Evaluation of Starter Pack 2 Technical background

1. Evaluation of Starter Pack 2Technical background Statistical Services Centre University of Reading Malawi 23 August 2000

2. Background • Objectives of Starter Pack • Difficulty in measuring the net impact of Starter Pack

3. Objectives of Starter Pack • To increase food production, in particular for maize • To combat household food insecurity, particularly in the most vulnerable farm families • Provision of legume crops to help improve soil fertility and diet

4. Difficulty in measuring the net impact of Starter Pack • Difficulty in finding a baseline for comparison • Year to year changes affected by weather • “All farmers” were eligible • Variation in size of effects depending on farmer characteristics such as wealth, sex, location, etc

5. How to assess the impact of SP? • Looking at the multi-dimensional aspects of the impact of Starter Pack • Triangulating the estimates of production and months of food produced through • Year to year comparisons • Recipients versus non-recipients • Farmers’ perceptions and experience • Independent measures of ‘impact’ from each module in the evaluation.

6. Modular approach • Module 1: Agronomic Survey • Module 2: Microeconomic Impact and Willingness to Pay • Module 3: Gender and Intra-household Distribution • Module 4: Sustainable Agriculture and Biodiversity • Module 5: Ground Truth Study for SP Logistics Unit Starter Pack Register

7. Selection of sites • Random selection of villages and households within villages • Stratification by FEWS poverty and food security indices (M2), food security index (M3) and sphere of influence clusters (M4) • An optimal number of sites has been selected within the resources available • These elements will make it possible to reach generalisable conclusions and capture variability

8. Module 1: Agronomic Survey • Consultant: National Statistical Office • Coverage: National • 200 Enumeration Areas covering all RDPs in the country • 2992 households visited • 3527 individuals interviewed • Methodology: household survey and field visits

9. Module 2: Microeconomic Impact and Willingness to Pay • Consultant: Mzuzu ADD, Ministry of Agriculture. Team leader: Mr Francis Nyirenda • participatory preliminary study followed by a household survey • The study visited 120 villages distributed in 30 EPAs. Stratification by Poverty Index and Sphere of influence (VAM 1996). 1,200 households visited • Quantitative and qualitative methodsof research were combined

10. Module 2 Map of EPAs covered and Number of villages visited

11. Module 3: Gender and Intra-household Distribution • Consultant: Chancellor College. Gender Studies and Outreach Unit. Team Leader: Dr Lucy Binauli • Preliminary phase based on participatory workshops • Main phase based on restricted participatory methods combined with a short questionnaire • Visited 48 villages in 24 EPAs throughout the country • Consistent methodology and structured information recording used in all sites to allow integration of results

12. Module 3 Map of EPAs covered and Number of villages visited

13. Module 4: Sustainable Agriculture and Biodiversity • Consultants: Elizabeth Cromwell (ODI), Patrick Kambewa (Chancellor College), Richard Mwanza (Concern Universal), Rowland Chirwa (Chitedze Research Station) and Kwera (NGO) • Participatory study of 30 villages randomly selected in the whole of Malawi using the VAM (1996) classification of EPAs by Sphere of Influence

14. Module 4 Map of EPAs covered and Number of villages visited

15. Module 5: Ground Truth Study for SPLU • Consultants: McNewman Msowoya, Mzuzu ADD, Peter Wingfield-Digby, Ian Wilson • Census of 54 villages • Comparison with the registration data for Starter Pack 2 • Comparison with the census 1998 results • Assessment of the registration process in those villages.

16. Module 5 Map of EPAs covered