Cash-Plus Programming in Protracted Crises: A Review of Programmes in Contexts of Overlapping Conflict, Forced Displacement and Climate-Related Shocks

Abstract

This paper explores the nature and effectiveness of cash-plus programmes in protracted crisis settings characterised by conflict, displacement and recurrent climate shocks. Despite limited evidence on their suitability or sufficiency in such contexts, where high-quality supply-side services are lacking, cash-plus programmes aim to improve the wellbeing and livelihoods of chronically poor and food-insecure populations by providing cash transfers alongside services and assets to enhance opportunities in local economies.

The paper reviews 97 cash-plus programmes in 16 countries, considering their design features and outcomes. It finds that cash-plus programmes in protracted crises, with some technical adjustments, resemble those in stable settings. For instance, objectives rarely explicitly address wider transformative agendas and drivers of vulnerability (such as economic structures rooted in conflict), often focusing on the micro-level – on households and individuals. Evaluation data on programme outcomes and impacts is limited, thus restricting the availability of evidence on better approaches.

The paper concludes that cash-plus programmes need to address the specific dynamics and drivers of vulnerability in different protracted crisis contexts, going beyond interventions focused on individuals to tackle structural causes of weakened livelihoods. Furthermore, it highlights the need for more evidence on the effectiveness and long-term sustainability of cash-plus programmes in these challenging contexts.