and resilient communities,” said Sandra Lee executive director, Decoda Literacy Solutions “Decoda is proud to work with the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills to support Community Adult Literacy Programs across the province This funding allows us to provide training professional development and resources for adult literacy providers in over 100 communities.” family and Indigenous literacy programs help people gain skills in basic literacy life skills and employment preparation The programs are delivered by trained volunteers and include one-on-one-tutoring and small-group classes “When people have strong literacy skills their ability to advocate and make informed decisions for themselves and their families increases their earning potential is greater and they become engaged community members,” said Desneiges Profili Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy (CBAL) “Empowering people to take charge of their learning better prepares them to acquire the skills needed in today’s changing world With thousands of learners walking through CBAL doors every year CALP funding is essential to ensure community members get the support they need to not just survive the $3.4 million annual funding will support 102 programs delivered by 71 providers in 132 communities throughout the province CALP programs served more than 4,250 learners: It is estimated that 15% of the world’s population has a disability and evidence has shown that those with a disability are likely to be disproportionately affected when a crisis hits In a 2015 global consultation carried out by Handicap International 75% of respondents living with a disability the majority of whom had been directly impacted by a crisis reported that they did not have “adequate access to basic assistance such as water 92% of the humanitarian actors surveyed estimated that people with disabilities “are not properly taken into account in humanitarian response” A Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action was launched in Istanbul at the World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016 The Charter has received endorsement from over 140 governments,organizations and agencies and demonstrates a broad commitment to advance effective inclusion of persons with disabilities across the humanitarian system The Charter includes a commitment to promote inclusive response and services in humanitarian contexts to ask how and where cash transfer programming fits into this picture This article comprises a light review of the relevant literature aiming principally to bring attention to this question: As the movement for cash transfer programming advances how can we ensure that people with disabilities are not left behind in cash transfer programming for emergencies Humanitarians maintain “do no harm” as a fundamental operating principle CaLP North America’s 2016 needs assessment found that the level of rigor and documentation applied in identifying and evaluating evidence about the effectiveness and risk of different response options to decide on the “best fit” for a given humanitarian problem and context varies greatly between organizations known as “response [options] analysis,” justifies response decisions and demonstrates due diligence efforts to do no harm it is increasingly required for proposals to donors including the recently released USAID Office of Food for Peace’s Emergency Food Security Program 2017 Annual Program Statement This research reviews lessons learned about response analysis from multimodal responses responses in which practitioners determined that more than one response modality between cash was a “best fit” or in which the conclusions about “best fit” changed over the course of the project.1 The research hypothesizes that comparing the reasons for choosing different types of response within the same project and among the same beneficiaries should provide concrete examples of the relative importance of different criteria in response and the conditions under which cash or vouchers or in-kind assistance may be most appropriate This work does not aim to inform technical or operational considerations of how to do cash transfers or multimodal programming and decision-makers develop and articulate the nexus between emergency context and response through concrete examples of response analysis both at project design and throughout a response The cases analyzed in this study span the globe and include low- The crises include sudden-onset and slow-onset natural disasters as well as sudden-onset and protracted conflict While some lessons may be reflected in multiple case studies Beneficiary-centered response is a common theme in current political discourse; humanitarians tend to design responses to fit the average needs of a typical beneficiary The first case study with the Canadian Red Cross response to the Alberta wildfires in 2016 provides a concrete example of what one approach to beneficiarycentered response looks like The South Sudan case study with World Vision illustrates the importance of beneficiary preference and buy-in to any assistance project particularly in conflict contexts in which protection is a major concern This case also demonstrates why response analysis is not a one-off analysis at project design but a continuous analysis throughout the project cycle CRS in Guatemala found that strong response analysis allows assumptions such as about the significance of real and perceived risks to beneficiary safety or of restrictions vs both CRS and Samaritan’s Purse have very similar USAID-funded emergency programs with clearly defined and well-practiced assessment and response analysis processes that explicitly allow for the most appropriate response switching modalities over the course of implementation as appropriate the experience of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement illustrates the significance of organizational capacity and preparedness in response analysis CRS demonstrated an alternative approach to beneficiary-centered response allowing for variation in market appropriateness in different areas Oxfam in Myanmar demonstrated the value of evidence-based response analysis to building buy-in for response changes among beneficiaries particularly in sensitive and protectionchallenged environments General conclusions drawn from multiple cases include: An analysis of multimodal programming expects that there may often be multiple “right” responses in a given context It is because the various goods and services needed may involve different supply chains with different regulatory environments (imported commodities and cultural contexts (including willingness to pay) that different modalities may be appropriate the general information categories needed for response analysis are quite similar across sectors suggesting that a harmonized approach to response analysis would be appropriate the case studies did not demonstrate financial cost savings as a major decision-making factor for choosing between cash the most influential arguments in deciding a given modality mix included: time to delivery organizational capacity (human resource availability or experience) market supply response capacity (trader capacity) Respondents felt the human-resource cost of preparing or maintaining multiple pipelines for more or less simultaneous delivery was high suggesting that it may not be reasonable to assume efficiencies through simultaneous distribution of these multiple types of goods and services particularly at the beginning of a project or in a true emergency context (Nepal switching modalities once multiple pipelines and products are established is relatively straightforward (Canada progressive change; and well-communicated contingency planning contribute to trust and change acceptance Engaging stakeholders in rigorous situation and response analysis contributes to acceptance and trust and is particularly important in volatile and sensitive contexts A NOTE ON IMPLEMENTATION LESSONS FROM MULTIMODAL PROGRAMMING In addition to illustrating lessons about how organizations decide on a modality or project design from a strategic response analysis perspective the case studies also generated some lessons about enablers and barriers in implementing multimodal programming ENABLER: A RESPONSE ANALYSIS MINDSET WITH BALANCED The case studies demonstrate that a favorable “mindset” or level of “buy-in” was a significant factor in being able to implement simultaneous modalities or to switch The case study research provides indicative evidence about buy-in among the following stakeholders: senior technical advisors and management both at project design and as a part of project monitoring may be more inclined to result in multimodal response decisions different mindsets or levels of support for multimodal programming may be rooted in differences in prioritization of the criteria being evaluated in response options analysis senior management support for multimodal programming of multiple types of pipelines may not be effective without the commitment of additional human resources as compared to programming a single commodity type to deliver from multiple pipelines with different actors and regulatory environments (e.g. mobile money) than it does from one pipeline or from multiple pipelines within the same regulatory environment (e.g. Leadership may demonstrate support by committing funds to piloting or to full-scale implementation as well Myanmar and South Sudan demonstrate that when support from local authorities or beneficiaries is low it will take more time than expected to build confidence and trust in change ethnic tension was at least a partial driver of the emergency context differences in ethnicity between actors predominant at different points in the supply chain prompted a higher prioritization of security and protection concerns among beneficiaries and authorities Reducing change expectations by taking incremental steps (i.e. piloting in smaller areas and not switching from 100% in-kind rations to 100% unconditional cash all at once) and investing in contingency pre-positioning of preferred methods are likely to be appropriate in this context If an organization’s staff has reservations about the different modalities applied or the switch their ability to creatively identify the best solutions during implementation may be compromised Experience is a strong argument for this audience CRS’s approach to building internal support for cash and voucher programming throughout the organization is widespread piloting demonstrated here in the Guatemala and DRC cases using electronic vouchers CRS uses strong response analysis to identify staff assumptions and acknowledge their concerns staff experience the advantages and disadvantages of change and work together through additional mitigation strategies that might be appropriate This process may help to inform and align response options analysis priorities in a given context In addition to funding explicitly multimodal programs donors may enable or inhibit modality switching in particular through the degree of budget management authority or flexibility they delegate to implementing organizations it would be difficult for an implementer to change modalities in response to changing context if the donor requires approval for changes of more than 10% to predefined budget lines because of the differences in the structure of the pipelines for different types of commodities Another factor influencing donor support is the degree of prioritization of cost or cost efficiency in proposal analysis Preparing and delivering multiple pipelines and maintaining them as a contingency investment may not be the cheapest response option in the short run the degree to which a donor prioritizes (or allows implementers to prioritize) response analysis criteria other than cost (e.g. etc.) may influence its support for multimodal programming the authority of field-based donor representatives to fit response analysis priorities or financial systems poorly adapted to multimodal programming Several operational and preparedness-specific factors support the enabling of multimodal programming and in-kind response options equitably in each context requires appropriate preparation of multiple pipelines if commodities are pre-positioned and similar pre-agreements are not in place for cash or vouchers then cash and vouchers cannot be given equitable consideration in response options analysis even if they may otherwise be similarly or more appropriate Several case studies mentioned the relative administrative ease of switching modalities once appropriate framework agreements were in place Maintaining these agreements and good relationships with these providers allows implementers to pause and restart pipelines as needed for modality switching Strong relationships with vendors may help identify the most appropriate division of procurement responsibility between the implementing partner and service providers the decision to switch a portion of transfers to cash reduced the procurement demands on the implementing partner and its suppliers resulting in an unexpected improvement of the timeliness of suppliers’ rice distributions Operational capacity was an important deciding factor in response analysis in several cases Technical and operational teams should have the skills vouchers or in-kind (or a combination thereof) as appropriate The Red Cross Movement implemented this “one team” approach in Nepal after finding in the Philippines that maintaining separate teams of cash/voucher and in-kind experts exacerbates internal coordination obstacles Organizations with access to resources for piloting will be able to test response analysis assumptions and develop and maintain internal capacity and confidence Such resources may also serve as contingency funds allowing for a modality switch in the event of a change of context for a project without sufficient budget flexibility The most significant obstacle to programming multiple modalities simultaneously or to switching modalities would be an institutional commitment to specialize in only one modality Specialization in one modality of assistance and clear rules for both engagement and nonengagement risks results in an organization built as a hammer that interprets both screws and bolts as types of nails Such an organization would not be flexible enough to adequately respond to changing circumstances This kind of organizational commitment to a single modality can present an institutional barrier to multimodal programming particularly those in which multiple modalities were intended to be delivered simultaneously but were not (Guatemala the effort to prepare multiple pipelines is greater than for one single pipeline while simultaneous delivery is more efficient particularly in the earliest stages of an intervention While these factors do not prevent multimodal programming the time and human resource costs should be properly considered during response analysis.In conclusion further study relating experience from these case studies and CaLP’s Organizational Cash Readiness Tool (OCRT) may be useful as a future area of research stresses a need to enhance vocational skills of single mothers in the country Executive Director Samuel Jacobs says enhancing skills of single mothers wouldgo a long way in enabling them to cater for their children He explains CALP is partnering with the Israeli Embassy for Ghana Liberia and sierra Leone which has provided sewing machines and hairdressing materials to train 30 single mothers in tailoring and beautician You have selected an article from the AllAfrica archive, which requires a subscription. 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To address comments or complaints, please Contact us Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you There was a problem processing your submission According to ‘The State of the World’s Cash 2018’ report the biggest barrier to the more effective and extensive use of cash and voucher assistance (CVA) is the perceived risk that cash represents mainly due to concerns about the misappropriation or leakage of cash The report notes an example of a double standard in that donors may tolerate the diversion of a modest proportion of in-kind aid but may be much more sensitive when it comes to cash since it is viewed as posing a greater risk specifically in relation to money laundering and the financing of terrorism Global Objective 2 of the Cash Learning Partnership’s (CaLP’s) Global Framework for Action seeks to ensure that cash is routinely considered there remain barriers and constraints to the systematic adoption of CVA particularly unconditional and unrestricted modalities Although the evidence shows that cash is no riskier than any other form of aid,1 there is often increased scrutiny from some donors of implementing partners’ risk management policies and procedures This is exacerbated by the fact that some humanitarian organisations lack the guidance and capacity to confidently manage compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) regulations (also referred to as AML/CTF regulations) Transferring funds to the country of operations – challenges in identifying competent and willing banking providers and other FSPs to transfer funds to a country of operations Identifying in-country service providers – challenges related to ‘Know Your Customer’ (KYC) regulations and financial sector identity checks by in-country FSPs Beneficiary identification and data security – challenges relating to AML/CTF regulations and international sanctions regulations regarding CVA recipients The approach taken by the study was to consider each challenge and to identify the relevant regulations and policy statements and possible solutions for CaLP members for planning future responses this briefing note summarizes the key findings for each of the challenges and is targeted at CVA practitioners This briefing note does not aim to provide operational guidance This is largely available in existing tools and guidance including those found in CaLP’s Programme Quality Toolbox2 and the Consortium for Financial Access’ guidance for NGOs on improving access to financial services.3 About 733 million people faced hunger in 2023 equivalent to one in 11 people globally and one in five in Africa according to the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report