Publication:
The Other Side of the Coin: The Comparative Evidence of Cash and In-Kind Transfers in Humanitarian Situations?

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dc.contributor.authorGentilini, Ugo
dc.date.accessioned2016-06-22T19:58:37Z
dc.date.available2016-06-22T19:58:37Z
dc.date.issued2016-06-08
dc.description.abstractOver 60 million people are currently displaced due to conflict or violence, and about 140 million are exposed to natural disasters. As part of humanitarian responses to those affected populations, growing attention is paid to cash transfers as a form of assistance. Cash is being strongly advocated by several actors, and for good reasons: they have the potential to provide choice, empower people, and spark economic multipliers. But what is their comparative performance relative to in-kind transfers? Are there objectives for which there are particular evidence gaps? And what should be considered when choosing between those forms of assistance? This paper is one of the first reviews examining those questions across humanitarian sectors and in relation to multiple forms of assistance, including cash, vouchers, and in-kind assistance (food and non-food). These were assessed based on solid impact evaluations and through the lens of food security, nutrition, livelihoods, health, education, and shelter objectives. The paper finds that there is large variance in the availability of comparative evidence across sectors. This ranges from areas where evidence is substantial (i.e., food security) to realms where it is limited (i.e., nutrition) or where not a single comparative evaluation was available (i.e., health, education, and shelter). Where evidence is substantial, data shows that the effectiveness of cash and in-kind transfers is similar on average. In terms of costs, cash is generally more efficient to delivery. However, overall costs would hinge on the scale of interventions, crisis context, procurement practices, and a range of ‘hidden costs’. In other words, the appropriateness of transfers cannot be predetermined and should emerge from response analysis that considers program objectives, the level of market functionality, predicted cost-effectiveness, implementation capacity, the management of key risks such as on protection and gender, political economy, beneficiary preferences, and resource availability. Finally, it seems possible (and necessary) to reconcile humanitarian imperatives with solid research to inform decision-making, especially on dimensions beyond food security.en
dc.identifier.doi10.1596/978-1-4648-0910-1
dc.identifier.isbn978-1-4648-0910-1
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10986/24593
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherWashington, DC: World Bank
dc.relation.ispartofseriesWorld Bank Studies;
dc.rightsCC BY 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holderWorld Bank
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/
dc.subjectCASH TRANSFERS
dc.subjectCOSTS
dc.subjectDISASTERS
dc.subjectFOOD AID
dc.subjectIMPACTS
dc.subjectDELIVERY
dc.subjectHUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
dc.subjectCRISES
dc.subjectRISK
dc.subjectVOUCHERS
dc.subjectSHOCKS
dc.subjectMARKETS
dc.titleThe Other Side of the Coinen
dc.title.subtitleThe Comparative Evidence of Cash and In-Kind Transfers in Humanitarian Situations?en
dc.typeBooken
dc.typeLivrefr
dc.typeLibroes
dspace.entity.typePublication
okr.crossref.titleThe Other Side of the Coin: The Comparative Evidence of Cash and in-Kind Transfers in Humanitarian Situations?
okr.date.disclosure2016-06-08
okr.date.doiregistration2025-04-15T10:46:13.075031Z
okr.doctypePublications & Research
okr.doctypePublications & Research::Publication
okr.identifier.doi10.1596/978-1-4648-0910-1
okr.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-0910-1
okr.identifier.internaldocumentum210910
okr.identifier.report106284
okr.importedtrue
okr.language.supporteden
okr.topicAgriculture::Food Security
okr.topicHealth, Nutrition and Population::Health Monitoring & Evaluation
okr.topicHealth, Nutrition and Population::Nutrition
okr.topicPoverty Reduction::Rural Poverty Reduction
okr.topicSocial Protections and Labor::Safety Nets and Transfers
okr.unitSocial Protection & Labor Global Practice (GSPDR)
relation.isAuthorOfPublication5b882b4e-e7db-5ba6-862e-19befdb38548
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery5b882b4e-e7db-5ba6-862e-19befdb38548
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