10 The agreed payments are made either:
- To the final beneficiaries:
- By bank transfers from the Imprest bank account
- Through payment services providers (banks, micro-finance institutions, money-transfer companies, post offices, mobile money payments providers etc.) that can be engaged to deliver and distribute cash payments based on WHO CO's authorization and instructions.
- through cash payments from the Imprest cash account: only in exceptional circumstances, when it has been established that no other payment modality can be used.
- Through operational advances
20 Operational Advances: In exceptional circumstances, when it has been established that no other payment modality can be used, a WHO staff member may be allowed to deliver and distribute payments to final beneficiaries. This can only be authorized after more secure alternative solutions have been explored and ruled out. As a rule, cash disbursements must be processed by payment services providers (banks, micro-finance institutions, money-transfer companies, post offices, mobile money payments providers etc.) that can be engaged to deliver and distribute cash payments based on WHO CO's authorization and instructions. In each country, specific solutions offered by local banks and/or other financial third parties must be considered: For instance, payment distribution through prepaid cards or mobile phones should be prioritized when available. WHO COs should also explore solutions adopted by other UN organizations operating in the same country/location.
30 Operational advances may only be used to pay a group of beneficiaries (field workers, participants to local meetings, security personnel under direct implementation) where none of the final beneficiaries receive more than US$ 2,500.
40 Advances up to USD 20,000 are approved by the WR. If the operational advance exceeds USD 20,000, DAF approval must be obtained in writing and the approved request must be attached to the voucher in GSM. The request must specify the need, the justification for the chosen payment modality and provide details on security arrangements.
50 All operational advances must be recorded and monitored in the operational advances SharePoint https://workspace.who.int/sites/OPADV/SitePages/Welcome.aspx.
60 The advance must be withdrawn from the CO Imprest bank account (not from the Imprest cash account/petty cash that may only be used to pay for low value CO and RO sundry expenses) through check or instruction to the bank to pay the custodian. The funds may not be transferred to the custodian's personal bank account
70 Only one unliquidated advance per custodian is allowed at any given time. No new advance may be issued to an individual with an outstanding advance.
80 Operational advance liquidation time: 30 days
