The Implementer-Led Evaluation & Learning Associate Award sponsored by USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) has conducted mid-term evaluations or reviews (MTE/R) of development food security activities (DFAPs and DFSAs) since 2015. These evaluations were led by external consultants or BHA staff and included staff members from implementing organizations and BHA. The findings and recommendations from these MTE/Rs have primarily been used to inform activity plans, leading to modifications aimed at improving results.
A high-level review of the recommendations and findings of these MTE/Rs was conducted to identify common themes or trends that could inform future programming more broadly and lead to improved food security outcomes. The review included 16 MTE/Rs of DFAPs/DFSAs from 2015-2020, covering various countries such as Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, Madagascar, Malawi, and Zimbabwe.
The MTE/Rs included in this review were conducted in various countries, with a focus on development food security activities. The evaluations were led by external consultants or BHA staff and included staff members from implementing organizations and BHA. The findings and recommendations from these MTE/Rs have primarily been used to inform activity plans, leading to modifications aimed at improving results.
A high-level quantitative overview of the types of recommendations made by the MTE/Rs was conducted, both in terms of what types of sectors or themes they address (agriculture, natural resource management, nutrition, gender, etc.) and in terms of what operational or management recommendations they make. The review identified certain trends that might be useful to understand for future program design and implementation.
The review identified several key trends and themes that emerged from the MTE/Rs, including the importance of targeting and reach of activities, collaboration with and learning from other activities, and sustainability. The review also identified sector-specific trends, including agriculture and livelihoods, health and nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), youth, and gender. The review suggested that these trends and themes could inform future programming more broadly and lead to improved food security outcomes.
The Implementer-Led Evaluation & Learning Associate Award has proposed a workshop for BHA-funded food security development program stakeholders to discuss key themes and trends identified in the review. The workshop aims to facilitate a discussion on how to apply the findings and recommendations from the MTE/Rs to future programming and improve food security outcomes.