EFFECTIVENESS REVIEW SERIES

enhancing effectiveness through evidence-based learning

Somalia Livelihoods 2014/15

Community driven livelihood and food security initiatives in Lower
and Middle Juba Regions
The projects overall objective was to contribute to improved income generation and food security of families in eleven
regions in South Somalia. Project activities included a cash grant for household businesses; provision of donkey carts
for transport services; restocking of livestock herds; donation of agricultural equipment; donation of other agricultural
inputs such as seeds; support in rehabilitation of irrigation systems including the donation of water pumps; and
provision of cash for work. It should be noted that agricultural activities, including support in rehabilitation of irrigation
systems, were not given attention as planned and consequently few of these activities were actually carried out.
The project activities were implemented by Oxfam in conjunction with a local partner organisation Wajir South
Development Association (WASDA).
Project Increased
Decreased food More in kind
outcomes household
prices in local support to
income and
area others
food security
Increased
Increased Increased
participation
community participation
of household
involvement of women in
members in
in project community
community Increased crop
management meetings Environmental
groups production and benefits
sales

Changed attitude
towards womens More reliable Maintain
Increased
involvement Increased sales production, income from
household
in community and profitability especially during milk and
asset wealth
decision-making deir (short season) livestock sales

Experience in Women Community has Improved Increased Increased

Means of Increased stock
project design, participate improved access availability livestock purchasing power
generating in household
implementation actively in to water and of water for ownership by for vunerable
income businesses
and monitoring communities transport for crops agriculture households households

Activities
Establishment Grants for
and capacity Transfer of Rehabilitation of Restocking after
household Cash for work
building of donkey carts irrigation systems 2011 drought
businesses
committees

This diagram presents how the project was expected to achieve change, through project activities and outcomes that were expected to contribute to
the overall goal of the project. Outcomes that found evidence of positive impact are highlighted in green.
Project date: May 2010 - April 2013 Evaluation: October 2014 Publication: November 2015

EFFECTIVENESS REVIEW SERIES 2014/15: AFGHANISTAN BANGLADESH CAMBODIA CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
CHAD ETHIOPIA LEBANON NICARAGUA PAKISTAN PHILIPPINES PHILIPPINES (humanitarian)
POLICY & PRACTICE WEBSITE SOMALIA SOUTH SUDAN TANZANIA THAILAND UGANDA YEMEN
 Evaluation Method
The review sought to evaluate the projects impact among the population of villages where the project was
implemented. A quasi-experimental evaluation design was used whereby data from interviews with households from
villages where the project had been implemented and with households of neighbouring non-project villages were
analysed using propensity score matching and multivariate regression. See the How are effectiveness reviews
carried out? document for more information on evaluation design. Details about specific evaluation design used in this
case are contained in the full report of the Effectiveness Review.

Results
Evidence of
Project outcome Commentary
positive impact
On average, the numbers of goats increased by 2 in intervention
Increased livestock households while the number of sheep increased by about 50%
YES
ownership by households in households that participated in the project compared with
households that did not.
Participation of women and their household members increased
Participation in community by about 20 percentage points while participation of women alone
YES
groups in group meetings increased by about 12 percentage points in
intervention areas compared with comparison areas.
On average there was a 5.9 percentage point increase in the number
Use of donkey carts for of participant households reporting the use donkey carts for transport
YES
income generation services thereby increasing their income compared with households
in comparison communities.
On average, there was a 15.9 percentage point increase in the
Increased income from
YES number of participant households reporting increased income from
milk sales
milk sales compared with non-participants.
On average, there was a 14 percentage point significant difference
between participant households and non-participants with regard to
Community involvement in
YES asking questions on how new projects benefit them. This is important
project management
because by asking about project benefits they can influence the kind
of activities based on immediate needs of the community.
There is evidence to show that the wealth index of households in
Household asset wealth
YES intervention areas has steadily increased since 2009 whereas that of
(Wealth index)
the comparison households has remained almost constant.

Increased income from Revenues obtained from household businesses were not significantly
NO
household businesses different between the participant and non-participant households.

Increase in overall Household income among project participants (as measured by

household income NO consumption and expenditure) was not significantly different between
(New Global Indicator) intervention and comparison households.

Going forward
Learning from the review is being incorporated into the second phase of a similar project implemented in Somalia.
The use of project committees, coined to help deliver projects in hard to reach areas due to prevailing insecurity,
was found to be a key delivery model. Their involvement in future projects will be strengthened by improving training
and monitoring involvement in future project activities. The review also identified the need to improve monitoring and
follow up with project participants after being issued with project items. A training manual on business skills has been
developed and in future, training will be conducted for all project participants before funds are distributed. Tools for
continuous monitoring have also been developed and their use will be incorporated into future projects. In order to
improve project participant skills to obtain grants for establishing business and other income generating activities,
future screening processes for similar projects will incorporate analysis on culture dynamics. This will provide visibility
on whether participants have previous knowledge of business or are interested in undertaking business which is
particularly crucial for those involved in cash grants for household businesses.
Photo credit: Maslah Mohamed/WASDA

Full version of this report and more information can be found at Oxfams Policy and Practice website: www.oxfam.org.uk/effectiveness
For more information, contact Oxfams Programme Quality Team - ppat@oxfam.org.uk