Cash Barometer

The potential of cash and voucher assistance (CVA) programming has been demonstrated many times over. But how does the humanitarian “cash revolution” present itself to the intended beneficiaries? What concerns do affected people have and how can their perspectives help inform a more effective roll-out of cash-based assistance? To find out, we partnered with the German Federal Foreign Office and the Cash Learning Partnership (CaLP) to launch the Cash Barometer.

The Cash Barometer is an independent accountability mechanism that combines standardised face-to-face surveys with user-centred approaches to allow cash recipients to provide feedback on cash and voucher assistance, and participate in decision making.

Central African Republic

The Cash Barometer has launched in CAR in 2020 in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a series of qualitative interviews with market traders and CVA recipients to capture User Voices in the context of the crisis.

October 2020: Cash assistance during COVID-19: perspectives of cash recipients and traders (FR/ENG)

August 2020: Cash Barometer Analysis: Central African Republic (EN)

Nigeria

We launched in Nigeria in late 2019 with a survey of recipients of CVA in Borno State. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, we adapted the Cash Barometer to explore perceptions of the economic impact of the pandemic, as experienced by CVA recipients, humanitarian actors and financial service providers. A second round of surveys in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY States) was conducted in November 2020. 

June 2021: The key to fairness is inclusion: Understanding perceptions of fairness and aid modality preferences in BAY States

November 2020: Perceptions of Cash and Voucher Recipients in BAY States

May 2020:  Key economic concerns during COVID-19: Maiduguri Cash Working Group

February 2020: Perceptions of Cash and Voucher Recipients in Borno State

Somalia

In Somalia, the Cash Barometer builds on previous Ground Truth surveys carried out between 2017-2019 to inform the rapidly evolving humanitarian response. In-kind aid and CVA recipients across 17 regions were surveyed in September 2020 to better understand their perceptions of on-going humanitarian efforts to address recent climate and conflict related shocks, as well as the Covid-19 pandemic. These findings will be complemented by qualitative interviews that shed light on the individual experiences of CVA in Ainabo, Beletweyne, and Mogadishu. Finally, we will carry out a series of key informant interviews to assess how CVA recipients’ perceptions are being integrated into the humanitarian response. This will show how CVA recipients can communicate with aid providers and how programming can better respond to their priorities.  

December 2020: Perception survey of aid recipients in Somalia

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