Vincent Trousseau (2005) joined the Cash Learning Partnership.

The Cash Learning Partnership is a consortium of 5 NGOs initially formed to gather and share the lessons learnt from the humanitarian interventions implemented after the 2005 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

Following a strong interest for development and in particular for food security after work experiences with FAO, CARE International and ICRC, Vincent recently joined the Cash Learning Partnership as a communications and information officer. His diploma from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies proved instrumental in his curricula as this broadened his perspective on development issues and acted as a catalyst to pursue a career in the non-profit sector.

Cash transfers have been increasingly used as an alternative to or in conjunction with in-kind assistance during the past 10 years. This response mechanism has many potential advantages. For instance, in comparison to in-kind assistance, it can promote beneficiaries’ dignity and empowerment by offering a choice as to the needs on which the money can be spent in priority. Thus beneficiaries are not merely passive recipients of humanitarian assistance. Moreover, purchasing goods in the local market also supports post-emergency recovery.

A lot of research remains to be done. While the range of delivery mechanisms is increasing with the use of new technologies such as mobile phone, smart cards or electronic vouchers, the cost-effectiveness of cash-based interventions is high on donors and implementing agencies’ agenda. Potential linkages between emergency cash transfers and longer term social protection or safety net programmes are another area bringing a lot of attention and contributes to the debate around synergies between emergency and development interventions.