Learning from Experience: Findings from an SBC Review of USAID Food for Peace Development Food Security Activities
Summary:
USAID's Office of Food for Peace (FFP) requested the FANTA project to review SBC methods and approaches within Development Food Security Activity (DFSA) grants in an effort to apply the latest evidence and best practices in SBC. The review aimed to describe the fundamentals of SBC theory and practice and identify current consensus on evidence-based global best practices to identify how well the SBC approaches being used were aligned with best practices, common strengths and weaknesses in the SBC approaches, and develop recommendations. To meet these objectives, the process reviewed global SBC literature and conducted consultations with SBC experts as well as documents from 11 programs in 8 countries, conducted interviews with staff, and visited four programs. This session will share key lessons for donors and implementers on SBC program capacity and quality implementation to catalyze change for the most vulnerable populations.
Background/Objectives:
USAID's Office of Food for Peace (FFP) recognizes that SBC is important in all sectors of their programming and can lead to improved food security practices at the community, household and individual levels. To continually learn from and adapt SBC programming to achieve the intended impact, the Office conducted a review of SBC within 11 Development Food Security Activity (DFSA) grants across 8 countries. This session will share key lessons applicable for donors and SBC program implementers around the world related to the quality of SBC programming and capacity strengthening needs to catalyze change for the most vulnerable populations.
Description of Intervention and/or Methods/Design:
As a commitment to applying the latest evidence and best practices in SBC to programs, USAID's Office of Food for Peace (FFP) requested the FANTA project to review SBC methods and approaches within Development Food Security Activity (DFSA) grants. The process involved a review of documents including annual reports, formative research studies, SBC strategies, and tools, from 11 programs past their midpoints in 8 countries. Reviewers also conducted interviews with implementing partner staff, and site visits with four programs in two countries: Malawi and Zimbabwe. To provide the basis for the SBC best practices against which the program findings were analyzed, the team reviewed global SBC literature and conducted consultations with SBC experts.
Results/Lessons Learned:
The SBC review found that many programs adhere to best practice in SBC. Most programs conducted some type of formative research and applied the research to design SBC strategies, although the quality of the research and strategies varied. Despite the similarity of SBC approaches used across programs, the quality of implementation varied widely. Challenges in quality included the quality of interpersonal communication (IPC) and the over emphasis on disseminating messages instead of engaging more deeply with mobilization of community assets for collective action and advocacy for structural change and lack of capacity transfer to field staff. Implementers do not receive the ongoing mentoring and coaching for skills development needed for successful SBC interventions. Recommendations for FFP include ways to structure requests for applications. Recommendations for the implementing partner community include greater attention to capacity strengthening in SBC at all levels, from community change agents to field staff to government partners.
Discussion/Implications for the Field:
The session will provide concrete lessons from a review of 11 development programs aiming to improve food security for the most vulnerable populations. The review focused on how the programs stand in relation to SBC best practices. The lessons highlight areas that need greater attention to ensure that SBC efforts can achieve the intended results. These areas include deeper formative and strategy design, and more attention to the quality of implementation. These lessons are applicable for other donors as well as SBC practitioners focused on accelerating change to reach sustainable development goals.
Abstract submitted by:
Lisa Sherburne - Manoff Group
Michael Manske - USAID
Mary Packard-Winkler
USAID's Office of Food for Peace (FFP) requested the FANTA project to review SBC methods and approaches within Development Food Security Activity (DFSA) grants in an effort to apply the latest evidence and best practices in SBC. The review aimed to describe the fundamentals of SBC theory and practice and identify current consensus on evidence-based global best practices to identify how well the SBC approaches being used were aligned with best practices, common strengths and weaknesses in the SBC approaches, and develop recommendations. To meet these objectives, the process reviewed global SBC literature and conducted consultations with SBC experts as well as documents from 11 programs in 8 countries, conducted interviews with staff, and visited four programs. This session will share key lessons for donors and implementers on SBC program capacity and quality implementation to catalyze change for the most vulnerable populations.
Background/Objectives:
USAID's Office of Food for Peace (FFP) recognizes that SBC is important in all sectors of their programming and can lead to improved food security practices at the community, household and individual levels. To continually learn from and adapt SBC programming to achieve the intended impact, the Office conducted a review of SBC within 11 Development Food Security Activity (DFSA) grants across 8 countries. This session will share key lessons applicable for donors and SBC program implementers around the world related to the quality of SBC programming and capacity strengthening needs to catalyze change for the most vulnerable populations.
Description of Intervention and/or Methods/Design:
As a commitment to applying the latest evidence and best practices in SBC to programs, USAID's Office of Food for Peace (FFP) requested the FANTA project to review SBC methods and approaches within Development Food Security Activity (DFSA) grants. The process involved a review of documents including annual reports, formative research studies, SBC strategies, and tools, from 11 programs past their midpoints in 8 countries. Reviewers also conducted interviews with implementing partner staff, and site visits with four programs in two countries: Malawi and Zimbabwe. To provide the basis for the SBC best practices against which the program findings were analyzed, the team reviewed global SBC literature and conducted consultations with SBC experts.
Results/Lessons Learned:
The SBC review found that many programs adhere to best practice in SBC. Most programs conducted some type of formative research and applied the research to design SBC strategies, although the quality of the research and strategies varied. Despite the similarity of SBC approaches used across programs, the quality of implementation varied widely. Challenges in quality included the quality of interpersonal communication (IPC) and the over emphasis on disseminating messages instead of engaging more deeply with mobilization of community assets for collective action and advocacy for structural change and lack of capacity transfer to field staff. Implementers do not receive the ongoing mentoring and coaching for skills development needed for successful SBC interventions. Recommendations for FFP include ways to structure requests for applications. Recommendations for the implementing partner community include greater attention to capacity strengthening in SBC at all levels, from community change agents to field staff to government partners.
Discussion/Implications for the Field:
The session will provide concrete lessons from a review of 11 development programs aiming to improve food security for the most vulnerable populations. The review focused on how the programs stand in relation to SBC best practices. The lessons highlight areas that need greater attention to ensure that SBC efforts can achieve the intended results. These areas include deeper formative and strategy design, and more attention to the quality of implementation. These lessons are applicable for other donors as well as SBC practitioners focused on accelerating change to reach sustainable development goals.
Abstract submitted by:
Lisa Sherburne - Manoff Group
Michael Manske - USAID
Mary Packard-Winkler
Source
Approved abstract for the postponed 2020 SBCC Summit in Marrakech, Morocco. Provided by the International Steering Committee for the Summit. Image credit: USAID