Guide to cash-for-work programming

Cash-for-work is a short-term intervention used by humanitarian assistance organizations to provide temporary employment in public projects (such as repairing roads, clearing debris or re-building infrastructure) to the most vulnerable segments of a population. It is used in food insecure, disaster-affected or post-conflict environments, often as an alternative to food-for-work interventions. Cash-for-work (CfW) is a form of conditional cash transfer (CCT).

This guide draws from the experiences of Mercy Corps' CfW projects in Afghanistan, Indonesia,  Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Sudan. It provides simple tools for determining the appropriateness of CfW, a general framework for implementation, and the forms and documents necessary forimplementing CfW programmes.

The manual consists of a background overview followed by sections on the rationale for CfW implementation, determining the appropriateness of CfW, implementation, phasing out and transitioning CfW programmes, and annexes with forms and tools.