In the last 15 years, the use of cash transfers as a humanitarian tool has surged from less than 1% of the total value of humanitarian assistance to almost 20%. For a diverse sector resistant to change, this breakthrough is a qualified success.

However, the rapid rise of cash has slowed in the past five years, despite its many advantages, and its transformative potential has not yet been reached. In this case study we interrogate the public and private narratives that drove the cash breakthrough and those that worked against it, as well as the narratives that have stemmed its potential for driving system reform.

Understanding the role different narratives played in framing arguments and reinforcing evidence in the case of cash holds powerful lessons for other sector reform agendas.

Report by the Overseas Development Institute