East Africa Drought Response Programme
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CAFOD EAST AFRICA DROUGHT RESPONSE PROGRAMME EVALUATION REPORT Daudi Ekuam April, 2007 ABOUT THE AUTHOR The consultant for this evaluation, Daudi Ekuam, has long experience of working in arid and semi arid (ASAL) parts of Kenya and Africa. Before becoming a consultant and technical advisor to civil society organisations in the region, he worked for over fourteen years as a Kenyan provincial administrator. During this time he served as District Commissioner in eight arid and semi arid districts, where key responsibilities included development planning, policy and implementation. Currently he is the Conflict and Peacebuilding Advisor to the Centre for Minority Rights Development (CEMIRIDE) and has also undertaken numerous consultancies for national and international NGO’s. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBRIVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS.............................................................................................4 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .....................................................................................................5 2.0 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................6 3. 0 METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................................7 4.0 CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS..................................................................................................8 4.1 Background Information 8 4.1.1 Marsabit District ........................................................................................................................8 4.1.2 Isiolo District .............................................................................................................................9 4.1.3 Kitui and Mwingi Districts ......................................................................................................10 4.2 Programme Implementation 10 4.2.1 Planned Outputs.......................................................................................................................10 5. 0 MAIN FINDINGS..................................................................................................................12 5.1 Relevance/Appropriateness .....................................................................................................12 5.2 Sustainability ...........................................................................................................................13 5.3 Efficiency.................................................................................................................................14 5.4 Effectiveness............................................................................................................................15 5.5 Impact ......................................................................................................................................18 6.0 RECOMMENDATIONS.......................................................................................................21 3 ABBRIVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS AI Appreciative Inquiry ASAL Arid and Semi Arid Lands CAFOD Catholic Agency For Overseas Development CDI-CADEP Catholic Diocese of Isiolo Caritas Development Programme CI Community Interviews DAC Development Assistance Commission DDO Diocesan Development Office DDP District Development Plan DSG District Steering Group ECHO European Community Humanitarian Office EMOP Emergency Operations GAM Global Acute Malnutrition GoK Government of Kenya ITN Insecticide Treated Nets KI Key Informants MUAC Middle Upper Arm Circumference NGO Non-Governmental Organization OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development TOR Terms of Reference UNICEF United Nations WHO World Health Organisation WFH Weight For Height WFP World Food Programme 4 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CAFOD has been responding to the latest drought in Kenya and other countries in the region since March 2006. The Programme has been implemented through a number of partners mainly comprising of Diocesan Development Offices (DDO) in Kitui, Muranga, Isiolo, Samburu and Marsabit, but also including international NGOs. The primary focus of the programme has been to alleviate the effects of one of Kenya’s long-drawn droughts on the most vulnerable members of affected communities i.e. children under 5 years, pregnant and breast-feeding women and the elderly by giving them fortified supplementary foods, nutritional drug supplements and providing them with other essential drugs among other components. Towards the close of the programme, CAFOD engaged an independent consultant to conduct an end of the programme evaluation, among other tasks. The evaluation was mainly required to draw lessons on the implementation of the project; the role of the communities in the project cycle; the programmes effectiveness and efficiency of implementation; sustainability; how relevant actors were involved in the various stages and its impact in general. The evaluation was conducted using the rapid Communities Interviews methodology (CI) conducted in 2 sites each in Marsabit, Kitui/Mwingi and Isiolo area. Face-to-face interviews, documents and report reviews, and telephone interviews were also used to get information on the programme. Results were analyzed based on the five criteria/standards set by OECD-DAC for evaluating humanitarian action. The Programme began in March 2006 and ends in April 2007. Six partners delivered the programme in two phases in Kenya at a budget of close to £750,000. The funds were used primarily to provide supplementary food (locally known as Unimix), nutrition drug supplements, essential drugs, small scale water development, partner logistical and staff support costs and basic staff capacity-building on screening and supplementary feeding skills. During the more substantial second phase of activities, in the supplementary feeding and drugs supplementation, although the Programme screened a total of 25,865 potential beneficiaries, it had only planned to cover a total of 11,974 people. As at now, a total of 12,321 people have benefited; 2% higher than planned. Kitui contributed to the high percentage of coverage due to the fact that they covered almost twice the number of people planned for. Despite the late commencement, Isiolo nearly met its target by recording an overall coverage of 84%. Main deviations from the programme planning were that by the mid-term of the programme Marsabit Diocese had only targeted 26% of beneficiaries against initial forecast and CAFOD has subsequently approved a proposed amendment by Marsabit to use part of the remaining funds for small scale water development and malaria control by providing ITNs. In Isiolo, one of the four programme components, the re-stocking and livestock health component was cancelled for reasons outlined later in the report. Although two water tanks have been completed in Isiolo, the intake weirs are yet to be completed. Generally, going by the OECD-DAC criteria, the Programme has been well-implemented and is largely on the right track to achieve its stated goal. A number of challenges were encountered. These included inaccurate forecasting, partly brought on by heavy rains that also affected transport and presented new challenges like Malaria in Isiolo and Marsabit, and floods in Isiolo. Procurement of goods and services were also noted as challenges. Partners did not consult beneficiary communities adequately to determine their needs. Partners were lacking in some appropriate personnel and institutional capacity. The sudden and unilateral decision by the Isiolo Bishop to suspend all staff engaged in the Programme for 3 months affected the implementation considerably. 5 Generally however, CAFOD should take pride of the fact that although supplementary feeding programmes have been undertaken in these areas before, this particular one was unique in that it was professionally delivered, strictly following the latest WHO screening and delivery standards. It was undoubtedly one of the first programmes to target a broader scope of the “most-vulnerable-of-the- vulnerable”, silently providing a rights angle to supplementary feeding. This was probably one of the reasons the programme has received wide acclaim from the communities, health officials and humanitarian practitioners. 2.0 INTRODUCTION From March 2006, CAFOD has been actively involved in responding to one of Kenya’s worst droughts since 1971. CAFOD contributed in a unique way to the humanitarian efforts of the Government of Kenya (GoK) along with the other humanitarian agencies including United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP). CAFOD’s programme was implemented through its long-term partners, including Diocesan Development Offices, local and international NGO’s, coordinated by the Drought Response Manager at CAFOD’s regional office in Nairobi, with technical support from the Humanitarian Support Department in London. Primarily, the Programme focused on malnourished children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, the elderly, the chronically sick and people living with HIV/AIDS through supplementary feeding activities. Apart from supplementary feeding, other Programme activities included the improvement of access to water and essential drugs for both human and livestock populations. The programme has been implemented in two phases. Phase I, which was implemented between April 2006 through to October 2006, targeted beneficiaries from Marsabit District through the Diocesan Development Office; Isiolo District through the CDI-CADEP office; Kitui District