Final Evaluation of the Project “Increased Household …Figure 1: Most significant change -Policy support 8. Improved Production and Productivity: Listed among the most significant

OFFICE OF EVALUATION

Project evaluation series

October 2018

Final Evaluation of the Project “Increased Household Food,

Income and Nutrition Security through Commercialization of an Integrated and Sustainable

Smallholder Livestock Sector in Zimbabwe”

ANNEX 2. Outcome Evidencing Workshop

PROJECT EVALUATION SERIES

Final Evaluation of the Project

“Increased Household Food, Income and

Nutrition Security through

Commercialization of an Integrated and

Sustainable Smallholder Livestock Sector in

Zimbabwe”

(GCP/ZIM/022/EC)

ANNEX 2. Outcome Evidencing Workshop

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS

OFFICE OF EVALUATION

October 2018

FAO. 2018. Final Evaluation of the Project “Increased Household Food, Income and Nutrition Security through Commercialization of an Integrated and Sustainable Smallholder Livestock Sector in Zimbabwe” – ANNEX 2. Outcome Evidencing Workshop. Rome. pp.13 (www.fao.org/evaluation).Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO

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Integrated and Sustainable Smallholder Livestock Sector in Zimbabwe – Annex 2

iii

Contents 1 Outcome Evidencing Workshop .................................................................................. 1

2 Results of the Outcome Evidencing Workshop .......................................................... 2


1

1 Outcome Evidencing Workshop

1. The Evaluation utilized Outcome Evidencing1 as one of its main methodologies. This

approach guided the evaluation team to understand what was expected from the

output -outcome pathways at the design stage and to collect information on what

worked or did not work. It enriched learning about the design factors that contributed

to and/or influenced results, and the underlying critical assumptions presumed.

2. The Outcome Evidencing Workshop was conducted in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe on 7 and

8 February 2018. It was attended by the Project implementers and main government

partners. The workshop was intended as an entry point for the evaluation and to

consolidate information from the “change agents”. The workshop aimed and indeed

helped the evaluation team to identify the major areas of change for validation. Using

the implementers as resources that are well versed with the programme, with the

evaluation team, ‘major areas of change’ and cause-effect pathways that led to most

visible change were jointly identified, rather than coming from ‘independent’ informers.

3. The two-day workshop was held in the first week of the assignment and brought

together 27 key implementers to collectively focus and discuss the perceived significant

areas of change, outcomes, evidences and a general understanding of what, how and

where the programme had accomplished significant results. Organizations and

agencies represented at the workshop included: FAO Zimbabwe; implementing

partners Helfe zur Selbthilfe (HELP Germany) and Linkages for Economic Advancement

of the Disadvantaged (LEAD); the National, Provincial and District Departments of

Livestock Veterinary Services (DLVS); District and Local governments - Rural District

Council (RDC) and District Development Fund (DDF).

4. The participants of the

Outcome Evidencing

Workshop were mainly

technical and administrative

officers at various levels, i.e.

programme officers, livestock

specialists, Monitoring and

Evaluation (M&E) officers,

Veterinary Officers, Animal

Health Inspectors, Meat

Graders, Agricultural

Extension Officers, CEOs and

Public officers from local

government. The method was

used as adopted from Paz-

Ybarnegaray and Douthwaite,

2016, with modification of an additional step of ‘Strength-Weakness-Opportunities-

Threats’ (SWOT) Analysis (refer to Box 1.)

1 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1098214016676573?journalCode=ajec

Box 1: Outcome Evidencing by Paz-Ybarnegaray and

Douthwaite

Step 1: Agree on the Evaluation Questions and the use of

the Evaluation Results

Step 2: Identify areas of change

Step 3: Identify and describe Outcomes

Step 4: Identify Outcome trajectories

Step 5: Identify most significant Outcomes and critical

linkages in the Outcome trajectories

Step 6: Critically reflect on who is experiencing change

and who isn’t

Step 7: Identify immediate implications

Step 8: Plan and carry out substantiation

Step 9: Analyse and use the Findings

Step 10: Repeat the Outcome Evidencing Cycle

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1098214016676573?journalCode=ajec


2

2 Results of the Outcome Evidencing Workshop

5. The participants identified six significant areas of change which are shown in Figures 1

to 5 namely: policy support, capacity development of livestock extension system, fodder

production, breed improvement, improved livestock marketing and nutrition.

6. Policy Support: The Project support created an enabling policy environment through

policy engagement processes and the policy debate space. The Outcome Evidencing

Workshop (Figure 1) pointed to the livestock policy draft pathway (blue box) and the

improved capacities of the stakeholders especially government staff to understand policy

processes and utilize the developed skills as the most significant changes. Although the

main goal of the capacity development was directed to the livestock policy

development, the skills that were gained by trained government staff were employed

in developing and improving other policy documents such as reviewing the Dairy

Strategy and developing the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Strategy.

7. This increase in capacity, as seen in Figure 1, showed incremental effects. The policy

debate space and increased interaction between chain actors such as the buyers,

auctioneers, meat graders and the livestock owners has created better understanding,

cooperation and boosted coordination for commercial livestock trading. It has become

an avenue for accommodative dialogue and voicing livestock stakeholder concerns.

The participants identified that, ultimately, the incremental outcome has helped in

reduction of cattle levies, for example, the market levy for cattle in Nkayi and Lupane

districts were reduced from an average of USD 100 to USD 30 per animal.

Figure 1: Most significant change -Policy support

8. Improved Production and Productivity: Listed among the most significant changes

from the project, improved production and productivity is associated with multi-causal

changes both at primary and secondary level. The primary factors contributing to the

change were: first, largely due to reduced mortality associated with improved disease


3

prevention and control, with special reference to cold chain facilities, vaccine access and

tick control facilities supported by the Project; second, production is associated with

improved herd numbers as a result of reduced mortality associated with better and

increased feeding linked to knowledge and skills imparted under training in production

of fodder; the third causal pathway was associated with improved breeds which in this

case was mainly in reference to the breeding bucks that were introduced to improved

goat farming. While there was anticipation of even better cattle from the Tuli breeds,

the offspring were not yet due.

9. Interestingly, improved access to water pathway (blue box) was cited as a major

contributing factor to the major changes, i.e. water for irrigating fodder, sufficient water

for dip tanks for and tick control and water for animals leading to better quality carcass.

Improved household income increases offtake, improved carcass quality and therefore

increase sales seemed distant but was strongly related to this major change as a key

outcome. The participants were also quick to identify social benefits which were

unintended results of improved access to water.

Figure 2: Causal chains associated with production and productivity as the significant

change

10. Enhanced Resilience: Resilience produced one of the most intricate diagrams in the

workshop, which showed how various contribution and effects of various variables. The

discussions, both from the workshop and field visits underscored resilience and ability

to cope to environmental stress and climatic shock as a significant change. The major

outcome pathway was once again associated with improved access to water pathway

(blue boxes) which contributed to functional livestock infrastructure for dipping,

irrigation influencing production at the feedlots. The knowledge and skills gained from

training was a major factor that contributed to increased offtake through sales as a

result of feedlot practices and destocking/slaughtering unproductive animals.

11. Improved and planned marketing, diversified livestock keeping, functional social net

groups and enhanced equity were some of the other primary effects that contributed

to the changes. In the workshop there was an emphasis on role of farmers trained and


4

are applying knowledge who were able to change their practices to cope with drought.

In addition, key outcomes that directly contributed to enhanced resilience. Increased

household incomes was one of the important factors identified that increased resilience.

This particular outcome had a cyclical role with Increase in investment in education and

construction, which positively improved resilience.

Figure 3: Enhanced Resilience as a significant Project change

12. Improved livestock extension system: As shown in Figure 4, this causal chain was

also identified to have set of intricate and interwoven outcomes. The most significant

links are the improved mobility of extension workers pathway (blue boxes) as a result of

logistical and physical support by the project intervention contributed to improved

disease surveillance. The frequent visits to the livestock owners bolstered by improved

and harmonized knowledge in integrated livestock and crop farming due to training of

both the farmers and extension workers positively influenced the change.

13. The increase in skills of farmers due to improvement in extension work also contributed

to increase farmer to farmer networking and to increase in income through improved

farm management and disease surveillance that decreased mortality.


5

Figure 4: Most significant change – improved livestock extension system

14. Improved Livestock Marketing: The changes showed in Figure 5 were linked to

varying multi-causal pathways, most significant of which was the livestock-offtake–

productivity pathway (blue boxes). The two key outcomes, namely improved household

income and food security were underscored by implementers in the workshop and

beneficiaries during field visits. They mentioned improved pricing and trust in the meat

market as the primary contributors to the change. These were bolstered by additional

factors such as improved market information systems, better bargaining power and

reduced market levies.

15. Private companies, notably MC Meats supported the initiative through pre-

commitment and purchase of cattle fattened on feedlots, a practice which was in due

course adopted by other stakeholders. For some households, incomes accrued was

reinvested in improving livestock productivity while for others was used to meet

household requirements including food. Beyond marketing of stock, the physical

markets attracted non-livestock trading in commodities such as clothes, food and

electronic gadgets which contribute proportionately to income generation as

alternative livelihood options for community members.


6

Figure 5: Improved livestock marketing

16. Enhanced Community Empowerment: To a great extent was attributed to the

knowledge and skills that farmers gained which was harnessed to improve attitude,

relations and linkages among key stakeholders. Based on the discussion, enhance

community empowerment led to improved livelihood and income. At the basic unit,

communities initially assembled as dip tank user groups which also acted as hubs for

receiving project support at community level. The groups progressively grew to into

more organized Livestock Development Associations (LDAs). Through purchases of

breeding animals, the project gave 50 percent of the income from sales to the LDA

management committee of both districts (Nkayi and Lupane). This financial

empowerment and training in group dynamics and management boosted the

Associations. They are now linked to higher level activities such as planning with Rural

District Councils and have participated in discussions at the national livestock

stakeholder platform, as well as negotiated with auctioneers and private sector.


7

Figure 6: Community empowerment

OFFICE OF EVALUATIONwww.fao.org/evaluation

Documents

Final Evaluation of the Project “Increased Household …Figure 1: Most significant change -Policy support 8. Improved Production and Productivity: Listed among the most significant