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Collaboration with the University of Malawi, Chancellor College: - Building local research capability. Two year funding secured through the UK Department for International Development / Regional Hunger and Vulnerability project (DfID/RHVP) and Australian Government Overseas Aid program (AusAID) Since 2007, Evidence for Development (EfD) has been working with Chancellor College, University of Malawi, to develop practical, low cost tools to measure the impact of policy initiatives and projects at household level. This work is part of an on-going capacity building programme. The initial phase was funded by the Nuffield Foundation. Phase II, running from Sept 2008-Oct 2010 is funded by the UK Department for International Development (DfID) and AUSAID. The project will involve curriculum development work and field research with the Dept of Economics at Chancellor College and a collaborative Open Source software development project with the Dept of Mathematics and Computer Science. Work to date: Measuring aid effectiveness in Malawi: Do social cash transfers reach the poorest? In 2007 Evidence for Development and Chancellor College carried out an assessment in Mchinji District, using the Individual Household Model (IHM). This shed new light on a pilot social cash transfer project, intended to assist the poorest and most vulnerable households, including those affected by HIV/AIDS. The work is described in this Briefing Paper. The Impact on Household Income and Welfare of the pilot Social Cash Transfer and Agricultural Input Subsidy Programmes in Mlomba TA,Machinga District, Malawi, 2008 At the request of the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) EfD and Chancellor College carried out a larger random sample IHM survey in June 2008. This survey looked at two interventions designed to protect the poor and reduce vulnerability: a social cash transfer (STC) pilot and an input subsidy programme. Northern Uganda: Improving the performance of aid in conflict zones The long running conflict in northern Uganda has led to mass population displacements and destroyed the way of life of over 2 million people. Evidence for Development is working in Pader District, at the heart of the conflict zone, with the Overseas Development Institute (ODI, Humanitarian Policy Group) and local research partners, to provide a better evidence base for interventions. Unlike much of the research that takes place in conflict zones, this project has an extended time frame and results will inform the on-going work of project’s operational partner, Mercy Corps (www.mercycorps.org). Using individual household analysis, it will be possible for the first time to track the impact of aid, conflict and peace making on the economic strategies of different types of households. The work is designed to improve the quality and relevance of assistance provided in to this community, devastated by more than a decade of war. Livelihoods in crisis: A longitudinal study in Pader, Uganda, Year 1. Rwanda and South Africa: maximizing project impact with Hope and Homes for Children (HHC) (www.hopeandhomes.org)
For the past 18 months, HHC has been measuring the impact of its assistance to very vulnerable, AIDS affected households, using EfD assessment tools.
We are working with HHC’s local staff team in Rwanda and with their partners in South Africa to set up a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system. Aided by an EfD database and customized analytical software, HHC will be able to measure the economic and social impact of the support they providing to children affected by HIV/AIDS. HHC will use this information to ensure that projects have the maximum impact possible on the extremely poor households they support.
Preventing and responding to Emergencies Evidence for Development is currently working with the USAID SMART project, to develop improved tools for the assessment of nutritional problems in emergencies. Evidence for Development contributes to wider debates around famine and emergencies. John Seaman, co-founder of Evidence for Development, has spent much of his career working on the prediction and prevention economic disasters including famine. For an opinion piece, see ‘A comment on the WFP SENAC Comprehensive Vulnerability Assessment and Analysis’ http://www.wahenga.net/uploads/documents/library/WFP_SENAC_CVAA_Dec2006.pdf And for a comment on this paper see
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