MLGRD, WFP Regional bureau hold workshop on food security
Endorsement launching for ICA MLGRD report set for September
A technical working group comprising of food security and nutrition experts, academia and research institutions has been established to develop a work plan on the Integrated Complex Analysis ( ICA) Programme Report.
The report which is due for submission in August 2023, while its finalisation, endorsement and launch is set for September 2023, is a result of engagement hosted by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development ( MLGRD) and World Food Programme Regional Bureau Johannesburg on the ( WFP) risk- centred three- pronged approach ( 3PA).
Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mpho Morapedi emphasised the importance of the application of riskcentred decision- making tools in informing the design and implementation of largescale public works programmes. Under the leadership of MLGRD; other relevant Ministries and development partners can also benefit from the application of WFP 3PA tool.
Senior Government Partnerships Officer, WFP RBJ, Oratile Khama highlighted that corporate risk- centred Three- Pronged Approach has proved to be the entry point for successful engagement with Governments, development partners and Universities in the Southern Africa Region.
The ICA consists of interactive data- driven mapping exercise which integrates and layers different aspects of vulnerabilities like food insecurity, natural shocks, malnutrition, land degradation, conflict and protracted crisis, rainfall, among others.
Programme Policy Officer; Resilience at WFP RBJ, Ashraful Amin explained that 3PA was developed by WFP in consultation with governments, development partners and universities. The aim is to strengthen the design, planning and implementation of national programmes in resilience building, safety nets, disaster- risk reduction, and preparedness.
Further, that the 3PA is comprised of three processes at three levels, namely Integrated Context Analysis ( ICA) at the national level. This is where a collaborative tool used to identify the most appropriate programmatic strategies in specific geographical areas between the government and its partners, based on areas of convergence of historical trends of food security, natural shocks, and land degradation, as an aggravating factor that heightens the risk and impact of shocks.
Others are Seasonal Livelihood Programming ( SLP) at the sub- national level, which is a consultative process that brings together communities, government and partners to design multi- year, multi- sectorial operational plans using seasonal and gender lenses.
Community- Based Participatory Planning ( CBPP) is at the local level. This, according to Amin, is “from the bottom up” tool that ensures communities have a strong voice and will lead in setting priorities. It is used to develop multi- sectorial plans tailored to local priorities, ensuring prioritisation and ownership by communities
It was revealed that in Botswana, WFP under the leadership of MLGRD started the 3PA rollout with the Integrated Context Analysis. The ICA involves the creation of maps which use overlays of relevant information to identify patterns of vulnerability.
Historical trend analyses of food security and natural shocks are overlaid on each other to identify areas of convergence. These are then used to identify and discuss the most appropriate programmatic strategies in specific geographical areas - including resilience building, disaster risk reduction, social protection, and emergency preparedness - between government and partners.
The ICA also includes other layers – nutrition, land degradation, as an aggravating factor heightening the risk of natural shocks, seasonality, livelihoods, food insecure population estimates – that provide a set of lenses to further inform programming.
Experts also engaged in a technical assessment and a brief on the data catalogue session was facilitated by Kelebohile Mganga, a GIS Data Analyst from WFP RBJ. During the assessment, the workshop participants were introduced to the type of layers used to create ICA maps.
ICA uses two core dimensions which are Food Insecurity and Hazards ( natural and human- induced) layers, other layers could be added over these layers based on the severity of their impact on the vulnerable populations.
More members of the technical working group will be added from other Ministries and Departments in response to the request from MLGRD.