Beneficiary Assessment for Independent Evaluation of Anticipatory Action Pilot in Somalia

This report summarizes the methodology, findings and recommendations of a beneficiary assessment for the anticipatory action pilot in Somalia, which aimed to prevent the number of people in IPC 3+ from increasing in the context of floods, Covid-19 and a locust outbreak. The survey involved four out of the nine projects funded by CERF: two implemented by WFP (nutrition and cash transfer), one by IOM (water/sanitation), and one by FAO (agricultural project targeting pastoralist communities). This survey was conducted through call-center interviews targeting 1,500 beneficiaries of the four projects. Numerous findings and recommendations are reported. Key findings include, but are not limited to: that the Anticipatory Action approach is well-suited in Somalia given the predictability of shocks like drought and floods; that the approach is most effective when tied to a specific shock and specific shock indicator; that actions which expand options for the most vulnerable have the greatest impact; that timely intervention is more determinant for life-saving interventions, in this case WFP’s work targeting urban poor whose ability to adapt is extremely limited; and that assistance should have been provided even earlier to ensure greater beneficiary satisfaction. Interviews with beneficiaries also revealed relatively low levels of appreciation, with no specific reason for the low scoring identified. Beneficiaries reported an average score for the appreciation of the program as reported in terms of ‘recommendation to a friend’ between 4.6 – 5.1, out of 10. At the same time, 82 percent of respondents reported that humanitarian assistance received generally made it easier to handle their issue and 70 percent of respondents reported that these specific interventions improved the quality of their life. Recommendations include but are not limited to categorizing beneficiaries based on the level of vulnerability, increasing targeting at community level and for infrastructure, and building regular target community consultation into the anticipatory action framework.