Nutrition

Mid-Term Strategic Review of the Livelihoods for Resilience Activity

CARE commissioned a Mid-Term Strategic Review (MTSR) of the Livelihoods for Resilience Activity to formulate recommendations for the remaining life of the project to increase effectiveness in achieving sustainable impact. The Livelihoods for Resilience Activity is being implemented in 27 Woredas in the three regions of Tigray, Amhara, and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples and is just over the midway point in its five-year life from December 5, 2016, through December 3, 2021. The purpose of the Livelihoods for Resilience Activity is to reduce food insecurity and increase resilience for 97,900 chronically food insecure households that are enrolled in the fourth cycle of the Government of Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP4), enabling them to graduate with resilience from the PSNP4.

The MTSR for the Livelihoods for Resilience Activity was a formative evaluation exercise intended to provide guidance on ways to improve the effectiveness of the program in achieving intended impact.

Relative to the four global learning questions for the MTSR (see page 4), the MTSR found that the model that the Livelihoods for Resilience Activity is implementing is effective for achieving graduation with resilience, but because frontline delivery is constrained by the number of staff, their technical capacities and the degree of supervision and support that they receive, interventions are not always going deeply enough to ensure behavioral change. The program is empowering women both economically and socially through the VESA platform, but there are significant variations between regions; and outside of the VESA, there is some evidence to suggest that women’s empowerment has not yet been well incorporated, especially in value chain participation and MFI linkages. Progress is certainly being made in transferring ideas and knowledge to PSNP counterparts, but that has not yet translated into practice mainly because of resource constraints. Key approaches that need to be added or strengthened in the coming two years include expanding frontline delivery capacities, expanding efforts to ensure that strategies and approaches are well understood by implementation staff at all levels in all partners, ensuring that women’s empowerment is included in all approaches by all partners, and looking for new ways to facilitate access to jobs, either through self-employment or wage employment, for youth from PSNP households.

The Livelihoods for Resilience Activity is already doing some very nice work in starting to achieve sustainable impact. The project has strong potential to be recognized as a “great” project if it can make some adjustments.
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Revue à mi-parcours « Projet d’appui à la filière halieutique (PAFHa) au Mali »

L’objectif global du PAFHa est de « Contribuer à la réduction de l’insécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle au Mali ». Son objectif spécifique consiste à « Améliorer les revenus par un appui au développement de la filière halieutique ». Pour ce faire, le PAFHa vise à aboutir aux 3 résultats suivants :
- R1. La conservation, la valorisation et la commercialisation des produits halieutiques sont améliorées
- R2. La production halieutique (pêche/pisciculture) est développée par des pratiques durables
- R3. Les services techniques gouvernementaux et les organisations professionnelles sont impliqués dans le programme et leurs capacités sont renforcées.
120 campements de pêche et / ou villages de pêche ont été identifiés avec la DNP comme sites d’intervention du projet. Read More...

Siaya Maternal and Child Nutrition Nawiri Project

The Siaya Maternal and Child Nutrition Nawiri Project was a 36-months intervention on maternal and child nutrition. The project was executed in partnership with CARE (the coordinator), Family Health Options Kenya (FHOK) and the Kisumu Medical and Education Trust (KMET) in Siaya County with funding support from the European Commission (EC), the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and CARE. The overall objective of the project was to contribute to improving maternal, infant and young child nutrition (MIYCN), including nutrition of women of reproductive age, in Siaya County.

The specific objectives of the end-term evaluation of the Nawiri Project were to: (1) assess against the project goal, objectives and expected results based on the indicators of the project log-frame; (2) assess the project objectives and proposed outcomes by measuring performance against each indicator under each result area and analyze key determinants that were positively or negatively critical for obtaining these results; (3) assess the efficiency of the process of achieving results. Under this objective, the evaluation would determine the contribution of the adopted gender equality Social Analysis and Action (SAA) Model and rights based approach project, community score card strategy for social accountability, advocacy strategies for political commitment, role of mother to mother support groups, male champion curriculum and training, role of MIYCN Trainer of Trainers (ToTs), impact of community outreaches, food demonstration sessions, public participation by CHVs during budget development process towards achieved results; (4) evaluate the efficiency of the organizational set‐up for the project (partnership arrangement) and systems used in the delivery of the project and to what extent these contributed to or inhibited the delivery of the project outcomes; (5) assess how gender aspects have been considered and included in the implementation (with specific focus on gender mainstreaming, setting of gender equality goals), inter alia, how women had participated or were represented meaningfully in decision-making and feedback; (6) assess the level of sustainability (financial, institutional and social) of the individual project components, and identify critical areas that may affect sustainability; and (7) provide recommendations on future project design including how to ensure effectiveness of log frames. Read More...

Learning From Failure 2019

Driven by a wish to learn more from what goes wrong in our programming, and to examine where changes to the broader organization and system can improve our programming and impact globally, in 2019 CARE undertook its first evaluations-based failure meta-analysis. This analysis draws learning and evidence from 114 evaluations of CARE’s work from 2015-2018 to understand the patterns and trends in what goes wrong. This helps us take a data-driven approach to strategic investments and action plans to live out CARE’s commitment to high program quality and continuous improvement across the board.
The review draws from project specific data, but deliberately anonymizes the data and focuses on overarching trends to remove blame for any specific project team or set of individuals. This exercise is designed to help us learn more about how we can change our processes and patterns of support and engagement around weak areas to improve our work. CARE is using this data to build action plans and next steps to continuously improve our programming.
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Improving Effective Coverage of Maternal, New-born and Child Health Interventions for Reducing Preventable Child Deaths in Tangail and Khulna

Bangladesh has achieved success in reducing U5 & maternal mortality in last decade. UNICEF is partnering with GoB to contribute to reduce maternal and newborn deaths. To this end, MoH&FW with partnering with UNICEF and technical support from KOIKA implemented a MNCH project (IECMNCH) in Tangail and Khulna in line with UNICEF’s efforts to pay attention to low performing upazilas and HTR areas, started in 2015. CARE is one of the partners on this project.
designed to address main causes of newborn deaths (birth asphyxia, infection, prematurity)
to increase availability, utilization of quality MNCH-&-Nutrition services by
- increasing, sustaining of effective coverage of selected interventions;
- strengthening health system with increased availability & access to quality MNCH services;
-positive behaviour & social norm change through community participation & ownership for effective demand creation for increased utilization of MNCH services.

A baseline study in 2015 and an endline evaluation study in 2018 were implemented by UNICEF. Here are the endline study findings with corresponding baseline findings where necessary.
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Improving Sexual, Reproductive Health and Rights Including Maternal and Newborn Health in Bangladesh

UNICEF in collaboration with Bangladesh government launched a project “Improving Sexual, Reproductive Health and Rights including Maternal and Newborn Health in Bangladesh” to improve integrated sexual and reproductive health and rights including maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health in 5 districts. CARE was a key implementing partner in this project.

Before implementation of the project a baseline study in 5 project districts (Patuakhali, Rangamati, Sirajganj, Jamalpur and Moulvibazar) with 4 comparison districts (Barguna, Khagrachhari, Lalmonirhat and Sylhet), implemented by UNICEF and conducted by SURCH between 9th May and 18th August 2018
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FANSER End of Project Evaluation: Knowledge, Attitudes & Practices Survey

This report presents the findings of an evaluation of the Food and Nutrition Security and Enhanced Resilience (FANSER) project implemented by CARE International in three wards in Katete District of the Eastern province of Zambia. The main objectives of the study were: to describe the nutrition situation among the FANSER target groups in Katete District i.e. assess the IDDS-W, IDDS-C; to assess the nutrition-related behaviours i.e. examine knowledge, attitudes, behaviours and practices related to agriculture, health, nutrition, hygiene and health practices of mothers (15-49 years old) and children (<2 years); and women empowerment; and to document evidence, lessons learned and good practices to inform future nutrition programming. The assessment utilized a mixed methods approach to collect data on project interventions in order to assess the impact of the project.
Using the global Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) platform, CARE International in Zambia with funding from GIZ under the “One World No Hunger” Initiative of the German Government, implemented various nutrition interventions to building capacity of staff and community volunteers to promote the production, preparation and consumption of diverse foods in Katete District particularly in Chimtende, Vulamkoko and Chimwa wards. This came from the realization that rural areas are more prone and vulnerable to malnutrition and deficiency diseases. The main goal of the project was to ensure that the food and nutrition security and dietary diversity of women of reproductive age and children under the age of two, in Katete district is improved. Read More...

PROGRAMME EUROPÉEN DE SÉCURITÉ ALIMENTAIRE ET NUTRITIONNELLE ASARA

L’Union Européenne finance les Programmes ASARA (Amélioration de la Sécurité Alimentaire et Augmentation des Revenus Agricoles) et AINA (Actions Intégrées en Nutrition et Alimentation) dans le cadre de son initiative visant à accélérer l’atteinte de l’Objectif du Millénaire pour le Développement (OMD) 1c, « réduire de moitié, d’ici 2015, la proportion de la population vivant dans l’extrême pauvreté et souffrant de la faim ».

ASARA et AINA pilotés respectivement par l'USCP (Unité de Suivi et de Coordination du Projet) et la FAO (Organisation des Nations Unies pour l’Alimentation et l’Agriculture) visent la réduction de l’insécurité alimentaire des familles vulnérables dans les zones ciblées. Le programme AINA vise en plus l’amélioration de la sécurité nutritionnelle de ces familles. Les Régions Androy, Anosy et Atsimo Atsinanana sont des zones communes aux deux programmes si AINA intervient également dans les Régions Amoron’i Mania, Vatovavy Fitovinany et ASARA dans le District de Fort-Dauphin. Read More...

Women’s Empowerment Program (WEP) Midterm Report

In 2009, Norad-funded women empowerment programs (WEPs) started implementation in seven countries: Burundi, Mali, Myanmar, Niger, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. In 2009 and early 2010, an extensive quantitative baseline study was conducted in these countries around a common set of indicators. The present mid-term review (MTR), which was done using qualitative methodology, analysed in depth the process and nature of changes that the programs are contributing towards. In all the program countries, the country WEP team carried out the review internally with the technical assistance of an external consultant and CARE Norway (CN).

With slight variations, the overall objectives of the country WEPs focused on the economic, social, and political empowerment of women. The village savings and loan association (VSLA) methodology was common for all the programs; and these groups create the platform for working on other aspects of the program besides economic empowerment. The initial changes that the programs produce are seen in terms of increased access to savings and loans, employment opportunities, and asset ownership. The ability of the women to earn income, generate their own savings and make financial contributions in the household (HH) has greatly improved their self-esteem, thereby giving them better leverage to involve in and influence HH decision making processes. Men were highly appreciative of the income women were able to bring in to the family as a result of being involved in VSLAs. Through their improved position in the household, women reported being able to negotiate the use of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and the abandonment of different harmful practices. Through the use of couples-based approach and engaging men initiatives, HH relationships are beginning to improve; men in these households are reportedly starting to have a more positive attitude towards women’s empowerment and are themselves even taking part in domestic activities in some contexts. The VSLA approach is enabling women to create strong social networks that are becoming an influential force for social change. As a result of increased knowledge on their human rights and increasing leadership skills, women are beginning to understand how they have to position themselves to realize their strategic interests. The VSLA groups and networks also enable women to mobilise support when they are running for elections; this support has increased number of women being elected into different posts. The contribution of women in VSLAs and in community leadership positions is being increasingly recognised and appreciated by local authority figures, which can be seen when they actively seek the advice of women and VSL groups in relation to different community development initiatives.
Through working in partnership with others, the programs are being implemented in a high quality and timely manner. Engagement with strategic partners has occurred effectively in some countries, and been instrumental in enabling the programs to link grassroots evidence to national level advocacy activities which have achieved concrete results. [52 pages] Read More...

Community-Driven Financial Inclusion for the Most Vulnerable Households

The Tat Lan Programme, funded by the Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) in Myanmar was implemented in two phases (2013-15 and 2017-18). The overall goal was to ensure a sustainable increase of food and nutrition security and incomes of participant households in 259 communities in the townships of Myebon, Pauktaw, Kyaukpyu and Minbya in Rakhine State. [24 pages] Read More...

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