Evaluating FAO Work in Emergencies

1. Evaluating FAO Work in Emergencies Protecting Household Food Security and Livelihoods

2. Areas of intervention in Emergencies • Crop and livestock production, marketing and finance • Animal and plant pests and diseases • Boat repair, fishing gear and fish processing • Food security information, early warning and coordinated response • Land and water management • Road and irrigation rehabilitation 

3. Approaches • Situation and response analysis (joint needs assessments) and monitoring of food security • Lead for agriculture or co-leader of food security or livelihoods clusters and formulation of strategies and programmes • Implementing mitigation and recovery programmes • Capacity building (individual, institutions, enabling environment)

4. Impact Assessments (IA) Emergency & Recovery Interventions • Input Trade Fairs, Mozambique 2006 • Desert Locust Control, W.Africa 2006 • Tsunami Response, SE Asia 2006 • Farmer Field Schools, Sierra Leone 2007 • Emergency and Rehabilitation Interventions, HoA 2007 • Emergency and Rehabilitation Interventions, DRC 2008

5. Key Methodological Challenges • Resources and time available. • Security concerns • Data constraints • Identification of counter-factual (baselines and non-exposed comparison groups) • Attribution/Contribution - longer interval intervention-impact and plethora of potential confounding factors • FAO role often supporting others to do (govt, NGOs). • Appropriate indicators – food security

6. Thematic Study: Community Animal Health Intervention, Sudan 2004-2008 Problem: high risk of livestock disease and low coverage of early warning, prevention and treatment services in rural areas in Sudan. 3,000 Community Animal Health Workers in north and south Sudan trained and supported. • Impact indicators: incidence of vaccine preventable diseases, duration and severity of animal illnesses. Key Evaluation Issues: ? Contribution of CAHWs to disease/illness reduction amongst livestock. ? Sustained benefit of the investments made in CAH over the last 5 years. ? Effectiveness of CAHWs in providing community level services compared with the alternatives.

7. Community Animal Health Intervention, Sudan 2004-2008 Logic Model: Outputs - essential drugs, vaccines, supplies, cold chain equipment, training, and normative guidance provided -> Outcome - will result in increased operational capacity to deliver timely animal health services (surveillance, vaccination and treatment) -> Impact - which will help protect livelihood assets (livestock) and improve food security (income).

8. Thematic Study: Community Animal Health Intervention , Sudan 2004-2008 Evaluation methodology: Mix of Qualitative & Quantitative: • Review of disease surveillance data; • Review of CAHW project documentation; • Interview trained CAHWs (150) and contact herders (200-300); • Focus groups with stakeholders at State and national level (Govt and NGOs) involved in CAHW interventions.

9. Thematic Study: Community Animal Health Activities, Sudan 2004-2008 • Strengths – in depth discussions with beneficiaries and local stakeholders to understand perceptions of change. Triangulation of various types and sources of information will contribute to the strength of the evidence. • Weaknesses – data likely to be unreliable. Information gathered through interviews will not be statistically representative and no counterfactual group (except recall - before/after) will be available.

10. Thematic Study: Community Animal Health Activities, Sudan 2004-2008 • Work in Progress • Suggestions welcome!