Amid justified excitement in the sector about the opportunities and efficiencies offered by e-cash solutions, traditional paper vouchers’ reputation as slow-starting and data-poor has been challenged by NRC’s projects in Zaatari and Azraq camps in Jordan. Piloted in September 2014 and with a throughput of $150,000/day just four months later, NRC’s ‘Paper Plus’ system linked barcodes to a cloud database for instant verification. It has also delivered rich live data to support project responses to previously invisible opportunities and challenges in the complex camp environments. This online article describes NRC's experiences with the 'Paper plus' initiative, addressing both its potential and its limitations.
