Conducting and Economic Impact Study of Livelihood and Forestry Programme

Project Description

Livelihoods and Forestry Programme, a bilateral aid (Nepal and UK Government), started in April 2001 for 10 years and is working in 15 districts (a) Eastern Koshi Hills: Dhankuta, Terhathum, Sankhuwasabha, and Bhojpur; (b) Western Dhaulagiri hills: Baglung, Parbat, Myagdi; (c) Terai Lumbini zone: Nawalparasi, Kapilvastu, and Rupandehi; (d) Mid-Western Rapti zone: Rukum, Rolpa, Salyan, Pyuthan, and Dang) of Nepal. The goal of the Programme is to reduce vulnerability and improve the livelihoods of rural people. Its aims/targets to enhance the assets of rural communities through the promotion of more equitable, efficient and sustainable use of forest resources. LFP has been recognized as effective programme by DFID in November 2006 in reaching and benefiting poor and socially excluded people, despite the conflict, through the adoption of the Safe and Effective Development (SED) approach.

The objective of the proposed study is to access the household-level economic impact of LFP, through its work with forest user groups (FUGs) and other partners, on poor and excluded households generally, and specifically its impact on women, children, Dalits and disadvantaged groups.

Assignment Description

Review available secondary documents (log frame, annual reports, LSI reports, FUG assessment reports, baseline reports, independent monitoring reviews) and discussion with key stakeholders. • Review and anlyse existing monitoring data, indicators and methods of gathering and analysis data related to household incomes • Discussion and agreement on the use of proxy indicators that can be used to assess the economic value of asset transfers at household levels with LFP • Assessment of the potential for using LFPs baseline study and assessment of the feasibility and utility of visiting the same household for obtaining comparative information • Carried out sampling and stratification required to provide statistically meaningful results • Carried out participatory study methodology covering 7 hill districts of LFP, taking a sample of districts and households that included; • Interviews with individuals beneficiaries to provide quantitative data (in stratum of intensive support and less intensive support; accessible and non-accessible; poor and no poor; Dalits and disadvantaged groups etc.) • Group interview with sub-groups/interest groups/forest user groups to explore the qualitative data • Key informants interview that involved participating communities and households, FUGs, district forest office, partner NGOs programme staff in implementation etc. • The output reported of the study were; • Assessment of changes in household income resulting participation of FUGs that include; (a) magnitude and direction of changes in annual income, (b) economic mobility from one economic category to another in comparison to LFP baseline study, and (c) assessment the sustainability of changes in income and wider impact • Contributions by LFP to interim CAP/PRSP indicators • Broad assessment of the types of interventions that appear to be economically most beneficial and sustainable taking into key factors like social, political, and economic. • The recommendations include; (a) indicators that provide regular household level economic impact information for poor and excluded people, (b) methodologies/indicators for capturing the wider economic benefits of the forestry sector, (c) methodologies to measure the sustainability impacts, and (d) how best these indicators and methodologies can be incorporated into LFP’s existing monitoring framework. • Prepared Inception, Draft and Final Report on the Economic Impact Study of LFP.