International and Humanitarian Affairs

Short course Cash and Voucher Assistance in Humanitarian Crises: What Works? 2025

This Executive Short Course has the dual objective of building students’ practical skills to design, implement, and monitor projects using Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA), as well as their critical and reflexive skills on the topic of cash and voucher assistance.
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Information

Period

12 May 2025 - 23 May 2025
2 ECTS credits
15 Distance teaching hours
Around 50 hours of work for the whole course, including: • Asynchronous self-study activities (such as case studies, videos, recorded slideshows, readings, etc.) • Synchronous live sessions

Language

English

Format

Distance learning

Contact

Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies
+41 (0)22 379 56 50
humanitarianstudies(at)unige.ch
website

Location

Genève

Registration

Registration deadline

20 April 2025

Fees:

Total fees: CHF 1’700.-
Deposit: (upon acceptance of admission): CHF 400.-
There is no available scholarship for this programme.

Contribution to the SDGs

Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development

Objectives

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

  • Explain the different cash and market related concepts and terminologies
  • Discuss the state of cash-related evidence and current Global policy dialogues triggered or encompassing CVA
  • Decide if cash and voucher assistance is an appropriate modality to cover sectoral or multi-sectoral needs in a given humanitarian context
  • Identify output, outcome and process related indicators to measure the success of a project using cash as its delivery modality
  • Discuss the extent to which the increased uptake of cash and voucher assistance is shaking up the overall humanitarian coordination architecture
  • Assess the comparative risks cash can pose or expose especially in light of data protection and AML/CT regulations

Audience

Professional in the humanitarian, development or social sector looking to develop their competencies in cash and voucher assistance in humanitarian settings
Professional from other sectors (marketing, bank system, project management, policy making, donor agency, government official) who wishes to increase their understanding of cash and voucher assistance in humanitarian responses
Graduate student with relevant volunteer or intern experience, looking to undertake a postgraduate course with a view to entering the humanitarian sector

Non-professional audience should possess, as a pre-requisite, a good command of the project cycle management and of the way the humanitarian arena function (who are the different stakeholders, what is the typical architecture of a humanitarian response, etc.).

Programme

The course will adopt a thematic approach, with each module tackling a specific theme:

  • Concepts, Terminology, Global Policy Dialogues on CVA and CVA Feasibility
  • Sectoral & Multi-sectoral Evidence, Monitoring & Evaluation
  • Calculating the Transfer Value and Choosing the Delivery Mechanism
  • Risk Management, Data protection and Compliance vis a vis Anti Money Laundering and CT regulations
  • Operational Models to Deliver CVA, Value for Money and Cash Coordination

Director(s)

Prof. Karl BLANCHET, Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies, a joint Centre of the University of Geneva and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID), Geneva

Coordinator(s)

Helene JUILLARD, Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies, Geneva

Admission criteria

  • University qualification (bachelor’s degree or equivalent)
  • At least three years of relevant professional experience
  • Excellent command of English
  • Motivation working in the humanitarian sector

Application File

  • Copy of identity document or passport
  • Passport photo (.jpg format)
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Cover letter (explaining what is the reason why you apply for this course and how will the acquired skills help you in your career)
  • Copy of the highest educational qualification obtained
  • Copy of work certificate or official document of the current job position
  • Proof of English language level
  • Employer's funding agreement, if applicable
  • Employer's letter of support (recommended)
  • Scholarship application form (if applicable). Please refer to https://humanitarianstudies.ch/scholarships-executive-short-courses/

More information about the application process is available on our application page.

Contribution to the SDGs

Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development