Community Engagement Research – Madagascar Case Study

This case study documents two projects that Action Against Hunger are running in Madagascar. The first is the USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) funded multi-sectoral project and the second is the Comité Interministériel d’Aide Alimentaire (CIAA) funded cash distribution project. Community engagement is central to the implementation and monitoring phases of Action Against Hunger’s projects, but there is less community engagement in needs assessment or planning.
This research found that establishing strong relationships with both elected officials and communities was a key enabler of community engagement. Understanding the social and political power dynamics was also important as well as using a variety of communication methods. Barriers included lack of access to communities in geographically dispersed and remote rural locations.