Design, Monitoring and Evaluation using the livelihoods

framework

Karen Westley

D,M&E in the livelihoods framework

Part I – CI Standards for Impact Evaluation

Part II – Applying the livelihoods approach to D,M&E in the project cycle

CI Impact Evaluation Initiative

Process history Project/logframe review Menu of livelihood indicators Development of standards D,M&E capacity assessment Training and capacity building Lesson learning

1IDEA  2

DESIGN 

3LAUNCH 

4REFLECTIVE PRACTICE 

LOGFRAME

PROJECT CYCLE

Knowledge management in the project cycle

The livelihoods framework

Householdresources translated intocapital assets, used to reduce vulnerability to shocks and improve access to resources, ie to build sustainability

ResourcesWaterHealthSheltereducation

Shocks Natural Manmade

Household vulnerability to shocks dependent on capital assets

(lower capital = higher vulnerability)

Basic needsWaterHealthShelter

Education

Access to resources eg through employment

Resources used to meet basic needs, ie to build security

Potential barriers to access:

Position in society: culture, gender, religion, statusNo available expenditure

Household members utilise resources to meet basic needs and translate resources into capital assets

Control of resources,eg of water by authorities

Capital assets SocialPhysicalNaturalHumanFinancial

Capital assets SocialPhysicalNaturalHumanFinancial

IDEA :Secondary data analysisLesson learningParticipatory needs/opportunity analysisPilot project review

DESIGN

LAUNCH

REFLECTIVE PRACTICE 

LOGFRAME

PROJECT CYCLE

Knowledge management in the project cycle

1

Brief overview of process Selecting and sequencing tools in the

livelihoods framework Data recording Analysis Cost: around $100,000 plus staff time

Participatory livelihoods assessmentKosovo, July, 2000

IDEA 

DESIGN :Goal definitionCause/effect analysisHypothesis formulationActivity sequencingIndicator selectionBenchmarking

LAUNCH 

REFLECTIVE PRACTICE 

LOGFRAME

PROJECT CYCLE

Knowledge management in the project cycle

2

Developing livelihood indicators

Tendency to focus on outcome indicators (health status, education, income and so forth – static measure of impact)

Indicators of vulnerability– Start with understanding vulnerability

context and trends– Show changes over time– May measure coping strategies– Not stand alone

Indicators Better-off Average Very Poor

Access to land Have access to three acres – own half and sharecrop or rent the rest.

Sharecrop or rent one acre

Have homestead, sharecrop less that one acre or none3 families don’t even have homestead.Trees Bamboo trees in

homestead; fruit trees such as mango and jack fruit

Some fruit trees but not enough; bamboo

1 or 2 trees; bamboo

Housing type Tin roofs; mud walls

Straw roof; mud walls – can’t repair

Straw roof in poor condition; mud walls

Furniture Wood chairs, table cots, men and women have cot

Bamboo cot for men; women sleep on floor

Everyone sleeping on floor on mats

Use of agricultural inputs

Have enough inputs: use required amount, applied in a timely manner by hired labour

Try to apply inputs but have to borrow from money lender; apply less than better-off group

Sell labour in advance to buy inputs; also have to sell labour during peak period so cannot apply inputs on time; sometimes don’t apply any inputs

Livestock Own some and share some

Share livestock Share livestock – less than average group

Access to education All children attend school; hire tutor for children in class five and six

Students at BRAC school

Go to BRAC school or don’t got to school if parents need help taking care of livestock while they are working

Use of health services Go to town or a private doctor whenever ill

Sometimes go to doctor; usually got to Family Welfare Centre (FWC)

Never got to doctor; got to FWC but never buy prescription

Number of families out of total of 40 in para

2 3 35

Livelihood profile - Dinajpur

Economic Activities Who (M/W/G/B) Trend Comments

Cultivating own land M/W/G/B No change A lot of land sold off after liberation war.Land sold to outsiders Sales tapering off: ‘no more land to sell.’Sharecropping land that they used to own

Sharecropping M/W/G/B No change

Cultivating rental land M/W/G/B No change

Maize marketing scheme – grameen krishi

M (50% of community)

New activity since last year

Maize output marketing scheme; may also take loans for inputs*

Daily field labour M/W Increasing Working on other people’s fields in peak season compromises their own farming

Daily town labour M Didn’t do this in the past

 

Selling labour in advance M/W Increasing The advance labour rate is about one third of the daily labour rate; this is a coping strategy Collecting and selling fodder

grassB (while their parents work)

Didn’t do this in the past

Now that livestock are kept on the homestead fodder needs to be collected from elsewhere.

Selling veg. and fruit M Decreasing Less produce to sell

Selling tea and cigarettes M (2 people) No change  

Borrowing money from rich people M/W Increasing Loans used to buy food, purchase livestock; plough land

Rickshaw pulling M Didn’t do this in the past

 

Short-term migration M Didn’t do this in the past

 

Poultry rearing W Increasing  

Cattle rearing W Increasing  

Selling milk in market W Increasing  

Fried rice selling W Increasing  

IDEA

DESIGN 

LAUNCH :Partnership consolidationCoherent Information systems

REFLECTIVE PRACTICE 

LOGFRAME

PROJECT CYCLE

Knowledge management in the project cycle

3

Project M&E planning

Develop in workshop setting with stakeholders Opportunity to revisit/revise/renegotiate log-frame

and indicators Essential in establishing link between data

collection and log-frame Make indicators operational Identify tools, develop TORs for studies Identify responsibilities for data collection Identify periodicity Develop monitoring tools and summary sheets

IDEA 

DESIGN 

LAUNCH

REFLECTIVE PRACTICE :Participatory M&EEvaluationLesson learning and sharing

LOGFRAME

PROJECT CYCLE

Knowledge Management in the Project Cycle

4

CARE/DFID Livelihood Monitoring Project, Bangladesh

Monitoring system that sits above two on-going CARE projects

Complements project monitoring Measures ‘gaps’ in log-frame analysis Project focus on food production £400,000 for five years over total of

£23,000,000 project budget = 1.74%

CARE/DFID Livelihood Monitoring Project Components

V u ln erab ility con textS e con d ary d a ta re v iew

P a rtic ip a to ry co m m u n ity a sse ssm e ntY e a rly

C h ang es in L ive lih oo d Sta tusQ u a ntita t ive su rve ys

R a nd o m S am p leP re - an d P o s t-p ro je ct im p le m e nta tion - d ire c t an d ind ire c t se rvice d e live ry

C h ang es in Ho u seh o ld V u ln erab ilityQ u an tita t ive coh o rt s tud ies

R e du ce d sam p leP e riod ic p re - du ring a nd p o st- p ro je ct

P ro jec t Pro cessesP ro je ct s tra teg ie s - F F S - P a rtne rsh ips

P a rtic ip a to ry L ea rn ingIn fo rm atio n f lo w s an d m a na g m e nt

Im p ac t o f tw o C A RE p ro jects onH o useho ld L ivelih oo ds

S H A B G EG o -In te rn fish

Karen Westley

Programme Advisor, D,M&E

CARE International UK

44-207-379-5247

westley@ciuk.org