Design Phase Regional Workshop Welcome!

1. Design PhaseRegional WorkshopWelcome! Monday 26th September 2005

2. Regional WorkshopAgenda 09:00 Coffee & Registration Part I – Programme Overview (Chair: EN) 09:30 Welcome & Introductions (CN) 09:45 Background (TK) 10:00 Programme Context, Content & Process (JR) 10:30 Definitions (SD) 10:40 Tea/Coffee Part II – Conceptual Framework (Chair: AM) 11:00 Evidence (FE) 11:20 Capacities (GS) 11:40 Policy Change (PW) 12:00 Plenary Discussion 12:45 Lunch Part III – The Way Forward (Chair: NM) 14:00 Priorities for the Way Forward (Groups) 15:00 Report Back (Groups) 15:30 Wrap Up (TK) 15:45 Close

3. Workshop objectives • To inform: • How RHVP will add value to efforts to reduce hunger and vulnerability in southern Africa? • To listen: • RHVP is a demand driven process • What national and regional partners would like to see prioritised in terms of RHVP activities

4. ProgrammeContext, Content & Process John Rook

5. RHVP context • Growing caseload of chronically vulnerable to hunger. • Continued reliance on short term responses • . . . And limited menu of short term response options – primarily food aid • Concerns regarding the reliability of current vulnerability assessments to guide appropriate responses • Concerns regarding the need for vulnerability assessment systems to capture the complex nature of vulnerability to guide appropriate responses

6. RHVP – The big picture • Goal • Reduce hunger & vulnerability in southern Africa • Purpose • Improve national and regional policies & systems for addressing hunger & vulnerability in the SADC region

7. How will we achieve this?3 content areas • Improving knowledge • Generate, synthesise, interpret & disseminate evidence for better policy response • Improving human & technical capacity • Enhance human & technical capacities to provide and interpret information on vulnerability for better policy response • Promoting policy uptake • Enhance policy-makers’ capacity to main stream hunger and vulnerability issues in national policy frameworks

8. How will we achieve this?Approach • A demand driven resource • . . . But on merit not an entitlement • Provide a regional perspective • Support countries’ own initiatives • Develop tools and evidence to support improved assessment, analysis & policy-making • Building capacities to support improved assessment, analysis & policy-making

9. How will we achieve this-Output 1 (Knowledge) - Activities • Create resource centres at national level (focal point office) • Compile a register of institutions and individuals • Produce a national synthesis report of the current state of knowledge: • Critically review existing knowledge on the state and causes of hunger and vulnerability • Complete an inventory of relevant policies and programmes (including social protection) • Set out best practice arising from review • Summarise key documents for policy makers

10. How will we achieve this-Output 1 (Knowledge) - Activities • Lesson-learning from VAC assessments: • Retrospectively evaluate accuracy of VAC predictions • Review uptake of VAC assessments in terms of policy and response • Hold national workshops to review synthesis papers and to identify knowledge gaps and priorities for action (mid-2006) • Hold a regional workshop to identify cross-cutting issues for thematic investigative studies (mid-2006)

11. How will we achieve this-Output 1 (Knowledge) - Activities • Commission regional comparative research programmes, including: • an examination of the cost-effectiveness of policy choices • Commission national-level research activities, including: • testing the accuracy of predictive models (Zambia) • Ongoing knowledge-related activities: • Undertake studies in response to needs and issues arising • Produce summaries of key documents for policy makers • Monitoring relevant policy processes • Liaise with organisations involved in research and advisory activities • Feed information and lessons to contact-group meetings • Develop a menu of policies and instruments to address hunger and vulnerability, with associated costs and benefits

12. How will we achieve this-Output 2 (Capacity) - Activities • Select and support suitable regional centre(s) of excellence to provide ongoing capacity for research and training • Commission a methodological toolkit and related VAA and other curricula to support training related to hunger and vulnerability • Provide technical support to SADC RVAC, NVACs and other institutions as appropriate for improved and harmonised methodologies to analyse hunger and vulnerability

13. How will we achieve this-Output 2 (Capacity) - Activities • Provide support to inter-country learning by practitioners through exchange visits, skills exchange, sharing experiences • Develop regionally appropriate methodologies and systems for implementing policies to address hunger and vulnerability, as prove relevant during the programme • Adapt methodologies to national contexts • Undertake training of practitioners in the methodologies and systems • Take up opportunities which arise for contributing to relevant methodologies and systems

14. How will we achieve this-Output 3 (Policy Change) - Activities • Establish credible NFP presence in each country • Build commitment and ownership: • Hold national workshops with different stakeholder groups to identify understanding of hunger and vulnerability issues and alternatives • Establish national advisory groups comprising relevant influential policy-makers and practitioners • Initiate policy forum to influence dialogue on hunger and vulnerability within NEPAD-CAADP • Consultative Group lobbying on hunger and vulnerability • Hold regular regional workshops of national advisory groups to identify and develop ideas for good practice in addressing hunger and vulnerability

15. How will we achieve this-Output 3 (Policy Change) - Activities • Support a regional hunger and vulnerability network for lesson learning, promoting policy uptake of products from Outputs 1 and 2: • Establish an interactive web portal providing both information and a discussion forum on hunger and vulnerability • Produce a newsletter and policy briefings on hunger and vulnerability • Explore opportunities for using mass media (radio, video, press) to disseminate information, engage in advocacy, and give a voice to the hungry and vulnerable • Develop other channels for targeted dissemination (documents, leaflets, CDs etc) of information to decision-makers • Organise regional learning opportunities, including policy workshops, retreats and study tours • Take up opportunities which arise for contributing to policies

16. How will we achieve this-Resources • Funding from DFID and other donors • Core Team – Programme Manager & Task Managers • National Focal Points • Consortium Support • Regional Programme Advisory Committee & National Advisory Committees

17. How RHVP will add value – the regional dimension • Technical • Consistent and comparable methodologies • Establishing key common indicators • Cross border information systems • Developing regional “engine” to generate needed human and technical capacity • Lessons • Comparative studies to identify best practices (intra/extra regional) • Retrospective evaluation of the accuracy of VAA predictions • Preparation of generic handbooks/implementation manuals • Advocacy • Preparing generic policy guidelines • Bringing lessons to the attention of policy makers • Externalities of national policy choices

18. How RHVP will add value – the national dimension • Technical: • Building capacities in existing institutions • Supporting the institutionalisation of existing systems • Lessons: • Synthesising existing policies and instruments • Commissioning national evidence based research • Advocacy: • Promoting the inclusion of hunger and vulnerability issues in national policy frameworks • Promoting the provision of predictable resources to meet the needs of the predictably vulnerable

19. Isn’t about Imposing a blueprint OR Dictating national or regional level priorities Is about A demand driven resource Providing evidence & identifying lessons on best practice Building national & regional capacities What RHVP is and isn’t

20. Isn’t about Abandoning food aid OR Wholesale replace-ment of food aid with cash transfers Is about Predictable resources for predictable needs On-budget funding Placing food aid within a social protection context Looking at longer term options What RHVP is and isn’t

21. Isn’t about Replicating or replacing existing institutions OR Replicating or replacing existing tools and methods Is about Working with existing institutions Promoting evolution of tried and tested tools Enabling VAA to better serve evolving user needs in reducing hunger & vulnerability What RHVP is and isn’t

22. What do we hope to leave behind–regional level • Stronger regional coordination & cooperation on hunger and vulnerability responses: • A stronger regional capacity to generate skills, methodologies and research to support hunger & vulnerability assessment & responses • A stronger regional capacity to manage information & evidence on hunger & vulnerability

23. What do we hope to leave behind-national level • Increased Government responsibility and accountability for reducing hunger & vulnerability: • Better VAA systems – relevant, accurate, reliable and sustainable • Hunger & vulnerability issues incorporated in national policy framework • Adequate on budget resources provided to meet needs of the predictably vulnerable • Broader range of short and long term instruments to respond to chronic vulnerability

24. www.rhvp.org

25. Definitions & Concepts Stephen Devereux

26. Definitions • Hunger is defined as inadequate food intake. • Vulnerability has two dimensions: exposure and resilience. People who are vulnerable to hunger are more exposed and more susceptible to shocks, trends and life-cycle stages. • Food security is “access by all people at all times to adequate and appropriate food for a healthy and active life”.

27. Social protection describes all initiatives that: 1) provide income (cash) or consumption (food) transfers to the poor; 2) protect the vulnerable against livelihood risks; 3) enhance the social status and rights of the excluded and marginalised.

28. Concepts “Hunger and vulnerability” is preferred to “food security” because: • “food security” directs too much attention towards food production and Ministries of Agriculture; • “vulnerability” allows the incorporation of risk into hunger analysis; • vulnerability assessment and analysis (VAA) allows more differentiated policy responses to shocks, trends, and life-cycle stages.

29. Responding to Hunger & Vulnerability Promotion Springboards Prevention Safety nets Protection

30. For more information: www.rhvp.org

31. Framework & Evidence Frank Ellis

32. POLICY CHANGE ENHANCED CAPACITIES EVIDENCE RHVP CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK adoption broader policy options and mainstreaming them in PRSPs VAA and broader approaches knowledge and its application

33. Evidence 1 THREE MAIN KNOWLEDGE DIMENSIONS • making the best use of existing studies and investigations • synthesizing existing work to inform capacity building or policy debate • identifying and bridging national knowledge gaps • i.e. gaps that are likely to vary from one country to another • identifying cross-cutting themes that are worth pursuing across all countries • e.g. where lessons learned in one or more countries can be usefully applied in the remaining countries

34. Evidence 2 Evidence-related activities will: • be centred on national focal points • involve national and international partners • respond to national gaps and priorities • evaluate the accuracy of predictive approaches • pursue 3-4 cross-country themes of broad regional applicability

35. For more information: www.rhvp.org

36. Strengthening and Broadening VAA for Policy Gary Sawdon

37. POLICY CHANGE ENHANCED CAPACITIES EVIDENCE RHVP CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK adoption broader policy options and mainstreaming them in PRSPs VAA and broader approaches knowledge and its application

38. Southern Africa Context: Information Use and VAA • Over the past few years, significant progress has been made in improving VAA, (e.g. concepts, improved methods, livelihood approaches, access, etc) • However, stakeholders recognise that improved VAA has not had the desired impact in relation to: (1) policy formulation, (2) social protection & (3) the identification of appropriate responses & interventions • VAA information remains largely confined to guiding the ‘emergency’ with food aid responses

39. 2004/05- consultations, reviews, investigations. . . • In order to address these perceived constraints, several separate & collaborative research initiatives have been undertaken: • DFID’s RHVP Scoping Study • SADC-RVAC 3 Step Consultation Process • UN’s Humanitarian Strategic Framework for Southern Africa • SADC RVAC Methodological Review • SADC VAC 5 Year Programme to Strengthen VAA • UNICEF’s Study of Social Safety Nets & Cash Transfer Programmes (East & Southern Africa) • Final design and implementation of the Regional Hunger and Vulnerability Programme (RHVP)

40. Common Conclusions & Findings • Resulting from these investigations, three common themes have been identified in relation to strengthening VAA: • Building linkages with national policies and improving programme interventions, • Improving technical and analytical capacities, • Strengthening institutional frameworks.

41. Future Directions • The overall purpose of RHVP is to . . . • ‘improve national & regional policies and systems for addressing hunger and vulnerability in the SADC Region’ . . . . • . . . . in order to achieve this, technical capacity of VAA systems must be strengthened and institutional frameworks establishedacross the region.

42. Future Directions Resource Allocation for Enhanced VAA Areas of Concentration • ‘Monitoring the Food Security and Livelihood Crisis’ – strengthening VAA systems, with increased use of harmonised methods, monitoring tools and national data sets • ‘Deeper layer of analysis’ – detailed VAA’s relating to chronic and transitory food insecurity: (focusing at the sub-national level or specific sectoral studies) • Initiatives for evidence based policy formulation (e.g. high level advocacy programmes, based on the use of VAA information and/or exploration of social protection options. • Innovation in the use of VAA information to support programming options and policy formulation (e.g. in-depth analysis of cash vs. food options for the protection of rural livelihoods in chronically vulnerable areas

43. Future Directions:Broadening evidence-based analysis for policy formulation and programme interventions Areas of Concentration: • Strengthen VAA technical & analytical capacities which lead to a broader range of policies and programmes to address hunger and vulnerability in the SADC Region. • Support VAC mandates and appropriate workplans, including the provision of technical support and funding within agreed common parameters • Work through SADC RVAC and other national and regional bodies to establish institutional frameworks for the NVACS, including dedicated secretariats, embedded in existing government structures • Support regional learning opportunities to ensure VAA outputs links to improved and enhance national policy uptake

44. Future Directions:Improving technical and analytical capacities With a deeper layer of analysis, a main aim is to improve long-term policy formulation that addresses the underlying causes of food insecurity & chronic vulnerability A special emphasis placed at the sub-national level or ‘geographical hotspots’, where a more informed analysis on chronic and transitory food insecurity is required. • By utilising livelihood based approaches to VAA, RHVP will assist to strengthen the capacities of National VAA initiatives to regularly monitor populations at risk to food insecurity. • With an aim of supporting evidence based analysis for national policy formulation, RHVP will provide support for specialised VAA’s relating to chronic and transitory food insecurity A strong emphasis on the development of economical & sustainable systems, with increased use of improved monitoring tools & national data sets The aim being to improve the targeting of both emergency and development type responses, with a particular emphasis on identifying ‘predictable vulnerable populations’ with appropriate interventions.

45. Future Directions: Institutional Frameworks • Successful Criteria: • RHVP proposes: • Dedicated NVAC Secretariats • Formal recognition by national government • Inclusion in national budgets • Public service staffing commitment • Evidence of the use of VAA for programming and/or policy formulation • Mandated to provide VAA information to relevant stakeholders in household food security, poverty reduction, etc, • In order to legitimise and ensure VAA information is used to inform policy & guide social protection programmes, the institutionalisation of the NVACs within National Government Structures is essential. • RHVP will act as a catalyst for on-going efforts to institutionalise the NVACs, sharing positive experiences and encouraging dialogue between SADC member states • How to achieve this? • RHVP proposes: • Support to NVACs • Facilitation and advocacy support from the SADC RVAC, including consensus building on the importance of institutional frameworks for the NVAC’s. • Peer Advocacy through the SADC Council of Ministers • Exchange visits of senior policy makers and politicians

46. For more information: www.rhvp.org

47. Policy Change for Hunger & Vulnerability Philip White

48. POLICY CHANGE ENHANCED CAPACITIES EVIDENCE RHVP CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK adopting broader policy options and mainstreaming them in PRSPs VAA and broader approaches knowledge and its application

49. From broader VAA to broader policy response • With broader and better VAA a broader range of response options can be considered • This means policies and programmes can be more appropriately matched to context • Predictable (chronic) hunger and vulnerability can be tackled using predictable (on-budget) resources • Tried and tested programming options (e.g. safety nets) can be scaled up to address hunger • New policy instruments can be introduced, based on experiences in other countries • Policies on short and longer term hunger and vulnerability can be designed in advance - and included in NDPs and 2nd-round PRSPs.

50. Diversifying responses to hunger and vulnerability • Food aid – a vital role in food emergencies where markets constrained • But more appropriate in other contexts can be cash…. • conditional/unconditional cash transfers for poorest, cash for work, ‘cash for assets’, pension schemes etc. • …or other policy instruments • Insurance and diversification mechanisms • Targeted subsidies • Care programmes for special needs groups • Promoting regional grain trade • Microfinance schemes • Tackling social marginalisation and protecting rights • ….etc. etc…. • … instruments can cover different sectors and time frames • … and promote resilience and social change as well as protect