Tat Lan Sustainable Food Security and Livelihoods Programme

Final Narrative Report

International Rescue Committee

TAT LAN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SECURITY AND LIVELIHOODS PROGRAMME

Final NARRATIVE REPORT

Reporting period:

March 1, 2013 – December 31, 2015

DATE SUBMITTED:

31 MARCH 2016

Abbreviations

AITAsian Institute of Technology

BCCBehaviour Change and Communication

BLOBetter Life Organisation

CDDCommunity-Driven Development

CDNConsortium of Dutch NGOs

CfWCash for Work

CPNMCommunity Participatory Nutrition Monitoring

CSOCivil Society Organisation

DoADepartment of Agriculture

DoIDepartment of Irrigation

DoFDepartment of Fisheries

DRDDepartment of Rural Development

DRRDisaster Risk Reduction

DSWDepartment of Social Welfare

ECCEmergency Coordination Committee

FFSFarmer Field Schools

GADGeneral Administration Department

GOMGovernment of Myanmar

ICSFInternational Collective Support of Fish Workers

IDPInternally Displaced Persons

IECInformation, Education and Communication

INGOInternational Non-Governmental Organisation

IPImplementing Partner

IRC International Rescue Committee

IYCFInfant and Young Child Feeding

LIFTLivelihoods and Food Security Trust

MPMember of Parliament

MtMSGMother-to-Mother Support Group

MPTMechanical Power Tiller

MRT Mechanical Rice Thresher

MMCWAMyanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association

NAGNetwork Activities Group

PHASTParticipatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation

PLWPregnant and Lactating Women

RCTRandomised Control Trial

RFPRakhine Fisheries Partnership

SALTSloping Agricultural Land Technology

SCISave the Children International

TDSCTownship Development Support Committee

TMOTownship Medical Officer

ToTTraining of Trainers

UNDPUnited Nations Development Program

VAVillage Agent

VCAValue Chain Analysis

VDCVillage Development Committee

VDSCVillage Development and Support Committees

VFSVillage Fishery Sub-committee

VIBVillage Information Board

VICVillage Information Centre

VSLAVillage Savings and Loans Associations

WASHWater, Sanitation and Hygiene

Table of Contents

1. BACKGROUND

Design

2. PROJECT PURPOSE

Progress & comments

Processes

Coordination with Local Authorities and Relevant Line Department Staff

Women’s Participation in Activities

Challenges or restrictions experienced

3. OUTPUTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

OUTCOME 1: Communities actively participate in decision making related to community development

OUTCOME 2: Enhanced livelihood thorough improved infrastructure of Giri-affected rural communities

OUTCOME 3: Strengthened livelihood, food, and nutrition security through enhanced livelihood opportunities

OUTCOME 4: Sustainable livelihood opportunities supported through increased access to financial services

OUTCOME 5: Improved nutrition security in the target areas

OUTCOME 6: Community development and sustainable livelihood opportunities are supported through socially accountable government

Sustainability of Program

Cost- Benefit ratio discussion

4. HIGHLIGHTS AND QUERIES

PROJECT PERFORMANCE AND RESULTS

1. BACKGROUND

Problem Statement

The Tat Lan programme began in March 2013 with the goal to contribute to the equitable and sustainable livelihood improvement of 214 severely and moderately cyclone-affected communities in the townships of Myebon, Pauktaw, Kyaukpyu and Minbya in Rakhine State. The programme design built on the experiences of IRC in responding to Cyclone Giri (2012) and the early recovery interventions that followed.

Executive Summary

The experience gained during the implementation of the Tat Lan programme from 2013 to date shows that the development paths of the four townships have now diverged dramatically. On one side of the spectrum is Kyaukpyu, which is experiencing a rapid onset of urban/peri-urban development around a newly established special economic zone, which will have a deep sea port and is expected to create job opportunities from incoming industrial activities in the oil, food, and fish processing sectors. Conversely, in Myebon and Minbya, rural life remains largely unchanged and livelihoods still depend on agriculture, fisheries, and casual labour. In these townships the infrastructure remains highly underdeveloped (the context around which the Tat Lan technical approach was originally designed). Pauktaw, located much closer to Sittwe, has its own dynamics, with continuing tension between INGOs and local communities and where Save the Children will continue to work both with a humanitarian response and separately, towards food security and livelihoods through a separate proposal.

The outcomes and outputs of Phase II do not significantly differ from those of the previous phase. IRC will continue to implement the programme in the originally selected 86 villages but will also work in an additional 18 villages. The second phase will be operational from January 2016 – December 2018.

Design

The design of the programme focuses on addressing the sustainable improvement of the livelihoods of 214 severely and moderately cyclone affected communities in the townships of Myebon, Pauktaw, Kyaukpyu and Minbya in Rakhine State. The consortium’s approach to their design was founded on principles of integration, innovation, government engagement and inclusion.

Integration: All of the proposed interventions were designed to be mutually reinforcing, aiming for a holistic package of support to the beneficiaries.

Innovation: The design of the Tat Lan programme placed an emphasis on strategic transfer of technologies and practices that would help communities improve their productivity.

Government engagement: Based on the design the consortium worked with Government of Myanmar (GoM) authorities, primarily at the township level, to strengthen coordination and building capacity in approaches for community-based development and livelihoods.

Inclusion: The most vulnerable, including women, children, disabled, and the poorest[1] were included as much as possible. To ensureequal participation, the design had set minimum quotas for women’s participation in the village development committees, training, and by tailoring interventions to fit the particular needs of women. The programme design had built a social protection consideration into its Cash for Work (CfW) activities, allowing the most vulnerable to access and benefit from the programme.

The consortium members felt that the Tat Lan solicitation document was project supply driven, rather than based on demand. As a result, the programme was not able to respond to requests and situations that were more location specific. To compensate for this, a programme review workshop was held in June 2014 wherein program design and budgets were reassessed, resulting in three scenarios that were submitted by the LIFT Fund Management Organization (FMO) to the LIFT Fund Board in July 2014. The Fund Board (via the FMO) countered withthe following modifications, among others:

1. To extend the programme until the end of 2018
2. To increase the number of villages where the programme would be implemented
3. To include a Water and Sanitation component in the scope of the programme
4. To expand the activities related to Mother to Mother Support Groups to all villages.

Through a long process of consultations and redesign, it was decided that the Tat Lan programme in its entirety would be renewed, with the provision that each consortium member would have their own MoU with the LIFT-FMO.Consortium members would also each implement their own project design, taking into account their respective strengths as well as the recommendations from 2015 Mid-term review and the new LIFT strategy, as well as the rapid changes in the environment the programme is working in. E.g., the road network is expanding, making travel to the Minbya township centre faster and in the future, the sale and purchase of produce by farmers and traders could be made easier. Investments in Kyaukpyu and Sittwe have finally started to take shape which will provide some opportunities for (skilled) labour in the near future. The mobile phone network is also expanding, andduring the life of Tat Lan II, it is anticipated that more villagers will have access to information through a mobile phone network.

2. PROJECT PURPOSE

Progress & comments

The first six months of the Tat Lan programme were designed to serve as an inception phase during which considerable time and effort was spent on revision and on-going preparation of the work plan. This included, recruitment, staff orientation, capacity building activities and conducting field assessments and data collection in order to inform and finalise the project village list and work plan. The inception phase concluded with a Yangon-based Inception Workshop held in September 2013. This was followed by an implementation period ofthree months, focusing on mobilization of selected village communities through activities that facilitated the formation of Village Development Committees (VDC) and sub-committees. Additionally, priority was given to the activities related to infrastructure restoration and reconstruction through CfW interventions, as the opportunity to implement these is limited to a period of five months per year (January-May). The most important lessons learned during this phase were that:

a)Recruitment for a programme in a remote area in Rakhine is a huge challenge which should not be underestimated and must be taken into account when designing a programme budget and salaries and incentives might be more costly then when recruiting staff in other parts of Myanmar.

b)It is essential that the timetable of a programme which is designed to address food security should follow the calendar of the seasons, rather than a January-December project period, which does not account for the obstacles faced by extreme weather during the hot and rainy seasons. Without proper timing in conjunction with the planting seasons, delays in implementation due to the weather and seasons reduces the effectiveness of the agricultural component of the programme.

During the first six months of implementation, the programme saw better than expected progress in some of the programme sectors due to overwhelming enthusiasm by both the villagers and the teams. A late start to the rainy season also allowed for time to finish all infrastructure works during the dry season. This despite a setback in March 2014 when INGOs and UN Agencies became the focus of an angry mob, and offices and guesthouses were ransacked resulting in staff evacuation for up to six weeks. An important lesson learned from this incident was that:

c)The Tat Lan programme needed an enhanced communication strategy to ensure that all stakeholders were informed about the nature of development activities being implemented. Specifically, that programmes were intendedto benefit allpoor communities in Rakhine and not exclusively Rohingya/Muslim communities, as was the common misconception. A communication strategy was needed and resources would need to be made available to address this specific lack of knowledge.

By the second half of 2014, most activities were being implemented, with the exception of Governance. Governance activities faced some challenges as a result of the division of responsibilities between consortium partners, for example, village mobilization and empowerment implemented through VDCs was led by IRC while (good) governance and capacity building for government agencies was lead by Oxfam. This separation of responsibility led to gaps where actually a smooth interphase between community empowerment and governmentresponsiveness and accountability was necessary. Lessons learned from this period were:

d)More collaboration between consortium members was needed to ensure that the division of Governance activities did not negatively impact the formation of VDCs and Village Development Plans.

A review of the village mobilization and empowerment through VDCs was undertaken by an independent consultant by the end of 2014. Feedback received from the communities indicated that the process of VDC formation had been too fast, resulting in the selection of VDC and sub-committee candidates that were not as motivated or equipped for their role and responsibility. Another point raised was that sometimes a large time gap between establishing the VDC or sub-committee and the actual start of the activity occurred. Consequently the programme lost momentum and the community forgot the role of the VDC and sub-committees.Recommendations by the consultant and relevant IRC staff included:

e)VDCs should be formed systematically, beginning with the appointment of a chairperson and secretary. Once these roles are in place, more members may be added representing the different livelihood groups, coinciding with activity implementation.

The programme document had specified that Village Information Centres were intended aspublic spaces, easily accessible for collecting information, safe storage of information materials and to conduct meetings. However, by the middle of 2014 the consortium membersdetermined that theuseof schools and monasteries wasnot appropriate due to their limited access as schools are only accessible during teaching hours, and monasteries sometimes prohibit women and/or non-Buddhists. In 2015 the consortium members decided to allocate a small amount of money(USD 200) to construction materials to build a new centre. Using local labour and locally available materialswhenever possible, the centre was constructed with 80% of building materials contributed by the local communities. The construction of the centre inspired great pride for this new village asset. Lesson learned:

f)Enclosed public spaces that are accessible to all villagers are rare, but communities do benefit from their existence.With a little incentive the community will take responsibility for constructing and managing such space.

The Mid-term Review of March-April 2015 came with its own lessons learned and recommendations. Some of these were accepted by the consortium members others were challenged.

Throughout the life of the programme, there were a series of challenges that never diminished and which the consortium members will continue to face in phase II; the extended conflict in Rakhine State, difficulties with recruitment, difficult geography[2], large distances between programme base and programme area, bad weather.

When by the end of 2014 the decision had been made that the programme would be extended, a shift was made in 2015 towards quality, rather than quantity. Consortium members continued working in the same number of villages as the previous year andjointly decided against further expansion of VSLA groups in non SCI villages. This decision to limit expansion was also based on the dissolution of the consortium, which would no longer have the support of partners to implement VSLAs in additional villages.

The role of women in the programme also resulted in lessons learned, such asthe realisation that VSLA activities not only provided women with access to the possibility to save money or to take a small loan, it also empowered them to be more active participants in other sectors of the programme (see also page 13).For phase II, it should be considered to move beyond a ‘gender mainstreaming’ approach and implement more activities that directly address the disparities womenface in livelihood and income generation, in nutrition and health, and in political representation at community level. Moreover, the participation of women’s rights organisations could be an important added value. The presence and mobilisation of men in gender specific initiatives should also be increased in phase II, as part of efforts to promote an understanding of gender equality in the whole community.

The Mother to Mother Support Groups (MtMSGs) are very popular and in particular the Maternity Cash Transfers are an incentive for women to attend the meetings (see page59). However the Maternity Cash Transfers are entirely unsustainable without a serious financial commitment from the GoM, not only to provide the money for these bonuses but also to develop the infrastructure that would make the monthly delivery of these grants feasible on a larger scale.

Processes

Coordination with Local Authorities and Relevant Line Department Staff

Methods for coordinating with local authorities vary among each of the four townships based on contextand existing mechanisms for coordination with authorities. In Kyaukpyu there is a monthly coordination meeting of NGOs and government officials. In Myebon, Tat Lan staff send monthly reports to relevant government departments such as the DepartmentofAgriculture (DoA),DepartmentofIrrigation (DoI),DepartmentofFisheries (DoF),Departmentof Planning, Department of Rural Development (DRD), Township Development Support Committee (TDSC), General Administration Department (GAD) and Emergency Coordination Committee (ECC), and also shared information on new activities. Reports are also circulated to the Township level departments and to the counterpart Ministries in Naypyitaw (Ministry of Social Welfare and Relief and Resettlement Department). In Pauktaw, Tat Lan staff present programme activities and future plans to relevant constituents and local authorities, TDSC and in ECC meetings, and closely coordinate with the GAD and line departments. In Sittwe, the IRC Field Director personally briefs the ECC on Tat Lan updates regularly. By sharing project information openly and transparently in these briefings with the ECC (who often see INGOs as opaque and biased) an excellent rapport was created between Tat Lan staff and members of the ECC as well as township elders.

In addition to general coordination activities, technical sector leads within Tat Lan also conducted specific coordination activities with local authorities and line ministries:

Infrastructure/ Cash for Work Sector

The programme staff regularly discussed their plans with the township representatives of the DRD and DoI, and in the ECC meetings to avoid the overlapping of activities between Government and the Tat Lan programme. Exchanges with the DoI on technical aspects have sporadically occurred, relating in particular to sluice gates construction and the identification of priority embankments for rehabilitation. DoI has expressed particular interest in engaging more in this process in phase II of Tat Lan.

Agriculture Sector

At village level, Tat Lan staff regularly coordinated with the VDCs and village administrators, and as a result, local authorities were keen to provide assistance during implementation. In Sittwe, the DoA’s regional office allowed Tat Lan staff to use their facility for trainings to which DoA staff were invited, or for general coordination meetings. Finally, DoA township managers allowed their extension staff to join Tat Lan’s activities, field monitoring and trainings. Inclusion of DoA staff in all agriculture related Tat Lan activities has resulted in an enhanced working relationship between Tat Lan and the DoA.