Mid-term Evaluation of the Integrated Food Security Project in Kassala: Sudan

2.1 ENABLING ENVIRONMENT

2.1.8 Organising informal economy groups

Recommendation: 2. Note that it is necessary to strengthen the organisational capacities of cooperatives and informal enterprise groups as only forming such groups is not sufficient for them to be effective and self-sustaining.

Reference: Bangui, Cécile, 2014, Mid-term Evaluation of the Integrated Food Security Project in Kassala: Sudan (IFSP-Kassala) – GCP /SUD/069/CAN, Midterm or interim evaluation, FAO, Rome.

Sample evidence: According to the Evaluation, the numerous groups formed such as Village Development Committees, Water Users Associations and other Cooperatives are yet to be capacitated in terms of organisation management, marketing, conflict mitigation and comprehending the concept of development. During the field visits the Evaluation Team noticed seeds of conflict between the members, the dependency on the project to sustain most of the activities and the lack of coordination among these groups.

If in the remaining period the project would invest more in capacity building of these organizations especially in economic development, marketing and organizational capacity, the potential is there and the local people seem to be quite willing to be engaged and are open for more possibilities.

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2.1 ENABLING ENVIRONMENT

2.1.9 Value Chains and adding value to value chain components

Recommendation: 17. When assessing a project proposal concerning value chain development, consider:

• How beneficial it can be for local workers both in terms of production and income
• If all the groups can be equally involved into the value chain (especially the most vulnerable ones)
• How developed the last part of the value chain is (marketing, transport facilities, supplies, consumers’ customs etc.)

Reference: Bangui, Cécile, 2014, Mid-term Evaluation of the Integrated Food Security Project in Kassala: Sudan (IFSP-Kassala) – GCP /SUD/069/CAN, Midterm or interim evaluation, FAO, Rome.

Evidence sample: the evaluation underlines how the project in Kassala (Sudan) has identified and supported two value chains (VCs), namely sunflower and fishery.

1) With regard to sunflower value chains, fifty farmers were selected from 5 villages. The project provided seeds, and improved sorghum seeds as a staple food. Farmers benefitted from extension services from the Ministry of Agriculture seconded by an officer from the IFSP-Kassala team and were trained on the production of these crops. In order to foster market linkages, a visit of farmers’ representatives was organised to Medani Oil processors and to the Agriculture Research Station in Wad Medani.

However, the situation is not clear in terms of income increase. The meetings with sunflower farmers in Kassala inspectorate have shown that the income they gained from sorghum is more than five times the income they got from sunflower. They attributed that to associated problems in land preparation, sowing dates and sowing techniques. They are still willing to continue sunflower production based on its potential of stable markets (contracts with oil processor companies) and ready market compared to unstable market prices for sorghum.

The sunflower VC is exclusively male dominated, and youth are systematically excluded.

Marketing is still the weakest link with this production. So far sunflower producers are linked to oil plants in Gezira state. All farmers interviewed by the Evaluation Team have only mentioned one company which organized their visit before production to convince farmers to grow sunflower on the basis of the ready market. The farmers' bargaining power is weak and they have to accept the offered price. They do not have alternative markets to reduce the risk of dependence on one company.

2) The fish VC started with consultation meetings with fishermen, boat makers, fish processing plants, fish restaurants and representatives from local governments and NGOs. Accordingly 18 fishermen groups were formed involving more than 425 fishermen in addition to one women's cooperative in Khashm el-Girba where 40 women benefitted from training in fish processing and net making. The fishermen benefitted from boats and proved fishing gear while women in the value chain benefitted from food and fish processing tools.

Regarding most vulnerable groups’ involvement, though women are involved in fish processing, they are not clearly linked to the value chain. It was also clear that involving women in net making is economically not viable mainly because it is a time consuming activity and also because the marketing process is not clearly defined and the women have to use their own network to sell their nets. With respect to youth, the skills- development training they received is not necessarily relevant to boat fixing or tractor repair apart from fixing flat tires.

As for marketing, fish is still traditional and localised. Expanding the market beyond the state requires sophisticated storage and transport facilities beyond the current capacity of the cooperatives or the project.

Overall, the Evaluation Team found that the project focus was mainly on community-based organizations and service providers, less on agro-processing micro and small enterprises. There has also been almost total lack of the participatory approach and the implementation process has remained top-down in planning, implementation and M&E. The beneficiaries were not consulted on the results and processes and the team has remained strongly focused on the targets of the project document.

Therefore, the designers of this project have not defined and combined VC in a clear, comprehensive, and consistent pathway of activities, outputs and results to support this approach. No training of staff and partners on VC and absence of training on community development approaches. No social simulation or awareness of youth preceded the selection of activities or areas of training.

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2.1.11 Coordination and sustainability planning

Recommendation: 18. For projects supporting people dependent on the IE, 4 essential issues to increase sustainability should be included:

• Institutional capacity strengthening
• Establishment of links with microfinance institutions
• Promotion of public-private partnerships.
• Strengthening of the management capacities of IE groups.

Reference: Bangui, Cécile, 2014, Mid-term Evaluation of the Integrated Food Security Project in Kassala: Sudan (IFSP-Kassala) – GCP /SUD/069/CAN, Midterm or interim evaluation, FAO, Rome.

Evidence sample: according to the evaluation, the prospects for sustaining and scaling up the  IFSP-Kassala project are low for 4 main reasons.

- There is no adequate institutional capacity and finance in place to ensure its continuation. The entrepreneurship capacity is weak within all the groups targeted. Youth, women and some farmers were trained in certain skills, and they were provided with tool kits and necessary equipment. However, a policy to support and maintain these activities and promoting them is still lacking. Most beneficiaries are heavily dependent on the project and they do not seem prepared enough to expand or manage these initiatives at least in part by themselves.

- The project is not linking these groups to existing microfinance institutions, and hence their financial sustainability beyond the project period is highly questionable. Although most groups were provided with basic training in business management and marketing, the training comprised only three representatives from each group and their performance has not been assessed. The follow-up system of the project is not able to track down whether or not the knowledge and skills acquired from the training are disseminated to the other members. The field visits showed that members beyond the three executives lack knowledge and information about management and marketing.

- Despite the efforts made to establish cooperatives and Village Development Committees, these structures are still fragile, with weak management capacities and several of them are not legally registered. Evidence for regular meetings with the members is not found. The organisations are weak to empower the value chains, to maintain the profits in the chains and to provide sustainable services in favour of farmers, women, youth, and the value chains in general. The project has not sufficiently stimulated and supported micro- and small agro-processing enterprises.

- There is a need to make the public sector more effective and to reinforce Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in favour of Village Committees’ development and sustainability. The Project Technical Committee needs to be widened to include representatives of local NGOs and to strengthen its coordination function with the aim of leading to more autonomy for the local organizations.

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2.2 Decent work and enterprise growth

2.2.4 Environment and sustainable management and the Informal Economy

Recommendation: 11. Ensure that the inter-relationship between social and environmental impacts ofAN IE project is adequately considered during implementation and assessment of a project. This particularly includes analysis of the relationship of the local socio-economic and cultural context and how this in turn affects the environmental impact of a project.

Reference: Bangui, Cécile, 2014, Mid-term Evaluation of the Integrated Food Security Project in Kassala: Sudan (IFSP-Kassala) – GCP /SUD/069/CAN, Midterm or interim evaluation, FAO, Rome.

Sample evidence: The evaluation found that the FAO’s project in Kassala was weak in design and implementation while many of the project's investments concerned environmental and social impacts. The issue of how mechanization and irrigation schemes are affecting soil fertility, biodiversity and desertification are not addressed. Equally, the impact of keeping livestock around water points on natural pastures is not assessed. The potential conflict over water resources between settled and nomadic groups has not been catered for through pre-emptive measures, particularly in the absence of governing bodies organizing use and supervising management of these resources. Moreover, since most of the land is under control of local sheikhs and tribal leaders, the success of agricultural production activities may generate new conflicts over access to land and land management. A study of land tenure is necessary to reduce social conflicts.

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2.3 DIRECT ACTIONS IN COMMUNITIES

2.3.4. Leadership, life skills, empowerment training, literacy/numeracy

Recommendation: 2. Ensure that associations, cooperatives, IE groups are provided with organisation management, and conflict mitigation capacity strengthening in accordance with their needs.  Ensure that community participation is well aligned based on a capacity needs analysis.

Reference: Bangui, Cécile, 2014, Mid-term Evaluation of the Integrated Food Security Project in Kassala: Sudan (IFSP-Kassala) – GCP /SUD/069/CAN, Midterm or interim evaluation, FAO, Rome.

Evidence sample: The evaluation team found that, regardless of the training on business development and marketing, the numerous groups formed such as Village Committees, Cooperatives and Water Associations are yet to be capacitated in terms of organization management, conflict mitigation and comprehending the concept of development altogether. During the field visits the evaluation noticed seeds of conflict between members, the absence of women's involvement in VDCs and their continued dependence on the project to sustain most of the activities.

Unfortunately, the absence of a community development approach and strategy within the IFSP- Kassala, has affected the achievement of a positive outcome. Actually, during the implementation stage the project tended to be a service delivery project and hence neglected community participation and capacity building.

Some members of organizations did develop their basic leadership capacity through training in management, book keeping and benefited from visits to fish production areas for fishermen and to oil processing companies for sunflower farmers.

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2.3 DIRECT ACTIONS IN COMMUNITIES

2.3.6. Vocational education/skills training

Recommendation: 1. When planning a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme, conduct an internal review of Government priorities about labour market and economic diversification. Labour market assessments are needed to identify viable economic sectors for private sector development, the human resource requirements within the market and the appropriate training packages. The objective is to align the TVET system more closely with the requirements and dynamics of the market, as well as to the needs of an economic diversification strategy.

Reference: Bangui, Cécile, 2014, Mid-term Evaluation of the Integrated Food Security Project in Kassala: Sudan (IFSP-Kassala) – GCP /SUD/069/CAN, Midterm or interim evaluation, FAO, Rome.

EVIDENCE SAMPLE: the evaluation found that skill training for the benefit of youth did not provide strong evidence for either an increase in income or for better job opportunities. Those who have started their business were appreciated by local people in terms of small repairs and tyre mending. However the low frequency of such demand is inadequate for significant or sustainable increase of income. In fact, the location of youth activities in villages, other than Khashm al-Girba, makes their presence a service to the community more than to the business holder due to the limited demand. The ratio between investing in one youth as compared to the expected outcome in terms of income generation is not economically feasible in opportunity cost terms.

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2.4 APPROACHES TO ENHANCE LIVELIHOODS, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

2.4.2. Social inclusion promotion (awareness raising on social inclusion in IE)

Recommendation: 4) In project design, verify the extent to which the project will substantially contribute to increases in incomes as opposed to only marginally supporting the beneficiaries/community members.

While this may seem obvious many projects simply decide on a range of activities without prioritising those most likely to have high impact.

Reference: Bangui, Cécile, 2014, Mid-term Evaluation of the Integrated Food Security Project in Kassala: Sudan (IFSP-Kassala) – GCP /SUD/069/CAN, Midterm or interim evaluation, FAO, Rome.

Evidence sample: according to the evaluation, the training provided to women in Kassala is not creating employment for them, it is instead providing them with opportunities to improve their living conditions and nutritional standards, generate a small amount money to help them have some economic independence and to improve their bargaining power as partners within the family.

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2.4 APPROACHES TO ENHANCE LIVELIHOODS, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

2.4.5. Strengthening IE with attention to gender issues

Recommendation: 5) In projects with people dependent on the IE, include a specific component on gender mainstreaming and ensure that it is well articulated in the project design. Ensure that this includes development of training and policies that take the different needs of female and male operators/workers into account.

Reference: Bangui, Cécile, 2014, Mid-term Evaluation of the Integrated Food Security Project in Kassala: Sudan (IFSP-Kassala) – GCP /SUD/069/CAN, Midterm or interim evaluation, FAO, Rome.

Evidence sample: the evaluation found that the project succeeded in providing women from targeted villages with minimal income. When a woman who never had her own income and is now earning 20 Sudanese Pounds (SDG), she says “this money is mine, I am free to do whatever I want with it” or when another woman says “I don’t have to beg my husband for transport money to go and visit my relatives or go to the market; now with what I am earning I can go wherever I want without fear of rejection or denial”, these two quotations are qualitative indicators of economic empowerment in a society where women have the freedom to use their income.

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2.4 APPROACHES TO ENHANCE LIVELIHOODS, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

2.4.5. Strengthening IE with attention to gender issues

Recommendation: 18) Ensure explicit attention to safeguard that women are included in group formation of associations / cooperatives.

Reference: Bangui, Cécile, 2014, Mid-term Evaluation of the Integrated Food Security Project in Kassala: Sudan (IFSP-Kassala) – GCP /SUD/069/CAN, Midterm or interim evaluation, FAO, Rome.

Evidence sample: the evaluation found that women members of the Village Development Committees were not consulted and did not even attend meetings and were not informed/unaware of most decisions made by the male members.

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2.4 APPROACHES TO ENHANCE LIVELIHOODS, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

2.4.5. Strengthening IE with attention to gender issues

Recommendation: 25) Ensure that decisions on project actions, such as the establishment of women’s training centres should be made strategically and take the need to link training to social empowerment into account.

Reference: Bangui, Cécile, 2014, Mid-term Evaluation of the Integrated Food Security Project in Kassala: Sudan (IFSP-Kassala) – GCP /SUD/069/CAN, Midterm or interim evaluation, FAO, Rome.

Evidence sample: the evaluation team observed that decisions about the establishment of women training centres were made in a hasty manner without a strategic vision linking training to social empowerment. No provision of facilities for adaptive agro-processing technologies and information.

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2.4 APPROACHES TO ENHANCE LIVELIHOODS, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

2.4.5. Strengthening IE with attention to gender issues

Recommendation: 29) Involving groups of women in extended training programme requires strict attention to:

• Women actual involvement in decision making and active participation
• Utility of women training centres and content course
• Geographical needs and habits of participant groups.

Reference: Bangui, Cécile, 2014, Mid-term Evaluation of the Integrated Food Security Project in Kassala: Sudan (IFSP-Kassala) – GCP /SUD/069/CAN, Midterm or interim evaluation, FAO, Rome.

Evidence sample: then, the establishment of several women training centres has provided an opportunity for women to come together and meet, this is especially true within closed cultures such as rural Kassala. The potential of using these centres has not been fully explored. In fact it is undermined by adopting the “one package training module” regardless of the location or specificity of the context. For example, training women in al-Gurashi village on biscuit and cake making seems irrelevant and the time, resources and effort could were spent in more training in the preservation of produce by dehydration in a place where horticulture products, in particular onion and tomato, are strongly encouraged by the project, thus linking women directly to production and marketing.

Another critical issue concerns geographical areas. It is not logical to have the same training package for women in towns or close to towns as for women in remote rural areas. Needs and habits are so different that training utility has necessarily to be diversified.