Design Phase Regional Workshop Welcome!

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Design PhaseRegional WorkshopWelcome!
Monday 26th September 2005
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Regional WorkshopAgenda

• 0900 Coffee Registration
• Part I Programme Overview (Chair EN)
• 0930 Welcome Introductions (CN)
• 0945 Background (TK)
• 1000 Programme Context, Content Process (JR)
• 1030 Definitions (SD)
• 1040 Tea/Coffee
• Part II Conceptual Framework (Chair AM)
• 1100 Evidence (FE)
• 1120 Capacities (GS)
• 1140 Policy Change (PW)
• 1200 Plenary Discussion
• 1245 Lunch
• Part III The Way Forward (Chair NM)
• 1400 Priorities for the Way Forward (Groups)
• 1500 Report Back (Groups)
• 1530 Wrap Up (TK)
• 1545 Close

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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

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ProgrammeContext, Content Process
John Rook
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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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What RHVP is and isnt

• Isnt 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

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What RHVP is and isnt

• Isnt 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

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What RHVP is and isnt

• 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

• Isnt about
• Replicating or replacing existing institutions
• OR
• Replicating or replacing existing tools and
  methods

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What do we hope to leave behindregional 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

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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

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• www.rhvp.org

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Definitions Concepts

• Stephen Devereux

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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.

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• 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.

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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.

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Responding to Hunger Vulnerability
Promotion
Springboards
Prevention
Safety nets
Protection
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For more information

• www.rhvp.org

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Framework Evidence

• Frank Ellis

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RHVP
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
adoption broader policy options and mainstreaming
them in PRSPs
knowledge and its application
VAA and broader approaches
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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

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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

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For more information

• www.rhvp.org

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Strengthening and Broadening VAA for Policy
Gary Sawdon
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RHVP
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
adoption broader policy options and mainstreaming
them in PRSPs
knowledge and its application
VAA and broader approaches
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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

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2004/05- consultations, reviews, investigations.
. .

• In order to address these perceived constraints,
  several separate collaborative research
  initiatives have been undertaken
• DFIDs RHVP Scoping Study
• SADC-RVAC 3 Step Consultation Process
• UNs Humanitarian Strategic Framework for
  Southern Africa
• SADC RVAC Methodological Review
• SADC VAC 5 Year Programme to Strengthen VAA
• UNICEFs Study of Social Safety Nets Cash
  Transfer Programmes (East Southern Africa)
• Final design and implementation of the Regional
  Hunger and Vulnerability Programme (RHVP)

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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.

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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 established across the
  region.

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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 VAAs
  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

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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

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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 VAAs 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.
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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
  NVACs.
• Peer Advocacy through the SADC Council of
  Ministers
• Exchange visits of senior policy makers and
  politicians

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For more information

• www.rhvp.org

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Policy Change for Hunger Vulnerability
Philip White
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RHVP
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
adopting broader policy options and mainstreaming
them in PRSPs
knowledge and its application
VAA and broader approaches
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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.

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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

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How will RHVP support policy change?

• Assess national stakeholders understanding of
  hunger vulnerability
• National advisory groups (NAGs) influential
  policymakers and practitioners
• NEPAD-CAADP policy forum
• Regional hunger vulnerability network
• Interactive web portal
• Newsletter, policy briefings
• Mass media including a voice for hungry
  vulnerable people
• Targeting decision-makers directly
• Lobbying Consultative Groups
• Regional learning opportunities (policy
  workshops, study tours, regional NAG meetings
  etc.)
• Opportunities to feed into national policy
  processes

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RHVP
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
adopting broader policy options and mainstreaming
them in PRSPs
knowledge and its application
VAA and broader approaches
53
For more information

• www.rhvp.org

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GROUP TASK
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Task objectives

•    
• By the end of the session we will have
• Discussed RHVP and its intended activities and
• Suggested areas of both content and process where
  RHVP can add value at both the national and
  regional levels

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Task

• Identify and suggest areas (of both process and
  content) where RHVP can add value at both
  national and regional levels
• Presentation should include a maximum five
  practical steps to ensure success.

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Process

• 4 groups, 15 people in each, names on the door
  outside, 3 breakaway rooms, start at 1400
  immediately after lunch
• Report back in plenary a maximum of 2 flip chart
  pages