Foodsecurityandnutritionindicatorsfor impactassessment

MarieClaudeDop&TerriBallard NutritionandConsumerProtectionDivision,FAO

Workshop Measuring the impacts of food security related programming FAO, Rome, December 2010

OUTLINE Definitionsandpurpose: whatdowewanttomeasure? Characteristicsofagoodindicator Theframeworkforchoosingfoodsecurityand nutritionindicators Typesofindicators Dietarydiversityandfoodinsecurityscalesas indicatorsapplicabletoabroadrangeof programmes

DEFINITIONOFFOODSECURITY

Foodsecurityexistswhenallpeople,atalltimes,have physical,socialandeconomicaccesstosufficient,safe andnutritiousfoodtomeettheirdietaryneedsand foodpreferencesforanactiveandhealthylife.

WHATISIMPACTASSESSMENT?
Interventions

Thepurposeofimpactassessmentinourcaseisto assesschangesinthefoodandnutritionsecurity situationthatcanbeattributedinpartorwhollytoa projectorprogramme.

Source:ImpactassessmentofLargeScaleFoodSecurityProgrammes.E learningcourse,FAO2010.

IMPACTASSESSMENT: WHATCHANGESAREASSESSED?
Projectsandprogrammesapplyagivensetofresourcestoagivenproblemin ordertoproduce:
outputs
Greateragriculturalproduction,better agriculturaltechniques,nutritioneducation todiversifydiets

shorttermand mediumterm outcomes

Increasedagricultural diversity,improved knowledgeonreasonsto diversifydiets.

Impactassessment focusesprimarilyon assessingchangesat theoutcomeleveland attheimpactlevel.

longtermoutcomesand impacts

Improveddietsand nutritionalstatus

KEYIMPACTQUESTIONS

What haschangedsincetheprogrammebegan? Howmuchchange hasoccurredsincetheprogrammebegan? Who experiencedthechangemostandleast? Howandwhydidthechangeoccurornot? Howmuchofthechange canbeattributedtotheprogrammeitself ratherthantoexternalfactors(toknowifourprogrammeorproject contributedtotheobservedeffectorwastheresomeotherreason)?

CHARACTERISTICSOFAGOODINDICATOR
Thefollowingarethecharacteristicsofagoodindicator(S.M.A.R.T). Agoodindicatorshouldbe... Specific(andvalid):measureswhatitisintended tomeasure. Measurable: mustallowforregulardata collectionandupdatethroughouttheentirelife oftheproject. Achievable:mustbetechnicallypossibleto obtaindataatareasonablecost. Reliable:mustproducethesameresultswhen usedmorethanoncetomeasurepreciselythe samephenomenon. Timely(andsensitivetochange):itshouldbe possibletocollectandanalyzedata"reasonably quickly".

CHOOSING INDICATORS

UNICEF conceptual framework for malnutrition (1990)

Anthropometry

Individual Dietary Diversity

Household Dietary Diversity Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS)

TYPESOFFOODSECURITY&NUTRITIONINDICATORS Indicatorsthatareveryspecificoftheintervention:
E.g.interventiononaparticularvaluechainorafoodof nutritionalinterest:Orangefleshsweetpotatoprojects (OFSP):frequencyofconsumptionofOFSPwillbe assessed

Indicatorsareneededtomeasureimprovementin foodsecuritystatusoftheparticipanthouseholdsas aresultoftheintervention:

E.g.useafoodinsecurityscale

Indicatorsareneededtomeasureimprovementin theoverallnutritionalqualityofthediet:
E.g.useofanindicatorofdietarydiversity

Dietarydiversityasanimpactindicator
Dietarydiversityisaneasytomeasureproxyof:
accesstofood energyavailability intakeofmicronutrients

Evidencebase:Many validationstudies: at household level at individual level ininfantsandyoung children,women,etc

Dietarydiversity:Howisitmeasured?
Qualitativerecallofdietaryintake(veryquick) Levelofmeasurement Household(measureofaccesstofood) Individual(nutritionalqualityofthediet) Standardfoodgroups Referenceperiod:1dayisthemostcommonlyused Thedietarydiversityscore(DDS)isasimplecount ofthefoodgroupseaten

Dietarydiversity:strengthsandlimitations
Quickandeasytomeasureandanalyze Doesnotnecessitatehighskills Costverylow Timely:sensitivetochange Allowsmeasuringtrends Nocutpointfordefininglowdietarydiversityinmostage groups LimitedrangeofscoresfortheWomensDDS

HouseholdFoodSecurityScalesinImpactAssessment

Thetoolsconstituteadirectmeasureoffoodaccessatthe householdlevel

Householdsgothroughdifferentexperientialand behavioralstagesasfoodinsecuritybecomesmoresevere Researchoverthepasttwodecadeshasidentifiedaparticular setofconditions,experiencesandbehaviorpatternsthat consistentlycharacterizesthephenomenonoffoodinsecurity andhunger

HouseholdFoodSecurityScales
Householdfoodsecurityscalescoveroneormoreofthreemain themes: 1) experiencinganxietyanduncertaintyaboutthehousehold foodsupply; 2) alteringqualityofthediet; 3)reducingquantityoffoodconsumed. Asetofquestionsthatdescribebehaviorsinsituationsof increasingfoodinsecurity(withorw/outfrequencyof occurrence). Ascoreiscalculatedthatindicatestheleveloffoodinsecurity

Examplesofvalidatedscalesinusetoevaluatefood securityandnutritionpoliciesandprogrammes

USHouseholdFoodSecuritySurveyModule(HFSSM)

LatinAmericanFoodSecurityScales(ELCSAand nationalvariants)

HouseholdHungerScale(HHS)New.Validatedfromthe HouseholdFoodInsecurityAccessScaleHFIAS

Exampleofusingafoodsecurityscaletoevaluatepublic policy:BrazilsFome Zero

NationalsurveysusingtheBrazilianHouseholdFoodSecurity Scaleshoweda25%reductioninthenumberoffoodinsecure personsbetween2004and2009 Thereductionoccurredmainlyinlowincomehouseholdswith children Policymakersconcludedthatthemajorfactorcontributingto thisreductionwasparticipationintheBolsaFamlia programme,followedbyincreaseintheminimumsalary
http://g1.globo.com/brasil/noticia/2010/11/fomeainda-atinge-112-milhoes-de-pessoas-no-pais.html. 27/11/2010

Householdfoodinsecurityscales:strengthsand limitations

Provideadirectestimateof%offoodinsecurehouseholds Costlow Timely:sensitivetochange Riskofresponsebiasinsomecaseswherethereishigh expectationofassistance

Example:Foodinsecurity andDietary diversity inurban Tanzania bywealth class

Mean HFIAS and HDDS by wealth status
12 10 8 6 4 6 7 8

HFIAS

Mean HFIAS

HDDS
2 0 Worse-off Medium Best-off 5

Mean HDDS

FoodinsecurityscalesandDietarydiversityare complementaryindicatorsforimpactassessment
Foodinsecurityscalesmeasureaccesstofood Whiledietarydiversityatindividuallevelisameasureof overallnutritionalqualityofthediet Foodinsecurityscalesprovideanestimateof%of householdsaffected Addingdietarydiversityshowswhetherimprovementsin accesstofoodalsoleadtomorenutritiousdiets Thesestandardindicatorsarerelevanttoevaluate abroadrangeoffoodsecurityandnutrition programmes