Pastoralist and Agro-Pastoralist (PAP) Communities in Ethiopia inhabit about 61% of Ethiopia’s land, mainly in Afar, Somali, Oromia, and SNNP regions, the Somali region alone accounts for nearly half of the PAP population. The pastoral regions of Ethiopia are affected by severe droughts every three to five years, often with consecutive dry years. During severe droughts when forage and grazing stocks fail large numbers of livestock die due to starvation and associated problems of diseases and lack of drinking water. For small and vulnerable livestock owners, drought can push them into poverty or even cause the complete loss of their herds and their traditional livelihoods and result in the ever-increasing numbers of households (HHs).

The SIIPE Programme was a public-private partnership launched in 2018 designed to strengthen the adaptation and resilience of Somali pastoralist households by insuring them against drought-related livestock risks. The programme offered fully subsidised insurance coverage, work in public activities for able-bodied household members, and financial literacy training. By 2021, the programme had expanded from 3 to 11 woredas, reaching over 28,000 households. The World Food Program (WFP) commissioned the final evaluation of the SIIPE, which covers the program duration from January 2019 to December 2022.

What methods will be employed?

The evaluation covered seven program woredas in the Somali region in Ethiopia and will aim to contribute to accountability and learning. The learning objective was to determine the reasons why certain results occurred or did not occur, to draw lessons, derive good practices and provide pointers for learning. The evaluation provided evidence-based findings, conclusions, and recommendations to inform WFP’s future operational and strategic decision-making. C4ED was responsible for designing the methodology, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data, and producing evaluation reports. The evaluation employs a mixed-method approach, incorporating an embedded quasi-experimental design for assessing the SIIPE. Currently, the evaluation design has been completed, and data collection tools have been prepared, with data collection already underway. In the coming weeks, our focus will shift to data analysis and reporting.