R4D Somalia

A critical review of community-driven development programmes in conflict-affected contexts. Technical Appendix.

Thu, 02 May 2013 08:21 GMT

Production Year: 2013

Citation: King, E. A critical review of community-driven development programmes in conflict-affected contexts. Technical Appendix. International Rescue Committee (IRC), London, UK / Balsillie School of International Affairs, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada (2013) 23 pp.

Summary: This appendix comprises the following:

A list of questions used to guide the research
Sample of reading instrument
Discussion guide for interviews
Synthesis tables containing impact estimates for Afghanistan, DRC, Aceh (Indonesia), Liberia and Sierra Leone

A critical review of community-driven development programmes in conflict-affected contexts.

Thu, 02 May 2013 08:03 GMT

Production Year: 2013

Citation: King, E. A critical review of community-driven development programmes in conflict-affected contexts. International Rescue Committee (IRC), London, UK / Balsillie School of International Affairs, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada (2013) 55 pp.

Summary:

After participating in two rigorous impact evaluations of Community-Driven Development/Reconstruction (CDD/R) in Liberia and DRC, IRC and DFID embarked on this review as a next step in learning. They also wanted this review to inform design and evaluation strategies for new CDR programming in Somalia.

CDD/R programmes – that empower local communities to directly participate in development activities and to control resources to do so – aim to improve socio-economic wellbeing, governance, and social cohesion at a local level. While CDD/R is context driven, it is generally implemented as a standard model.

According to rigorous impact evaluations from programmes in Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Aceh (Indonesia), Liberia and Sierra Leone, and interviews with practitioners, policymakers and academics, the record of CDD/R in conflict-affected contexts is mixed and, overall, disappointing in terms of reaching the ambitious goals set out.

As currently designed, implemented, and evaluated, CDD/R is better at generating the more tangible economic outcomes than it is at generating social changes related to governance and social cohesion, although even the economic effects are found in just a few studies. Moreover, CDD/R programming is better at producing outcomes directly associated with the project rather than broader changes in routine life.

CDD/R has been plagued by a panacea-type approach to goals and a generalised theory of change that is, as interviewees characterised it, "lofty", "unrealistic", "inherently flawed" and even "ridiculous".

A variety of issues related to programme design merit rethinking: the relatively short timeline of CDD/R projects, the small size of block grants, the limited reach of the projects, the menu restrictions on CDD/R programming, the limitations of social infrastructure, the quality and intensity of social facilitation, the manner in which communities are conceptualised and thus often not meaningful to participants, and how community institutions build on existing institutions and relate to the state.

Although the evaluations reviewed here are of high quality, they raise a number of methodological questions about the best measures and instruments for evaluating CDD/R, the timing of measurement, and levels of analysis, as well as if and how evaluations impact projects and outcomes.

Open and honest conversation about CDD/R – which has occurred too infrequently – must guide the way forward.

Future CDD/R efforts also need to be guided by humility and more realistic goals.

More questions can and should be asked in evaluations. Areas for future research on CDD/R consist of comparing CDD/R to other programming rather than a counterfactual of no programme, parsing the social and economic aspects of programme inputs and consequent outcomes, introducing variation within treatment communities to learn more about programme design and contextual features, and asking how and why questions about the CDD/R process, and the outcomes it generates. Stronger monitoring is essential.

The road ahead must build on the important work undertaken so far and the many questions raised here, not simply replicate what has been done in the past.

Transport investment and research statistics

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 11:58 GMT

Production Year: 2013

Citation: Berry, J.; Maks Davis, M.; Schoen, P. Transport investment and research statistics. Evidence on Demand, UK (2013) 40 pp. [DOI: 10.12774/eod_hd025.jan2013.berry_et_al]

Summary:

The study aimed to compare the level of investment in transport infrastructure by mode, in a selection of Low-Income Countries (LICs) and Medium-Income Countries (MICs), with the level of investment in transport related research and development (R&D) in these countries. Investment in the transport sector is quite complex as investment comes from both public and private sources and from official development assistance (ODA) in many MICs and LICs. A review of international statistics provided total spending by mode for a number of MICs. Data for LICs was generally available for total spending in the transport sector but not by mode, although some data were obtained for expenditure on roads.

Transport spending as a percentage of GDP is a frequently used indicator for the level of investment. Generally, in MICs transport investment ranged from 1.5% GDP (Russia) to 2.5% (average for MICs in Sub-Saharan Africa). In LICs the average % GDP tended to be a little higher at ~2.8% GDP. The breakdown of transport spending by nature suggests a greater proportion of spending in MICs is for operations and maintenance activities than in LICs reflecting the more mature nature of their transport infrastructure, although it must be noted that there is considerable variation between different countries.

Investment in the transport sector in both MICs and LICs tends to be dominated by investment in the road sector. Although there are some notable exceptions; for example, both Russia and India (MICs) are making comparable levels of investment in their road and rail sectors. Investment in inland waterways, ports and airports was low in all countries considered. Similarly, from the information reviewed in this study, it appears that the majority of transport investment in LICs is directed towards the road sector. However, it is interesting to see that two of the LICs considered in greater detail in this study, Kenya and Uganda, include upgrading, construction and rehabilitation of their railways in their future plans.

The level of investment in transport related R&D proved more difficult to quantify as statistics on R&D do not separately report work relating to the transport sector. A frequently used indicator is Gross Domestic Expenditure on R&D (GERD) as a percentage of GDP. This indicator is 0.3% for Sub-Saharan Africa compared to 2.7% for North America and 1.8% for Europe. It has been estimated by the World Bank that R&D expenditure related to roads research in Europe is just 1% of the total spend on road transport.

GERD data compiled in this study for a number of LICs gave an average of 0.22% GDP. Hence, the overall level of investment in R&D in LICs is just 16% of that in Europe. Assuming the level of R&D in all sectors is reduced to the same extent, it can be estimated that road transport related R&D is likely to be just 0.16% of road transport expenditure in LICs. As investment on roads appears to dominate transport investment, this figure is also likely to reflect the level of R&D transport overall. This estimation is based on some major assumptions but does fit with the general observations made by the World Bank and others that the majority of ODA and nationally funded work in the transport sector relates to the construction and rehabilitation of the transport infrastructure networks. The World Bank and DFID, both however do recognise the benefits of transport related R&D. The World Bank is currently funding the establishment of a Road Research Centre in Ethiopia and DFID, through their AFCAP transport research programme, is funding feasibility studies for three further road research centres in Kenya, Mozambique and Tanzania. The latter is also considering the potential benefits that could be obtained by regional cooperation.

Statistics for the Agricultural and Health sectors were also reviewed to facilitate a comparison with the transport sector. The average annual investment in agriculture in LIC and MICs from all sources (public, private and ODA) totalled USD 213 billion, whilst the comparable public spending on agricultural R&D totalled USD 4.7 billion, around 2.2% of the annual investment. This figure is substantially higher than the figure of 0.16% estimated for the transport sector. In the Health sector, the Commission on Health Research for Development recommended in 1990 that all countries should invest at least 2% of their national health expenditure in health research and research capacity. The African Health Observatory estimated that USD 517.5 million was spent on health research in 37 African countries in 2005 which represented 1.3% of the combined total health expenditure for these countries. Again this figure is nearly to be an order of magnitude greater than the figure estimated for road research spending in LICs.

West African Agriculture and Climate Change: A Comprehensive Analysis

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 13:04 GMT

Production Year: 2013

Citation: Jalloh, A.; Nelson, G.C.; Thomas, T.S.; Zougmoré, R.; Roy-Macauley, H. West African Agriculture and Climate Change: A Comprehensive Analysis. International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, DC, USA (2013) 408 pp. ISBN 978-0-89629-204-8 [DOI: 10.2499/9780896292048]

Summary: The first of three books in IFPRI’s climate change in Africa series, West African Agriculture and Climate Change: A Comprehensive Analysis examines the food security threats facing 11 of the countries that make up West Africa - Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo - and explores how climate change will increase the efforts needed to achieve sustainable food security throughout the region.

West Africa’s population is expected to grow at least through mid-century. The region will also see income growth. Both will put increased pressure on the natural resources needed to produce food, and climate change makes the challenges greater. West Africa is already experiencing rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and increasing extreme events. Without attention to adaptation, the poor will suffer.

Through the use of hundreds of scenario maps, models, figures, and detailed analysis, the editors and contributors of West African Agriculture and Climate Change present plausible future scenarios that combine economic and biophysical characteristics to explore the possible consequences for agriculture, food security, and resources management to 2050. They also offer recommendations to national governments and regional economic agencies already dealing with the vulnerabilities of climate change and deviations in environment.

Diamond mining, urbanisation and social transformation in Sierra Leone

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 15:01 GMT

Production Year: 2012

Citation: Maconachie, R. Diamond mining, urbanisation and social transformation in Sierra Leone. Journal of Contemporary African Studies (2012) 30 (4) 705-723. [DOI: 10.1080/02589001.2012.724872]

Summary: This paper critically explores changing relationships between diamond mining and patterns of urbanisation in Sierra Leone. In providing an historical overview of mining expansion and contraction, the paper highlights the significant impacts that mining has had on the rural–urban continuum, and how this has shaped political, economic and social change in diamondiferous regions. Focusing on Kono District, the effects of diamond mining on populations are evaluated before, during and after the civil war, demonstrating how diamonds have had diverse and varying impacts on both population mobility and urban agglomeration at different points in time. While much attention has focused on the social consequences of wartime displacement from diamondiferous areas to the capital city, Freetown, recent research suggests that the post-war return of young people to diamond mining regions has had unexpected consequences. Most significantly, a decline in artisanal mining activities and the rise of large-scale industrial mining has reawakened the interest of young ex-miners in farming, especially those who enjoy hereditary land rights. While one consequence of the war may be that the population is now more urban and more mobile, the paper concludes that the return of young people to their villages of origin, and rapprochement with local chiefs, may be helping to drive a resurgence of community-based cooperation in Kono District, a development which could provide a more durable basis for sustainable and democratic development in the years to come.

ReBUILD Newsletter, January 2013

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:56 GMT

Production Year: 2013

Citation: ReBUILD. ReBUILD Newsletter, January 2013. (2013) 6 pp.

Summary: This newsletter gives an overview of the reBUILD RPC, with news on publications, progress, achievements and challenges.

LDPI Working Paper 1. Commercial Biofuel Land Deals & Environment and Social Impact Assessments in Africa: Three case studies in Mozambique and Sierra Leone

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:32 GMT

Production Year: 2011

Citation: Andrew, M.; Van Vlaenderen, H. LDPI Working Paper 1. Commercial Biofuel Land Deals & Environment and Social Impact Assessments in Africa: Three case studies in Mozambique and Sierra Leone. The Land Deal Politics Initiative, (2011) 29 pp.

Summary: The rapid increase in attempts by foreign investors to acquire large tracts of land in Africa for biofuel developments has generated substantial concern about their potential negative impact on the communities living in the targeted areas. This includes concerns about the impact on local residents’ livelihoods, their access to land, natural resources and labour, and their food security.

This paper examines three case studies of proposed biofuel developments in Mozambique and Sierra Leone in terms of their social displacement impacts and the extent to which such impacts can be avoided or minimised. The case studies show that even in areas with low population densities and settlements concentrated in villages where it is easier to minimise displacement impacts, livelihood displacement impacts still cannot be entirely avoided due to communal and scattered land use in most rural areas. Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) processes have changed the location, size and boundaries of developments to reduce displacement impacts, but more mitigation measures — such as outgrower schemes and land dedicated to food production — can provide further livelihood restitution and avoid food security impacts. The three biofuel ventures also highlight the influence of tenure security for local land right holders in determining the nature of the land deals and the consultation processes: cases where land leases are made with central government seem to provide fewer incentives for developers to negotiate directly with local communities and provide them with lower levels of compensation.

mHealth for maternal and newborn health in resource-poor community and health system settings, Sierra Leone - Phase 2. Progress report to DFID.

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 09:48 GMT

Production Year: 2012

Citation: Anon. mHealth for maternal and newborn health in resource-poor community and health system settings, Sierra Leone - Phase 2. Progress report to DFID. Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), Amsterdam, Netherlands (2012) 17 pp.

Summary:

The overall research objective of phase 2 of this project is to assess the effect of integrating mobile communication strategies into existing health service packages in one health district in Sierra Leone, on maternal and newborn health service utilization. A secondary objective is to strengthen research capacity in Sierra Leone with a focus on intervention, action research and realist approaches, as well as dissemination and effective use of research results.

This report intends to share progress to date regarding the main process and contents-related issues of the Phase 2 implementation phase, covering the first half of the first 12 months of the 24-month implementation period. It furthermore provides an outlook on the next - and last - twelve months.

MDGs and ‘Fragile States'

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 14:39 GMT

Creator: Harvey, P

Production Year: 2012

Citation: Harvey, P. MDGs and ‘Fragile States’. (2012)

Summary: Are 'fragile states' failing to meet the Milllenium Development Goals? SLRC Director Paul Harvey argues in this blog that the answer is not as black and white as might be thought.

The political economy of the urban water-pricing regime in Freetown, Sierra Leone

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 15:43 GMT

Production Year: 2012

Citation: Harris, D.; Kooy, M.; Jalloh, G. The political economy of the urban water-pricing regime in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Overseas Development Institute (ODI), London, UK (2012) 56 pp. ISBN 978 1 907288 69 2 [ODI Working Paper 348]

Summary: This paper presents the findings of one of two country case studies conducted as part of a broader project entitled ‘Analysing the governance and political economy of water and sanitation service delivery’. The objective of the research project is to develop the utility of political economy analysis for the water supply and sanitation (WSS) sector, with a focus on improving the operational impact of DFID (and other donor) country programming. While the objective of the case study is therefore to inform the development of DFID’s approach to sector-level political economy analysis (PEA), the paper and the research that underpins the paper have been undertaken with the primary goal of working with the staff and development partners of the DFID-Sierra Leone country office to think through the implications of a problem-driven political economy analysis approach for addressing the issues encountered in their work. Designed explicitly to address specific development challenges encountered in the course of donor operations, the analytical framework adopted in this paper, as in the research project more broadly, is the Problem-Driven Governance and Political Economy Analysis Good Practice Framework (PGPE).

The political economy of the urban water-pricing regime (setting, implementing, monitoring and enforcing) was selected as the focus of this country case-study research. The analysis focused specifically on the country’s capital city of Freetown, in light of the previous failed attempts by donors to intervene in Freetown’s water-pricing regime; the relative importance of the Freetown service delivery given the demographic shift to urban areas in the post-war period; and practical considerations concerning the limited time available to the researchers to spend in country.