Tufts - Rapid Review of RAIN Project

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  • 8/2/2019 Tufts - Rapid Review of RAIN Project

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    FeinsteinInternational

    Center,

    Tufts

    University

    PLIPolicyProject,Ethiopia

    RapidReviewoftheCashforWorkandNaturalResourceManagement

    Components

    of

    the

    RAIN

    Project

    July2010

    AndyCatleyandAlisonNapier

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    Contents

    SUMMARY............................................................................................................................................... 1

    Introduction............................................................................................................................................ 3

    Reviewprocess....................................................................................................................................... 3

    Reviewworkshop

    ....................................................................................................................................

    4

    Rapidoverviewofcashforworkandnaturalresourcemanagementactivities................................4

    AssettransfersinSomalipastoralistareaslessonsfromotherprojects.........................................6

    Householdprofilesandsimpleeconomicmodelingtopredicttheimpactofassettransfers...........7

    LinkingRAINtolongtermstrategicframeworksforpastoralistareas.............................................. 9

    NRMactivitiesandimpact................................................................................................................ 10

    RevisitingtheRAINobjectives.......................................................................................................... 11

    Findingsandrecommendations............................................................................................................ 12

    Annex1.

    Mercy

    Corps

    participants

    at

    review

    workshop,

    Addis

    Ababa,

    28to

    29

    July

    2010

    .................

    14

    Annex2.Casestudiesofpreviouscashdistributionandrestockingprojects......................................15

    Annex3.Trendsinhighexportpastoralistareas:linkingRAINstrategiestobroaderdevelopment

    strategies............................................................................................................................................... 19

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    1

    SUMMARY

    TheprojectRevitalizing Agricultural/PastoralIncomesandNewMarkets(RAIN)isathreeyear

    projectimplementedbyMercyCorpsandSavetheChildrenUK(SCUK)inpartsofSomaliand

    OromiyaRegionsinEthiopia.Theprojectaimstoprotect,buildanddiversifyassetsinfoodinsecure

    households.ThedonoristheOfficeforForeignDisasterAssistance(OFDA)andtheprojectbudgetis

    US$17million.

    InJuly2010,approximatelyatthemidpointofprojectimplementation,MercyCorps

    workedwiththeFeinsteinInternationalCenterofTuftsUniversitytoreviewspecificelementsofthe

    RAINprojectviz.cashforwork(CFW)andrelatednaturalresourcemanagement(NRM)activities,

    andexploreopportunitiesforreshapingprojectstrategiesandactivitiestoachievegreaterimpact.

    ThereviewprocessincludedthecollectionandreviewofcasestudiesfromSomalipastoralistareas,

    focusingonassettransferapproachessuchascashdistributionsduringdrought,andrestockingafter

    drought.Specificareasofinterestinthesepreviousapproacheswerethelevelsofassettransfer

    relativetothelivelihoodsimpact,andthetimeperiodneededtoachieveimpact.

    Complementarytothereviewofcasestudies,simpleeconomicmodelingwasusedto

    predicthowdifferentlevelsofoneoffcashtransferswouldimpactondifferenttypesofdestitute

    andpooragropastoralandpastoralhouseholds.Spreadsheetswiththemodelwereprovidedto

    Mercy

    Corps

    for

    further

    adaptation

    and

    to

    assist

    revision

    of

    project

    strategies.

    TheoverallRAINprojectobjectiveswerereviewed,albeitbriefly,togetherwithoptionsfor

    assessingtheimpactoftheNRMactivities.

    Keyfindingsandrecommendations

    Projectdesignandstrategies

    Attheoveralllevelofprojectdesign,generalimplementation strategies,andM&Eneeds,MercyCorpsstaffhadalreadystartedtoreviewandreshapespecificRAINactivitiesandquestionthe

    likelyimpactofCFWandNRMactivities.However,giventhecomplexityofRAINandtheproject

    budget,aradicalreworkingandclarification ofprojectobjectivesisneeded.Thecurrentproject

    designneedstobeclarifiedusingsubobjectivesandmadeSMARTviz.Specific,Measurable,

    Achievable,

    Realistic

    and

    Time

    bound.

    Revised

    activities

    should

    fit

    clearly

    under,

    and

    directly

    contributetothesubobjectives.AtpresenttheRAINprojectdocumentlacksaclearcausal

    pathway,fromactivitiestoobjectivestoimpact,andseemsnottofullydifferentiatestrategies

    oractivitiesaccordingtothecharacteristicsofdifferenthouseholds,indifferentareas.There

    seemedtobecommonagreementintheworkshopwithMercyCorpsthatthesechangeswere

    needed.

    Initscurrentform,RAINprovidesoneoffcashtransferswhicharelikelytobeveryshortlivedintermsofimpact,asthecashisprobablyusedmainlytomeetimmediatefoodneeds.Therefore,

    whileRAINmightbecontributingtoatypical(butunstated)humanitarian/foodsecurity

    objective,impactonthemoredevelopmentorientatedobjectivesofassetprotection,asset

    buildingandlivelihoodsdiversificationisunlikely.Intermsofassetprotection,thisobjectivehas

    tobetailoredtothepreexistingassetsofhouseholdsanddoesnotapplyeasilytohouseholds

    whichhavenoproductiveassetstoprotect.

    AtthelevelofCFWactivities,thereviewshowedaneedtorevisetheseactivitiesifassetbuildingobjectivesaretobeachievedwithinthetimeframeoftheproject.RelativetoRAIN,

    previousandreasonablysuccessfulassettransferapproachesinSomaliareashavechanneledfar

    greaterresourcestofewerhouseholds,or,haveexpectedimpacttolastforonlytwomonthsor

    less.SimpleeconomicmodelingshouldhelpMercyCorpstoreshapeCFWapproaches,andtailor

    differentapproachestodifferenttypesofdestituteand/orpooragropastoralandpastoral

    households.Theseapproachesneedtobeclearlydefinedandjustified.Therewaswidevariation

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    2

    inthelevelofcashtransferswithinprojectareas. RAINiscurrentlyhasaverycomplexdesign,

    whereasthedifficultoperationalcontextofSomaliRegioncallsforsimplicityandfocus.

    FortheNRMrelatedactivities,approachessuchaspondandgullyrehabilitation,checkdamconstruction,terracingandsoilbundshavebeenusedinSomaliandpartsofOromiyaregionsfor

    manyyears.Forexample,theseapproacheswerewidelyusedbytheSouthEastRangelands

    ProjectinSomaliRegion.ForRAINNRMactivities,potentialimpactsarecurrentlyoutlinedat

    communitylevel

    and

    are

    not

    specific

    to

    destitute

    or

    poor

    households

    i.e.

    the

    most

    vulnerable

    groups.Questionstolookatinclude:How,specifically,willdestituteorpoorhouseholdsbenefit

    fromthesestructures?Giventherepeatedneedforrepairorrehabilitation,whatlocal

    managementsystemscanbesupportedtoensurethelongtermmaintenanceofthestructures?

    Whichstructuresaresusceptibletoprivateownershipwithpossibleexclusionofpoorerusers?Is

    privateownershipnecessarilyabadthing?Similarquestionsapplytobushclearing(Prosopis

    control),giventherapidreinvasionofclearedareas.Impactassessmentoftheseactivitiesis

    likelytobehinderedbythegoodrainfallin2010andthelikelihoodthatRAINrelatedwater

    pointsorgrazingareasmightnotbeusedifthereisamplegroundwateravailableorgood

    grazingelsewhere.

    ThereviewdidnotlookatissuessuchastheeffectivenessorrelevanceofCFWcomparedwith,forexample,directcashdistributions(withoutwork)orfooddistributions.Whiledifferent

    approachesare

    likely

    to

    result

    in

    different

    impacts

    and

    acceptance

    within

    communities,

    there

    arealsoquestionsabouttheorganizationalcostsandefficienciesoftransfers,including

    operationalandtransactioncosts.Forexample,inthecaseofRAINtheCFWapproachrequires

    agenciestoplan,supportandmonitorthetiedNRMactivities,andatacost.Atsomepoint,an

    evaluationofRAINshouldassessthedeliverycostsofdifferentassettransferapproaches.

    Longterm,theadministrativeandoperationalcostsofinternationalNGOsarelikelytofar

    exceedthoseofsomeotherserviceproviders.

    RAINisbutoneprojectamongmany,anditsobjectivesandstrategiesshouldfitwithinabroader,longtermMercyCorpsframeworkfordevelopmentinpastoralistareas.Thereview

    touchedonsomeoftheissues.Asahighlivestockexportarea,SomaliRegionandneighboring

    Somaliareasaresubjecttolongtermbutgradualcommercialization.Thisisreflectedinthe

    robustnatureoftheexporttradeandsimultaneously,risinglevelsofdestitution.As

    commercialization

    advances,

    herds

    are

    likely

    to

    increase

    and

    poorer

    herders

    will

    struggle

    to

    stay

    inpastoralism. Ifcorrect,thesetrendshavemajorimplicationsforSomaliareasand

    developmentpolicy,andthestrategicdirectionsofRAIN.

    Implicationsofchange

    MercyCorpsstaffexpressedconcernsoverdonorexpectations,andpressuretomaximizethenumberofprojectbeneficiariesinRAIN.Despitetheseconcerns,asahumanitariandonorOFDA

    maywanttorevisittheconceptofachievingdevelopmentobjectivesviaassettransferswhich

    arespreadwidelybutthinly,andwhichareoneofftransfers.ShouldOFDAsupportaradical

    reshapingoftheCFWcomponentofRAIN,itmaybeacceptabletousedifferentapproachesin

    similarlivelihoodszones,andcompareimpacts.ThismightinvolveacontinuationoftheCFWin

    someareasasis,butpilotingmoreintensivetransferstofewerhouseholdsinotherareas.

    By

    using

    a

    CFW

    approach

    in

    RAIN,

    Mercy

    Corps

    has

    become

    engaged

    in

    debates

    and

    negotiationsinandaroundtheProductiveSafetyNetProgramme,especiallyonwagerates.In

    itscurrentforminpastoralistareas,theCFWapproachisprobablycontributingtoashortterm

    foodsecurityneedsforsomehouseholdsbuthavinglimitedimpactonassetgrowth.Thisinitself

    mightbealessontofeedintothePSNPandwageratediscussions.Inthefaceofthenextshock

    ordrought,householdsarestilllikelytodepleteassetsrapidlyandrequireassistance.The

    economic modelingtooldevelopedaspartofthisreviewmightbefurtherdevelopedandused

    withgovernmentpartnerstopredicttheimpactsofcashand/orfoodtransfers,andthelevels

    anddurationoftransferneededtoachievemeaningfulassetbuildingobjectives.

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    Introduction

    TheprojectRevitalizing Agricultural/PastoralIncomesandNewMarkets(RAIN)isathreeyear

    projectimplementedbyMercyCorpsandSavetheChildrenUK(SCUK)inpartsofSomaliand

    OromiyaRegionsinEthiopia.Theprojectaimstoprotect,buildanddiversifyassetsinfoodinsecure

    households.ThedonoristheOfficeforForeignDisasterAssistance(OFDA)andtheprojectbudgetis

    US$17million.

    AtaroundthemidpointoftheimplementationofRAIN,inMay2010,MercyCorps

    approachedtheFeinsteinInternationalCenter(Tufts)toseeksupportforanimpactassessmentof

    specificRAINactivitiesviz.cashforwork(CFW)andrelatednaturalresourcemanagement(NRM)

    activitiesoftheproject.Whendecidingifaninterventionshouldbeassessedandwhen,experience

    fromthePastoralistLivelihoodsInitiative(PLI)inEthiopiafrom2005hasshownthatimpact

    assessmentisnotalwaysappropriate.Forexample,adesktopreviewofprojectdesignand

    implementationstrategiesmightindicatethatlimitedimpactwouldbeexpectedandifso,a

    reshapingofprojectdesigncanbemoreusefulthanimpactassessment1.

    Withthisexperienceinmind,TuftsreviewedtheRAINprojectproposaltoOFDAand

    followingdiscussionwithMercyCorps,agreedtosupportatechnicalreviewoftheprojectaimsand

    strategies,andwithafocusontheCFWandNRMcomponents.Inpartthisfocuswasalsoinfluenced

    by

    wider

    debates

    around

    safety

    net

    programs

    in

    Ethiopia,

    and

    the

    role

    of

    cash

    and/or

    food

    transfers

    asameanstoreducevulnerabilitytolivelihoodscrises.

    Reviewprocess

    Theoverallpurposeofthereviewwastoexaminewhatlevelofincome/assetsarerequiredto

    enablehouseholdstomaintainorimprovetheirlivelihoods,especiallyinthefaceofpressuressuch

    asdrought.

    Activity Typeofinformationandanalysis

    Deskreview(Tufts)

    Workshop/seminar

    withRAINstaff

    ReviewlessonsfromotherassessmentsinSomaliRegionrelatedtotheProductiveSafetyNetProgramme(PSNP)and/orCFW(e.g.SavetheChildrenUS,WorldBank),othercashtransfer

    programs

    Reviewlessons

    from

    restocking

    programmes

    e.g.

    the

    herd

    growth

    rates

    and

    core

    herd

    sizes

    requiredtomaintainorgrowherds

    Reviewoftrendsinpastoralistlivestockholdings

    ReviewofexistingCFWandwagerates(publicandprivatesectors)intargetareas

    ReviewoffoodeconomybaselinedataforRAINareasBasedontheabove,developanumberofrealprofilesorcasestudies,ofdifferenthousehold

    economies.Thiscouldincludeprofilesofapastoralisthouseholdinaruralarea,afemaleheaded

    household,anagropastoralisthousehold,adestituteordropouthouseholdetc.andwillinclude

    householdslikelytohavebeentargetedbyCFW/PSNPprograms.

    Basedonthedifferenthouseholdprofiles,currentassetstatusandlessonslearned,withMercyCorpsstaffdevelopscenariostoillustrateandcomparethepotentiallivelihoodsimpact

    ofdifferentdevelopmentoptionsovertime.

    Variablescouldinclude:differenttypesandlevelsofinputs(CFWvs.restocking);livelihoodshocks(pricerises,drought);differenttimeframesetc.

    Usingthescenarios,identifya)theinputs/supportneededtoprotectcurrentfinancialassetsandb)thedifferenteconomicoptions(includingthosetargetedbyRAIN)forimproving/

    diversifyinglivelihoodsintheshorttomediumterm.

    DiscussionontheextenttowhichRAINobjectivesandstrategiesfitwithhigherleveldonororMercyCorpsstrategiesinpastoralistareasofEthiopia.

    1Forexample,areviewoftheMercyCorpsactivitiesinAfarRegionunderPLIwasconductedinlate2006inpreferenceto

    animpactassessment.

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    Potentialnextsteps

    ThiscouldleadintoadiscussionofthecurrentRAINcashforworkstrategiesandpossibleoptions

    forstrengtheningtheapproach.

    Basedonthediscussionsduringtheworkshopbutcouldincludefieldworktodevelopadditional

    casestories(forexample,ofhouseholdsthathavesuccessfullyrecovered/diversified)and/or

    identifyingkeyquestionsforexaminingthepotentialimpactofRAINsNRMwork,forexamplein

    relationtodifferenthouseholdeconomies/scenarios.

    Itwasexpectedthattheprocess,especiallytheworkshop,wouldincludeanelementof

    capacitybuildingofMercyCorpsstaffintheuseofsimplescenarioanalysis.

    TheworkshopwasheldattheMercyCorpsofficeinAddisAbaba28th

    to29th

    July2010,with

    MercyCorpsstaff(Annex1).TherewerenoparticipantsfromSCUK.

    SomeofthekeybackgrounddocumentswhichwerereviewedbyTuftsandusedduringthe

    workshopwereasfollows:

    Evaluationsofpreviousassettransfer/assetbuildingprojectsinSomaliareastheseweresummarizedandusedascasestudiesduringtheworkshop(seeAnnex2).

    FoodeconomybaselinesfortheHarshinDegahburEastPastoralLivelihoodZoneandtheJijigaAgropastoralLivelihoodZone,publishedbySCUKandDisasterPreventionand

    PreparednessAgency;thereferenceyearwas20045.ThereviewhadinitiallyintendedtoexaminePSNPreviewsinpastoralistareas,particularlythose

    supportedbySCUSandtheWorldBank.However,thesedocumentswerenotavailableatthetime

    oftheRAINreview.

    Reviewworkshop

    Rapidoverviewofcashforworkandnaturalresourcemanagementactivities

    MercyCorpspresentedarapidoverviewofCFWandrelatedNRMactivitiesinthreeprojectareasviz

    EastHararghe,JijigaandDegabur.

    EastHarargheoffice

    Beneficiaries theemergencyCFWtargeteddestitutehouseholds;theNRMCFWtargetedpoor

    households.

    Table1.CashtransfersinEastHararghe

    TypeofCFW Totaltransfer(ETB) Numberofbeneficiaries Averagetotalcashtransfer(ETB)

    perhousehold1

    EmergencyCFW

    NRMCFW

    957,220

    557,243

    803 (607female,803male)

    1010(284female,726male)

    696(~US$26)

    1372(~US$51)1Basedontwoworkersreceivingcashperhousehold;EB13.4=US$1.

    Table2.NRMactivitiesinEastHararghe

    Type Number Volume

    Ponds(waterpans)

    - Newconstruction- RehabilitationGullyrehabilitation,includingreshaping,checkdam

    construction,plantationandcutoffdrains

    2

    9

    4

    1,600m3

    2,5004,000m3

    37,088m3

    ExpectedoutcomesfromemergencyCFW:

    - Cashnecessaryforbeneficiariestopurchasevitalfoodsupplies(i.e.noneedtosellassets)

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    - Populationstayedinarea- Ingood/favorablepositiontobenefitfromseedfailactivities- Improvedaccesstowater

    ExpectedoutcomesfromNRMCFW

    - Noneedtosellassetsforfood- Assetbuilding:purchaseoflivestock(smallruminants)

    - Improved

    access

    to

    water

    - Improvedenvironmentalservices- Livelihooddiversificationthroughincomegeneratinggroups

    Jijigaoffice

    Table3.Cashforworkbyactivityinagropastoralareas

    Locationandtypeofwork Women Men Totalamountpaid

    (EB)

    Averagetotalpayment

    (EB)perperson

    Gursum;wagerateEB20/day:

    shallowwellconstruction

    hillsideterracing(10km)

    pondrehabilitation(1800m3)

    Kebribayah;wage

    rate

    EB

    25/day:

    - hillsideterracing(33km)

    stonecheckdam(4318m3)

    soilbund(27km)

    20

    30

    40

    116

    66

    89

    30

    280

    180

    234

    260

    284

    50,000

    50,000

    72,000

    212,500

    431,800

    101,250

    1,000

    161

    327

    607

    1,324

    271

    Notetargetedpooragropastoralhouseholdswithnocerealinstore.

    Table4.Cashforworkbyactivityinpastoralareas

    Locationandtypeofwork Women Men Totalamountpaid

    (EB)

    Averagetotalpayment

    (EB)perperson

    Aware wagerateEB30/day:

    - stonecheckdams(500m3)

    soilbund(36km)

    Propsopis

    clearing

    (100ha)

    Gashamo wagerateEB30/day:

    stonecheckdam(2000m3)

    waterdiversionchannel(40km)

    soilbund(80km)

    pondrehabilitation(91,200m3)

    5

    10

    5

    10

    5

    6

    0

    75

    110

    55

    90

    85

    97

    50

    60,000

    162,000

    99,000

    240,000

    180,000

    198,000

    72,000

    750

    1,350

    1,650

    240

    2,000

    1,900

    1,400

    Notetargetedpoorpastoralhouseholdswith

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    - Theactivitiesaimedtodealwithwatershortages,particularlyinObale.- Preliminaryfindingsatfieldlevelwerethatcashwasusedtobuyfood;forexample,a

    householdof7peoplemightbuy50kgwheat,lasting1weekandcostingEB100;withan

    averageweeklyCFWwageofEB150,wheatcouldbepurchasedtolastabout1.5weeks.

    AssettransfersinSomalipastoralistareaslessonsfromotherprojects

    ThissessionwasbasedonMercyCorpsstaffreviewingaseriesofshortcasestudiesfromprevious

    restockingprojectsandcashdistributionsinSomalipastoralistareas.Thefullcasestudiesareshown

    inAnnex2.Animportantpartofthereviewwastoexaminethelevelsofassettransferrelativeto

    thereportedimpactsandbenefitsintheseprojects(summarizedinTable6),andthencompareto

    thelevelsofassettransferinpastoralistareasofRAIN(Table4).

    Table6.Previousevaluationsandimpactassessments,Somaliareas2

    SCIsiolo,Kenya SCFik,Ethiopia NORDA,Kenya HornRelief,Sool

    Context Droughtrelated IDPrehabilitation Droughtrelated Droughtrelated

    Typeoftransfer Cash Livestock,food,other Livestock Cash

    Keyobjectives Longtermherd

    reconstitution;

    diversifiedlivelihoods

    ReturnofIDPsto

    pastoralistlivelihood

    Resumptionof

    pastoralism

    Shortterm

    emergency

    assistance,for1.5to

    2months

    Valueofasset

    transfer

    US$490/hh US$321/hhplusfood

    ration

    ~US$450 US$50/hh

    Frequencyofasset

    transfer

    Oneoff Oneoff Oneoff Oneoff

    Achievementof

    objectives

    Partialat7months

    aftercashinput;upto

    further2years

    neededtobuildherds

    75%hhsresumed

    pastoralism2.5years

    afterassettransfer

    Mosthhsattained

    minimumherdsize

    1.5.yearsafter

    restocking

    Yes,butimpactof

    assistancelastedonly

    1month

    Table4indicatesthattheaveragetotalcashtransferperhouseholdinpastoralistareasofRAIN

    wasUS$122(EB1677).AcomparisonofthisfigurewithTable6indicatedthatthecashtransfers

    provided

    by

    RAIN:

    - wouldlastafamilyofaround7peopleabout2to3monthsifallcashwasconvertedtofood;

    - wouldprobablyhaveminimalimpactonassetbuildingifthestrategywastoensurethatpastoralistsacquiredaminimumherd.TherestockingcasestudiesusedtransfersofUS$321

    toUS$490perhousehold,withthelowerfiguresupplementedwithafoodration.

    Thesefindingsindicatedaneedtoredesigntheassetbuildingapproachforpastoralist

    householdsandspecifically,toprovideahigherlevelofcashtransfertoasmallernumberoftarget

    2SourcesforTable6:

    AcaciaConsultantsLtd.(2004).EvaluationofcashreliefprogrammeimplementedbyHornRelief,commissionedbyNOVIB/Oxfam

    Netherlands.Acacia

    Consultants,

    Nairobi

    Ali,D.,Toure,F.andKiewied,T.(2005).Cashreliefinacontestedarea:LessonsfromSomalia.HumanitarianPracticeNetworkPaper50,

    OverseasDevelopmentInstitute,London

    Croucher, M. et al. (2006). Initial Impact Assessment of the Livelihoods Programme in Merti and Sericho. Save the Children Canada,

    Nairobi

    ODonnell,M.(2007).CashbasedEmergencyLivelihoodRecoveryProgramme,IsioloDistrict,KenyaProjectEvaluationdraftreport,by

    MichaelODonnell,SavetheChildren,Nairobi.

    Lotira,R.(2004).Rebuildingherdsbyreenforcinggargar/irbamongtheSomalipastoralistsofKenya:evaluationofexperimental

    restockingprograminWajirandManderaDistrictsofKenya.AfricanUnion/InterafricanBureauforAnimalResources,Nairobi

    andFeinsteinInternationalCenter,TuftsUniversity,Nairobi

    Wekesa,M.(2005).Terminalevaluationoftherestocking/rehabilitationprogrammefortheinternallydisplacedpersons(IDPs)inFikZone

    oftheSomaliRegionofEthiopia.SavetheChildrenUK,AddisAbabaandAcaciaConsultants,Nairobi

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    7

    households.Plus,giventheremainingtimeinRAINforimplementationitwasnoticeablethateven

    withrelativelyhighassettransfersitwouldtakearoundtwotothreeyearstorebuildpastoralherds.

    Householdprofilesandsimpleeconomicmodelingtopredicttheimpactofassettransfers

    Anotherwaytoexaminethelikelyimpactsofcashtransferstopastoralistandagropastoralist

    householdsis

    to

    develop

    simple

    economic

    models

    which

    show

    patterns

    of

    asset

    growth

    over

    time,

    andinthefaceofdifferentpressuresonlivelihoodssuchasdrought.Simplemodelingcanbeusedas

    atooltoanswerquestionssuchas:

    o Fordifferent levelsofassettransfer,how longwill ittakeadestitutepastoralisthouseholdtodevelopsufficientassetstoresumepastoralismasthemainmeansoflivelihood?

    o Fordifferent levelsof asset transfer,how longwill it takeapoorpastoralisthousehold tomoveupwardsintoamediumwealthgroupcategory?

    Afirststepinthemodelingprocesswastocharacterizedifferenttypesofagropastoraland

    pastoralhouseholdbyassetownership,bearinginmindthattheobjectivesofRAINfocusedonasset

    protection,assetbuildingandassetdiversification. TheprofilesinTable7weresuggestedbyMercy

    CorpsstaffforRAINprojectareas.

    Table7.HouseholdsassetsinRAINprojectareas

    Evenbeforeusingtheseprofilesformodeling,theypointedtosomebasicquestionsintermsofthe

    objectivesofRAIN.Forexample,

    Fordifferenttypesofhousehold,whichtypeofassetsspecifically isRAINtryingtoprotect

    andwhy?

    Fordestitutionhouseholds,doestheobjectiveofassetprotectionapplyifthesehouseholds

    havesofewassetstostartwith?

    Forthepurposeofillustration,aninitialmodelwasdevelopedforaSomalihouseholdof7

    people,being2adultsand5children.Themodelsusedlivestockherddynamicsdata,dataonhuman

    nutritionalrequirementsandenergycontentoffoods,anddatafromhouseholdeconomysurveys

    ontheproportionalcontributionofdifferentfoodstohouseholddiets.Themodelsfocusedonasset

    growthandseparatemodelsweredevelopedfortwodifferenttypesofhouseholdviz:

    Destituteagropastoral

    household,EastHararghe

    Pooragropastoral

    household,EastHararghe

    Pooragropastoral

    household,Gursum

    Poorpastoralhousehold

    Nograinstores

    Nolivestock

    Basichouseholditemse.g.cookingutensils,

    bedding

    Clothes

    Qatinfieldsbutcropnotsuitableforsale

    Land

    Exhaustedsocialsupport

    Childrenprobablynotgoingtoschool

    23sheeporgoats

    Perhaps1oxen

    Nocash

    Smallseedreserve

    Basichouseholditemse.g.cookingutensils,

    bedding

    Clothes

    Qat

    in

    fields

    but

    crop

    notsuitableforsale

    Land

    Betterabilitytolabor

    Bettersocialsupportnetworks

    About5sheeporgoats

    About2cattle

    Nocerealsstored

    Nocash

    Qatinfieldsbutcropnotsuitableforsale

    Basichouseholditemse.g.cookingutensils,

    bedding

    Clothes

    Lessthan50sheeporgoats

    Cattleownershiprare

    Basichouseholditems

    e.g.cookingutensils,

    bedding

    Clothes

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    Destitutepastoralisthouseholds withstartingpreprojectlivestockassetsof6sheep/goats.

    Poorpastoralisthouseholdswithstartingpreprojectlivestockassetsof40sheep/goats,3cattleand3camels.

    Foreachmodel,twocommonassumptionsweremade:

    Allscenariosassumedadroughteveryfouryearswhichdepletedlivestockassetsby30%.

    Allscenariosassumedfoodaidreceiptsof50kgmaize/hh/year.

    Fivescenarios

    were

    developed

    as

    follows:

    Fordestitutepastoralisthouseholdsthreemodelsweredeveloped:o onemodelassumingnoexternalassettransfer;o onemodelassumingcashtransferofUS$75(EB1030);o onemodelassuminglivestocktransfervaluedatUS$350(EB4795).

    Forpoorpastoralisthouseholdstwomodelsweredeveloped:o onemodelassumingnoexternalassettransfer;o onemodelassumingcashtransferofUS$75(EB1030).

    TheinitialmodelingresultsareshowninTable8.

    Table8.ResultsfromsimpleeconomicmodelingofSomalipastoralisthouseholds

    Typeofhouseholdandinput Scenarioresult Notes

    Destitutepastoralist,pre

    projectlivestockof6

    sheep/goats.

    1.Noexternalassettransfer

    2.Oneoffcashtransferof

    US$75

    3.Oneoffcashtransferof

    US$350(orlivestock

    equivalent)

    Poorpastoralisthouseholds,

    preprojectlivestockof40

    sheep/goats,3cattleand3

    camels

    1.Noexternalassettransfer

    2.Oneoffcashtransferof

    US$75

    After5yearsthishouseholdwillhave

    livestockassetsof~25sheepandgoats

    only,wellbelowtheminimumherdsizefor

    pastoralism.

    After5yearsthishouseholdwillhave

    livestockassetsofonly~39sheepand

    goats,stillbelowtheminimumherdsizefor

    pastoralism.

    After2yearslivestockassetsare~60

    sheepandgoats,and2cattle;thisisabove

    minimumherdsize.

    After3years,livestockassetsreach

    middlewealthgroupcategory

    After3years,livestockassetsreach

    middlewealthgroupcategory

    Thesehouseholdswillrelyheavilyonsocial

    transfersandexternalassistancee.g.food

    aid.

    Thesehouseholdswillrelyheavilyonsocial

    transfersandexternalassistancee.g.food

    aid.

    Asabove,assumes50kgmaizeasfoodaid

    peryear.Transferisequivalenttothat

    usedinmoresuccessfulrestocking

    programs.

    Asabove,assumes50kgmaizeasfoodaid

    peryear.Removingthisfoodaidhas

    limited

    impact

    on

    asset

    growth.

    Asabove,assumes50kgmaizeasfoodaid

    peryear.Removingthisfoodaidhas

    limitedimpactonassetgrowth.

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    Notethat:

    Fordestitutepastoralisthouseholds,initialtransfersofvalueapproximatelyUS$350plusfoodarerequirediftheyaretoacquireaminimumherdsizewithinatypicalprogramtime

    period.

    Forpoorhouseholdswhichalreadyownaminimumherd,lowcashtransfersofaroundUS$75havelimitedimpactonassetgrowth.

    Thiskindofinformationreflectsthelessonsandchallengesfromrestockingprogramsin

    pastoralistareas,fromthe1970sviz.foragivenbudgetisitbettertochannelrelativelyhigh

    livestock(orcash)transferstoarelativelysmallnumberofhouseholds,or,providesmalltransfersto

    alargenumberofhouseholds?

    ExcelspreadsheetswiththebasicmodelwereprovidedtoMercyCorpsstaff,whostartedto

    adaptthemodelsforagropastoralhouseholdsandtesttheimpactofdifferentlevelsofasset

    transfer.Togetherwiththecasestudies,simplemodelingseemstobeausefulapproachtohelp

    staffthinkthroughprojectstrategiesandforgivenlevelsofassettransfer,likelyimpactsondifferent

    typesofhouseholdwithintheprojecttimeframe.

    LinkingRAINtolongtermstrategicframeworksforpastoralistareas

    Foragenciessupportingvariousprojectsinpastoralistareas,therearecoordinationandstrategic

    issuesaroundthewaysinwhichprojectoutputscombine(ornot)toachievelongtermstrategic

    developmentobjectives.InPLI,therehasbeeninitialdiscussionaroundtheuseofthelivelihoods

    frameworkasatoolfordevelopingstrategicplanswithNGOpartners,andrelatedcapacitybuilding

    options.InApril2010,MercyCorpssupportedacombinedlivelihoodsconflictanalysisinShinile

    ZoneofSomaliRegion,leadingtoaproposedstrategicframeworkforthatarea3.Recentresearchin

    Somaliareasalsoshowsthetrendstowardscommercialized pastoralismandtheimplicationsfor

    developmentpolicies.4Insummary,commercialization isassociatedwithagradualtransferof

    livestockfrompoorertoricherhouseholds,makingitincreasinglydifficultforpoorerherderswith

    feweranimals,tostayinthesystem.

    Withtheseissuesinmind,areviewofRAINassetprotection/building/diversification

    objectives

    and

    strategies

    could

    take

    note

    of

    the

    main

    trends

    which

    affect

    livelihoods

    in

    Somali

    Region,andtheconceptofmovingupandmovingout.Thosepeoplemovingupareabletoacquire

    andmaintainlargeherds,arecharacterizedasmiddlewealthorwealthy,andincreasinglyengagein

    commercialexportmarkets.Thosepeoplemovingoutaregraduallysellingouttobiggerherd

    owners.Forthesepeoplethelivelihoodsoptionswillincludesomepotentialforemploymentand

    serviceprovisionaroundthelivestocksector.Formanyothers,theoptionsarelimitedinpastoralist

    areas,andthispartlyexplainsincreasingdestitutionandincreasingmigration.Onelineofargument

    isthatsafetynetsandsimilarapproaches,withrelativelylowlevelsofassettransfer,mayencourage

    poorerpeopletoremaininpastoralistsareas,whenlongterm,nonlivestockbasedeconomic

    opportunitiesarelimited.

    Abriefpresentationwasmadeontheseissues(Annex3)followedbydiscussionwithMercy

    Corpsstaff.IssuesincludedtheRAINfocusinproductiveassets,implyingeconomic/financialassets,

    whereasaskeystrategyfordiversificationinpastoralistareasisimprovingeducationi.e.aformof

    humancapital.

    3Catley,A.andIyasu,A.(2010),MovingUporMovingOut?ArapidlivelihoodsandconflictanalysisinMieso

    MuluWoreda,ShinileZone,SomaliRegion,Ethiopia.MercyCorpsandFeinsteinInternational Center,Addis

    Ababa(inpress)4Aklilu,Y.andCatley,A.(2009).LivestockExportsfromtheHornofAfrica:Ananalysisofbenefitsby

    pastoralistwealthgroupandpolicyimplications.FeinsteinInternationalCenter,TuftsUniversity,AddisAbaba

    https://wikis.uit.tufts.edu/confluence/display/FIC/Livestock+Exports+from+the+Horn+of+Africa

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    NRMactivitiesandimpact

    ThispartoftheworkshopusedaselectionofthreeRAINNRMactivities,withdiscussionon

    proposedindicatorsforassessingtheimpactoftheseactivities.Theactivitiesandproposed

    indicatorsfromMercyCropswereasfollows:

    Pondrehabilitation

    Gulley

    rehabilitation

    Bush

    (Prosopis

    clearing)

    Increasedaccesstowater

    - Distancetoclosestwaterpoint

    - Lengthoftimeduringwhichwatercanbeaccessed

    - Numberofanimalsusingwaterpoint

    - Changeinexpenditureforwater

    Improvedsanitationnumberof

    peopleusingcleanwater

    Cashtransfers

    Reducedrateoflandloss

    - Increasedarablelandforagricultureandgrazing

    - Increasedpotentialinfoodselfsufficiencyorincome

    generated

    Reducedriskofflooddamage(if

    overallwatermanagementconsidered

    indesign)

    Output/outcome:

    Improvedrangelandcondition

    Improvedaccesstograzing

    Impact:

    Improvedhouseholdfoodsecurity

    (contributeto)

    Couldbemeasuredby:

    - Numberofhouseholdswhohavegotaccesstoimproved

    grazing

    - Bodyconditionofanimals

    Somegeneralissuesarisingfromtheseindicatorswereasfollows:

    Causalpathwaysanddefiningwhereimpactshouldhappen

    Who,specifically,issupposedtobenefit?RAINobjectivesrefertofoodinsecurehouseholds,but

    thiscouldbemoreclearlydefined.Foodeconomysurveysdefinepoor,andinsomecases,destitute

    households,eachwithdifferentlevelsofassets.Isitthesehouseholdswhomightbenefitfromthe

    NRMinputsandifso,how?Dothepotentialbenefitsvarydependingonwhetherahouseholdis

    poorordestitute?Inotherwords,foreachtypeoftargethouseholdinagivenarea,whatisthe

    causalpathwaybetweentherepairorcreationofastructure,andspecificlivelihoodsimpactsat

    householdlevel?

    Meaningfulindicators

    Quantitativeindicatorsneedbothanumeratoranddenominator.Anindicatorsuchas1000people

    accesscleanwaterispotentiallymisleadingifthenumberofpeoplewhoneedcleanwateris,forexample,20,000.Abetterindicatorwouldbe50%ofhouseholdswithin5kmofcleanwatersource.

    Targets

    Targetsareuseful.Ifanindicatorisintendedtomeasureachange,thedegreeofchangecanbe

    specifiede.g.cleanwateravailabilityimprovedfrom8months/yearsto11months/year.Thetarget

    hereis11monthsofavailability.

    Language

    Avoidtermsinindicatorswhicharedifficulttodefineormeasuree.g.whatdothefollowingterms

    means:improvedgrazing,increasedpotential,reducedrisk?

    Methods

    ManyindicatorsforNRMactivitiescanbedefinedandmeasuredusingparticipatorymapping.

    Wheremaphavealreadybeenproducede.g.forplanningpurposes,thesamemapsmaycontain

    usefulbaselineinformation.

    Managementandaccess

    AnimportantaspectofNRMactivitiesisthelongtermmanagementofneworrepairedstructures.

    Thisisreflectedintheapparentneedforexternalsupporttorepairorrehabilitatesomestructures.

    Therearealsoissuesaroundwho,specifically,canaccesswater,improvedgrazingorlandfor

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    cultivation.Cantheseresourcesbeusedbypoorerhouseholdsandifnot,whynot?Whatarethe

    risksofappropriationofresourcesbywealthierormoreinfluentialpeople?IffollowsthatNRM

    activitiesshouldincludeasetofindicatorsaroundlocalmanagementcapacitiesandsystems.

    Whatifitrains?

    Ifstructuresareintendedtoimproveaccesstowaterorgrazingduringdryperiodsordrought,they

    mightnot

    be

    used

    ifyears

    of

    good

    rainfall.

    If

    so,

    it

    becomes

    more

    difficult

    to

    assess

    impact.

    This

    is

    relevanttoRAINbecause2010inparticularislikelytobeayearofhighrainfallinmuchofSomali

    Region.

    Inpart,usefulindicatorscanflownaturallyfromwelldefinedprojectobjectivesand/orsub

    objectives.Theprojectobjectivesarediscussedinthefollowingsection.

    RevisitingtheRAINobjectives

    Aprojectdocumentshoulddescribealogicalflowofactivitiestoobjectives.Toolssuchaslogframes

    and/ortheuseofSMARTobjectives5helptoensurethatthetechnicalandprogramminglogicofa

    projectisclear.Forprojectworkingindifferentareaswithdifferentsocioeconomiccharacteristics

    (or

    livelihoods

    zones),

    the

    project

    document

    should

    also

    specify

    how

    activities

    and

    strategies

    vary

    by

    area.Itisalsoimportanttodefinetargetgroups,andtodothisasspecificallyaspossible.

    TheRAINprojectdocumenthastwoobjectives:

    1. Foodinsecurehouseholdsprotecttheiragriculturalandpastoralproductiveassetbaseandpreparethemselvesforparticipationinmoreprofitablemarkets(budgetUS$5.1million).

    2. Foodinsecurehouseholdsincreaseanddiversifytheirassetbaseviaimmediateeconomicopportunitiesandthedevelopmentofhighimpactagricultureandnonagriculturalmarkets

    thatspurprivatesectorinvestmentandlocaleconomicgrowth(budgetUS$11.9million).

    NeitheroftheseobjectivesareSMART.However,itseemsthatinOFDAproposalsobjectivesare

    sometimesbroadlywrittenbecauseachangeofobjectivesrequiresOFDAapproval,whichtakes

    time.ItfollowsthatoneapproachtoclarifyingRAINwouldtodevelopSMARTsubobjectives.

    Optionsinclude:

    - Replacethetermfoodinsecurewithamorespecificdescriptionoftargethouseholdsintermsofthewealthofthehouseholds(e.g.poor,destitute),thelivelihoodsystem(e.g.

    agropastoral,pastoral),andthephysicallocation.Thisapproachimmediatelyhelpstofocus

    attentiononspecifictypesofhouseholdinspecificareas;alsoseethehouseholdprofilesin

    Table7.

    - SubobjectivesunderObjective1,o Considerthemeaningsandmeasurementoftermslikeprepare,participationand

    moreprofitable.What,specifically,dothesetermsmeanandhowmighttheybe

    measured?Iftermsarevagueordifficulttomeasure,theyshouldbereplacedwith

    termswhichareeasiertodefineandmeasure;o Becarefultorelateassetprotectiontohouseholdtype;destitutehouseholdsmay

    havenoproductiveassetstoprotectandifso,doestheobjectiveapplytothese

    households?

    - SubobjectivesunderObjective2,o Increasesin,anddiversificationofassetsneedtobedefinedbytargetsand

    quantifiedmeasures,again,byhouseholdtypeandarea;

    5SMARTSpecific,Measurable,Achievable,Realistic,Timebound.

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    o IsthedevelopmentofhighimpactagricultureachievableduringthethreeyearsofRAINandifsowhere,specifically? itseemsnottoapplytopastoralistareas;

    o Arenonagriculturalmarketsrelevanttopastoralistareas,giventhemajorroleoflivestockinpastoraleconomies?

    o Whatisthemeaningofspurprivatesectorinvestmentandhowwillthisbemeasured?privatesectorinvestmentinwhat,specifically?

    o Howis

    local

    economic

    growth

    defined

    on

    an

    area

    or

    household

    basis?

    If

    an

    area

    basisisused,itimpliesinclusionofallhouseholds,includingthewealthy.Ifso,a

    projectwhichtargetsthewealthymayachievelocaleconomicgrowthwhilemaking

    thepoorpoorer.

    HavingreviewedtheRAINobjectivesagainstSMARTcriteria,thereseemedtobecommon

    agreementthatRAINneedssubstantial,perhapsevencourageous,reshapingandfocusingifasset

    protectionandassetbuildingobjectivesaretobereached.Eventhen,theseobjectivesarelikelyto

    beachievedinfarfewerhouseholdsthandescribedintheprojectdocument.Sofar,RAINstaffhave

    workedtoadjustsomeoftheactivities.However,higherlevelchangesattheObjective/Sub

    objectivelevelareneededtorationalizetheproject.Revisedactivitiescanthenevolvefromthe

    revisedobjectives.

    Findingsandrecommendations

    Projectdesignandstrategies

    Attheoveralllevelofprojectdesign,generalimplementation strategies,andM&Eneeds,MercyCorpsstaffhadalreadystartedtoreviewandreshapespecificRAINactivitiesandquestionthe

    likelyimpactofCFWandNRMactivities.However,giventhecomplexityofRAINandtheproject

    budget,aradicalreworkingandclarification ofprojectobjectivesisneeded.Subobjectivesare

    neededwhichareSMARTviz.Specific,Measurable,Achievable,RealisticandTimebound.

    Revisedactivitiesshouldfitclearlyunder,anddirectlycontributetotheobjectives.Atpresent

    theRAINprojectdocumentlacksaclearcausalpathway,fromactivitiestoobjectivestoimpact,

    andseemsnottofullydifferentiatestrategiesoractivitiesaccordingtothecharacteristicsof

    different

    households,

    in

    different

    areas.

    There

    seemed

    to

    be

    common

    agreement

    in

    the

    workshopwithMercyCorpsthatthesechangeswereneeded.

    Initscurrentform,RAINprovidesoneoffcashtransferswhicharelikelytobeveryshortlivedintermsofimpact,asthecashisprobablyusedmainlytomeetimmediatefoodneeds.Therefore,

    whileRAINmightbecontributingtoatypical(butunstated)humanitarian/foodsecurity

    objective,impactonthemoredevelopmentorientatedobjectivesofassetprotection,asset

    buildingandlivelihoodsdiversificationisunlikely.Intermsofassetprotection,thisobjectivehas

    tobetailoredtothepreexistingassetsofhouseholdsanddoesnotapplyeasilytohouseholds

    whichhavenoproductiveassetstoprotect.

    AtthelevelofCFWactivities,thereviewshowedaneedtorevisetheseactivitiesifassetbuildingobjectivesaretobeachievedwithinthetimeframeoftheproject.RelativetoRAIN,past

    andreasonablysuccessfulassettransferapproachesinSomaliareashavechanneledfargreater

    resources

    to

    fewer

    households,

    or,

    have

    expected

    impact

    to

    last

    for

    only

    two

    months

    or

    less.

    SimpleeconomicmodelingshouldhelpMercyCorpstoreshapeCFWapproaches,andtailor

    differentapproachestodifferenttypesofdestituteand/orpooragropastoralandpastoral

    households.Theseapproachesneedtobeclearlydefinedandjustified.Therewaswidevariation

    inthelevelofcashtransferswithinprojectareas. RAINiscurrentlyhasaverycomplexdesign,

    whereasthedifficultoperationalcontextofSomaliRegioncallsforsimplicityandfocus.

    FortheNRMrelatedactivities,approachessuchaspondandgullyrehabilitation,checkdamconstruction,terracingandsoilbundshavebeenusedinSomaliandpartsofOromiyaregionsfor

    manyyears.Forexample,theseapproacheswerewidelyusedbytheSouthEastRangelands

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    ProjectinSomaliRegion.ForRAINNRMactivities,potentialimpactsarecurrentlyoutlinedat

    communitylevelandarenotspecifictodestituteorpoorhouseholdsi.e.themostvulnerable

    groups.Questionstolookatinclude:How,specifically,willdestituteorpoorhouseholdsbenefit

    fromthesestructures?Giventherepeatedneedforrepairorrehabilitation,whatlocal

    managementsystemscanbesupportedtoensurethelongtermmaintenanceofthestructures?

    Whichstructuresaresusceptibletoprivateownershipwithpossibleexclusionofpoorerusers?Is

    privateownership

    necessarily

    abad

    thing?

    Similar

    questions

    apply

    to

    bush

    clearing

    (Prosopis

    control),giventherapidreinvasionofclearedareas.Impactassessmentoftheseactivitiesis

    likelytobehinderedbythegoodrainfallin2010andthelikelihoodthatRAINrelatedwater

    pointsorgrazingareasmightnotbeusedifthereisamplegroundwateravailableorgood

    grazingelsewhere.

    ThereviewdidnotlookatissuessuchastheeffectivenessorrelevanceofCFWcomparedwith,forexample,directcashdistributions(withoutwork)orfooddistributions.Whiledifferent

    approachesarelikelytoresultindifferentimpactsandacceptancewithincommunities,there

    arealsoquestionsabouttheorganizationalcostsandefficienciesoftransfers,including

    operationalandtransactioncosts.Forexample,inthecaseofRAINtheCFWapproachrequires

    agenciestoplan,supportandmonitorthetiedNRMactivities,andatacost.Atsomepoint,an

    evaluationofRAINshouldassessthedeliverycostsofdifferentassettransferapproaches.

    Long

    term,

    the

    administrative

    and

    operational

    costs

    of

    international

    NGOs

    are

    likely

    to

    far

    exceedthoseofsomeotherserviceproviders.

    RAINisbutoneprojectamongmany,anditsobjectivesandstrategiesshouldfitwithinabroader,longtermMercyCorpsframeworkfordevelopmentinpastoralistareas.Thereview

    touchedonsomeoftheissues.Asahighlivestockexportarea,Somaliregionandneighboring

    Somaliareasaresubjecttolongtermbutgradualcommercialization.Thisisreflectedinthe

    robustnatureoftheexporttradeandsimultaneously,risinglevelsofdestitution.As

    commercialization advances,herdsarelikelytoincreaseandpoorerherderswillstruggletostay

    inpastoralism. Ifcorrect,thesetrendshavemajorimplicationsforSomaliareasand

    developmentpolicy,andthestrategicdirectionsofRAIN.

    Implicationsofchange

    Mercy

    Corps

    staff

    expressed

    concerns

    over

    donor

    expectations,

    and

    pressure

    to

    maximize

    the

    numberofprojectbeneficiariesinRAIN.Despitetheseconcerns,asahumanitariandonorOFDA

    maywanttorevisittheconceptofachievingdevelopmentobjectivesviaassettransferswhich

    arespreadwidelybutthinly,andwhichareoneofftransfers.ShouldOFDAsupportaradical

    reshapingoftheCFWcomponentofRAIN,itmaybeacceptabletousedifferentapproachesin

    similarlivelihoodszones,andcompareimpacts.ThismightinvolveacontinuationoftheCFWin

    someareasasis,butpilotingmoreintensivetransferstofewerhouseholdsinotherareas.

    ByusingaCFWapproachinRAIN,MercyCorpshasbecomeengagedindebatesandnegotiations

    inandaroundtheProductiveSafetyNetProgramme,especiallyonwagerates.Initscurrent

    forminpastoralistareas,theCFWapproachisprobablycontributingtoashorttermfood

    securityneedsforsomehouseholdsbuthavinglimitedimpactonassetgrowth.Thisinitself

    mightbe

    alesson

    to

    feed

    into

    the

    PSNP

    and

    wage

    rate

    discussions.

    In

    the

    face

    of

    the

    next

    shock

    ordrought,householdsarestilllikelytodepleteassetsrapidlyandrequireassistance.The

    economic modelingtooldevelopedaspartofthisreviewmightbefurtherdevelopedandused

    withgovernmentpartnerstopredicttheimpactsofcashand/orfoodtransfers,andthelevels

    anddurationoftransferneededtoachievemeaningfulassetbuildingobjectives.

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    Annex1.MercyCorpsparticipantsatreviewworkshop,AddisAbaba,28

    to29July2010

    TalewDheresa

    EmmaProud

    JeffShannon

    AbdinasirMohamed

    AhmedOsman

    TsegayeHagos

    FasilDemeke

    MarkDwyer

    RettaAklilu

    FacilitatorAndyCatley,TuftsUniversity

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    Annex2.Casestudiesofpreviouscashdistributionandrestockingprojects

    Isiolo, Kenya Case Study for Review of the Mercy Corps RAIN ProjectJuly 2010

    Read the case study below, from a pastoralist area of northern Kenya. Note the similarities between the objectives of the Kenya project and RAIN in terms

    of building assets and alternative/diversified livelihoods. Note the level of cash transfer per pastoralist household, at ~US$490/hh; this is

    equivalent to ~Eth birr 6713 using exchange rates in July 2010. Note the modest food security impacts after seven months. What questions might this raise in terms of the design of RAIN and options for

    reshaping strategies and design?

    Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standardshttp://www.livestock-emergency.net

    Case Study 9.1: Herd reconstitution using cash transfers, Kenya

    IsioloDistrict

    in

    Kenyas

    Eastern

    Province

    suffered

    from

    asevere

    drought

    in

    2005

    that

    resulted

    in

    high

    livestock

    deathsandelevatedacutemalnutrition ratesamonginfants.FollowingimprovedlongrainsinApril/May2006,

    SavetheChildrenCanadaprovided750householdsin22communitieswithaoneoffcashtransferofKSh

    30,000(approx.US$490;thisisequivalentto~Ethbirr6713usingexchangerateinJuly2010).Thecashwas

    intendedtoassistfamiliestoreconstitutetheirherdswithanimalsoftheirchoiceortoinvestinalternative

    productiveuses,andalsotohavesomecashtomeetpressingimmediateneeds.

    Onaverage,livestockpricesatlocalmarketsdidnotchangesignificantly asaresultofthecash

    distribution, althoughsellersdidattempttochargeexorbitantpricesbecauseofthesuddenincreasein

    demand.Beneficiariesadoptedavarietyofmethodsfordealingwiththisattemptedinflation,including

    purchasingasgroupswitharepresentative,travellingtomoredistantmarkets,anddelayingtheirpurchases.

    Anevaluationwascarriedoutsevenmonthsafterthedistribution,whichfoundthatrecipients

    appreciatedthecashbasedinterventionbecauseitgavethemthechoicetopurchasethespecificanimalsof

    theirchoiceandexertmorequalitycontrolthanispossiblewithinkindrestocking.Italsoallowedrecipientsto

    spendsome

    of

    the

    cash

    on

    other

    needs.

    In

    total,

    85%

    of

    the

    cash

    was

    spent

    on

    livestock

    mainly

    goats,

    sheep

    andcattle,withsomedonkeys.Theremaining15%wassplitbetweenitemssuchasshelterconstruction,

    investinginbusiness/petty trade,debtrepayments,veterinarycare,healthcare,educationandfood.Childrens

    attendanceatschool,especiallyforgirlsandatthesecondarylevel,hasincreasedfortherecipientscompared

    tononrecipients.

    Theprogrammetargetedonly11%ofallhouseholds,andhenceclearlydidnotreachallofthosein

    need.However,thiswaslinkedtotheavailability offunding,anditwasagreedthatitwasbettertoprovide

    largeramountsofcashtoasmallernumberofpeoplethantospreadtheavailablemoneymorethinlyacross

    allthoseinneed.

    Sevenmonthsafterthecashdistribution,theimpactonfoodsecurityhasbeenmodest.Recipients

    haveimprovedthediversityoftheirdiet,especiallybecauseofincreasedaccesstomilk;howevertheirreliance

    onfoodaidhasnotbeensignificantlyreduced.Basedonherdgrowthinthefirst57months(+3%forcattle,+

    16%forgoatsand+25%forsheep),ithasbeenestimatedthatherdsshouldbelargeenoughtoensurefood

    securitywithin2years,whichissubstantially fasterthaniftherehadbeennointervention. However,thefinal

    impactoftheprogrammewillonlybeclearinthelongertermandinparticularduringthenextdroughtwhen

    thebeneficiaryhouseholdsresiliencewillbeputtothetest.

    Sources:CashbasedEmergencyLivelihoodRecoveryProgramme,IsioloDistrict,KenyaProjectEvaluation

    draftreport,byMichaelODonnell,SavetheChildren,May2007

    InitialImpactAssessmentoftheLivelihoodsProgrammeinMertiandSerichobyMatthewCroucher,Victor

    Karanja, RukiaWako,AbdikadirDokataandJilloDima.SavetheChildren,2006

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    Fik Case Study for Review of the Mercy Corps RAIN ProjectJuly 2010

    Read the case study below, from Fik in the Somali Region of Ethiopia. Note the similarities between the objectives of the Fik project and RAIN in terms of

    building assets.

    In the case study note the level of asset transfer per household. Note the recommendations of the evaluation in terms of increasing the value of the

    initial asset transfer to 50-70 sheep and goats, while also providing food for at leastsix months.

    What questions might this raise in terms of the design of RAIN and options forreshaping strategies and design?

    _________________________________________________________________________

    Case Study: Restocking in Fik, Somali Region, Ethiopia

    Aoneyearproject,implementedbetweenMarch2002andAugust2003.

    Objectiveofreintegrating500vulnerableIDPsinFikZoneintotheirhomecommunitiesthroughimprovedcapacitytobuildassetsforapastorallife.

    Theproject

    was

    funded

    and

    implemented

    by

    SCUK,

    in

    collaboration

    with

    other

    stakeholders,

    notably

    governmentpartners,CRDAandUNICEF.

    Thepackagecomprised30smallstock,1donkey,1plasticsheet,1blanket,250kgofmaizeandprovisionofanimalhealthservicesthroughthetrainingof10animalhealthworkers.Thecostofthe

    projectwasEthbirr2.2million,or~Ethbirr4400(US$321)perhousehold.

    Theprojectwasimplementedin11sitesinFikZone,basedonadetailedparticipatoryscopingstudyundertakeninearly2002.

    Someresults:

    Thecontribution oflivestocktofoodsourcesrosefrom2%beforerestockingto40%afterrestocking.Atthesametimefoodreliefdroppedfrom50%beforerestockingto7%afterrestocking.Thismeans

    thatlivestockandbyproductshadeffectivelyreplacedfoodreliefasasourceoffood,signifying

    increasedselfrelianceandimprovedhouseholdfoodsecurity.

    Ofthose

    beneficiaries

    interviewed,

    atotal

    of

    75%

    (38

    out

    of

    51)

    of

    restocked

    IDP

    households

    claim

    to

    havemovedoutofIDPcampsandgonebacktoapastorallifestyle,oneandahalfyearsaftertheend

    oftheproject(thatis2.5yearsaftertheprojectstarted).

    Mostrestockedhouseholdspointedoutthatfoodaidisveryimportantbutitdoesnotreproducelikelivestock.Livestock isabetterfoodsourcebecause itbuildsupduringthegoodyearsandgives the

    familysomedignityandrespectfromothercommunitymembers.

    Lessons:

    Fromthisproject,thelessonisthattherestockingpackagewasusefulbuttoosmallandshouldcompriseof

    thefollowing:

    Atleast5070sheepandgoatsinpreferredproportionsandrightageforimmediatebreeding

    Anadequatefoodrationcomprisingofcereals,oil,sugarandtealeavesforaperiodofatleastsixmonths

    Provisionof

    adequate

    veterinary

    services

    by

    trained

    CAHWs

    and

    basic

    animal

    health

    knowledge

    and

    skillstobegiventobeneficiaryhouseholds.

    Note that increasing the package to5070 sheepand goats/hh would increase the value of the initial asset

    transferto~Ethbirr7500/hh(US$547).

    Source

    Wekesa,M.(2005).Terminalevaluationoftherestocking/rehabilitationprogrammefortheinternally

    displacedpersons(IDPs)inFikZoneoftheSomaliRegionofEthiopia.SavetheChildrenUK,AddisAbabaand

    AcaciaConsultants,Nairobi

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    Wajir-Mandera IrbCase Study for Review of the Mercy Corps RAIN ProjectJuly 2010

    Read the case study below, from Somali areas of northern Kenya. In the case study note the level of asset transfer per household. What questions might this raise in terms of the design of RAIN and options for

    reshaping strategies and design?_________________________________________________________________________

    Case Study: Using traditional Somali restocking to assist asset building in Kenya ImplementedbyNORDAafterdrought;aimedtobetweenMarch2002andAugust2003.

    400poorpastoralisthouseholdstargeted.

    Beneficiariesalreadyowned5to10sheepandgoats,and23cattleorcamels;theprojectprovidedanadditional15sheepandgoatsand1donkeyperhousehold;throughthetraditionalirbsystem,the

    communityprovidedanadditional5sheepandgoatsperhouseholdi.e.thetotalassettransferwas

    20shoatsand1donkeyperhousehold.

    Someresults:

    Anevaluationwasconducted1.5yearsafterhouseholdshadbeenrestocked.

    Mostof

    the

    surveyed

    beneficiary

    families

    had

    attained

    the

    minimum

    survival

    flock/herd

    size

    of

    40

    shoats.

    Diseaseswereamajorthreattoherdgrowth.CommondiseasesincludedFever(Qano/Tuya)andCCPP(Ferefekle/Riwein).

    Therestockingsignificantlycontributedtoreductionindependenceonothersourcesoffoodfrom84.1%to57.9%andincreasedaccesstofoodthroughlivestockfrom15.9%to42.1%.

    Dependenceonothersourcesofincomedroppedfrom91.3%to60.3%andthiswascompensatedbyincreasedrelianceonincomefromsaleoflivestockandlivestockproductsfrom8.7%to39.7%.

    Thesurveyedbeneficiaryfamilieshadsubstantiallyreestablishedthemselvesaspastoralistsalbeitfromasmallrestockingpackage.

    Thebeneficiaryfamilieswerenotonlyaffordedthechancetoreturntopastorallifestylebutalsotheopportunitytoreuniteandstrengthensocialtieswithfamilymemberstheyseparatedfromduring

    drought.

    The

    willingness

    of

    the

    community

    to

    contribute

    for

    and

    support

    beneficiary

    families

    was

    widely

    and

    hugelyunreserved.

    Sourcesoffood

    beforeand

    afterrestocking

    Source

    Lotira,R.(2004).Rebuildingherdsbyreenforcinggargar/irbamongtheSomalipastoralistsofKenya:

    evaluationofexperimental restockingprograminWajirandManderaDistrictsofKenya.African

    Union/Interafrican BureauforAnimalResources,NairobiandFeinsteinInternational Center,TuftsUniversity,

    Nairobi

    0

    5

    10

    15

    20

    25

    30

    35

    40

    45

    50

    Sellinglivestock

    Meat Milk Relief Remittances Wild products,Casual

    labour, $

    business

    Others

    Sources of food

    Population(%) Before

    After

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    Sool Cash Relief Case Study for Review of the Mercy Corps RAIN ProjectJuly 2010

    Read the case study below, from areas neighbouring Somali Region of Ethiopia. In the case study note the level of asset transfer per household and compare to the

    average incomes received by beneficiary households under RAIN.

    Note the duration of the impact/benefits provided by the Horn Relief programme. What questions might this raise in terms of the design of RAIN and options for

    reshaping strategies and design?_________________________________________________________________________

    Case Study: Cash relief program in Sool and Sanaag regions, Somalia/land

    ImplementedbyHornReliefduringdrought,December2003toMarch2004.

    13,380pastoralisthouseholdstargeted;cashgrantofUS$50perhousehold.

    Foodwasavailableinlocalmarkets,butlimitedpurchasingpowerofhouseholds.

    TheobjectivewasIncreasethepurchasingpowerofvulnerablepopulationstomeetfoodandessentialnonfoodneedswiththeprovisionofaonetimegrantofUS$50. Thisgrantisequivalentto

    Ethbirr685usingexchangeratesinJuly2010.

    Theimpact

    of

    the

    transfer

    was

    expected

    to

    be

    time

    limited,

    to

    about

    1.5

    to

    2months.

    Targetingwasbasedoncriteriaforexcludinghouseholds,beingthosewithmorethan60sheepandgoats,andownershipofassetssuchasberkadsorwatertanks.

    Someevaluationresults:

    97%ofbeneficiariesmetthetargetingcriteria.

    Mainusesofthecashgrantweremeetingneedsinfoodandwater,healthanddebtrepayment.

    Althoughthebenefitswereviewedassubstantialintermsoffoodsecurity,thesebenefitswereestimatedtohavelastedonly1monthalargercashgrantwouldhavebeenneededtoextendthe

    benefits.

    Impactsonlocalmarketsandbusinesseswerepositive,butagain,shortlived.

    SourcesAcaciaConsultantsLtd.(2004).EvaluationofcashreliefprogrammeimplementedbyHornRelief,

    commissionedbyNOVIB/OxfamNetherlands.AcaciaConsultants,Nairobi

    Ali,D.,Toure,F.andKiewied,T.(2005).Cashreliefinacontestedarea:LessonsfromSomalia.Humanitarian

    PracticeNetworkPaper50,OverseasDevelopmentInstitute,London.

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    Annex3.Trendsinhighexportpastoralistareas:linkingRAINstrategiestobroader

    developmentstrategies

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