DRAFT

Cash Based Working Group – Nairobi Based

2017 Somalia Drought Response

Terms of Reference

The Cash Based Working Group for the 2017 Somalia Drought Response (hereafter referred to as the CBWG) was established in February 2017. Somalia has had very active Cash Working Groups (CWG) in the past, however recent years have seen a decline in activity. Due to the scale and urgency of the 2017 drought, a need to revitalise a mechanism to enable coordinated response was identified.

As the use of cash transfers is increasingly multi-sectoral, the CWG brings together all actors, across all sectors, who are employing cash based interventions. This Terms of Reference (ToR) focuses on the immediate priorities and needs of a CWG in the context of drought response and may be revised in coming months as these needs change.

The overall aim of the CBWG is to streamline the design, development and implementation of cash based interventions. The group will focus on improving operational efficiency and effectiveness through collaborative planning and coordination for the drought response.

The specific goalsare to:

-Agree clear mechanisms for the CBWG to work with in-country coordination forums including at various state levels

-Ensure cash based responses take account of/build on lessons from the 2011 drought

-Ensure consistency in cash transfer values (final amount received) and the reassessment of such over time

-Establish a clear understanding of coverage, gaps and update them over time with the support of respective cluster

-Agree on factors to be considered in given areas to determine the type of transfer (conditional or unconditional)

-Ensure best value by collectively negotiating with financial service providers

-Agree mechanisms and processes for undertaking collective market assessments

-Agree if/what actions are needed vis-à-vis overall M&E to enable effective programming and to support effective formative and summative evaluation of the overall response

-Ensure protection and gender mainstreaming as per Sphere guidelines

-Ensure inclusion of vulnerable and marginalised groups

-Ensure there is a clear understanding of how agencies are embedding accountability to affected populations standards in the response

-Develop and agree a collective risk management framework and, where appropriate, take collective action to address risks

-Share operational challenges and attempt to provide guidance to address

-Document options, choices made and learning

To the extent feasible, the CWG will:

-Harmonise approaches to targeting

-Agree if/how the sharing of beneficiary lists will take place

-Agree when/under what conditions retargeting should take place

Participation:

All agencies actively engaged in or supporting cash-based responses to the 2017 drought in Somalia.

UN agencies (FAO, IOM, UNICEF and WFP); OCHA/cluster representation (for overall coordination), ICRC, IFRC,CaLP, INGOs (ACF, ACTED, ADESO, ADRA, CARE, CESVI, COOPI, CWW, DRC, IRC, Mercy Corps, NCA, NRC, RI, SCI, Solidarities, World Concern, etc.) NNGOs (SADO, Southern Aid, WOCCAetc).

Chair and Co-chair

To be determined in the first meeting

Meetings/frequency:

-The main CWBG will meet (frequency to be agreed at the first meeting)

-Specific technical task teams to be formed as required with appropriate cluster and technical partners representation

Documentation and Information Sharing

-Minutes will be compiled by members on rotational basis and chair and co-chair will review to ascertain it is true record of the meeting

-Minutes will be made available to all CBWG members and stakeholders through the CaLP website/ cluster /OCAH websites

-Due to the range of terminologies used surrounding cash transfer types, for the purpose of common understanding, terms and definitions as defined in the CaLP glossary will be those followed by the CWG. This should not impact on the internal use of terms within organizations.