Cash and Voucher Assistance for Protection Outcomes in Mine Action

5 January 2021

Commissioned by the GPC Task Team on Cash for Protection, this report investigates the use of Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) in Humanitarian Mine Action and presents promising practices of such use to protect highly vulnerable people. It is based on a literature search, outreach to 140 practitioners and 13 interviews with field practitioners and global advisors, culminating in 47 examples of CVA used to protect people from explosive ordnance. Each example is mapped by intervention modality and protection outcome into an evidence map.

CVA is used in mine action to reduce risk-taking behaviours, to assist survivors of incidents/accidents in accessing emergency health care, to help their recovery and rehabilitation, and to assist them to re-start livelihoods. The report identifies emerging good practice, analyses gaps in knowledge and barriers to a wider adoption of CVA, and puts forward opportunities and recommendations. Throughout this study, key concepts are defined by the most recent sector guidance.

The conclusion provides recommendations for different stakeholder: donors, mine action actors, CVA actors, protection specialists. For the Mine Action AoR coordinators and mine action authorities, it recommends to:

• Accelerate the incorporation of IMAS 13.10 Victim Assistance into National MA Standards.
• Promote policy adoption of CVA as a useful approach in Victim Assistance and Risk Reduction programming in MA AoR.
• Increase the visibility of best practices in service provision to vulnerable and affected individuals, groups and communities.
• Step up efforts to support HMA and CVA partnerships and develop referral pathways to ensure extension of CVA assistance for protection outcomes to remote areas.

Executive Summary in English, French and Arabic

Download full document now in:

• English
• French
• Arabic

Last Updated: 7 Jan 2021