Zimbabwe, R4 Rural Resilience Initiative in Masvingo and Rushinga: Evaluation

WFP Zimbabwe Country Office commissioned this decentralized evaluation which was carried out by a consortium of Particip (lead company) and Jimat. The evaluation covered the initial phase of the R4 Rural Resilience Initiative in Masvingo and Rushinga districts for the period January 2018 - June 2021. Data collection took place from 20th September to 1st October 2021. 

The key objective  of this evaluation  was  to  produce new evidence for operational and strategic decision-making to inform the second phase of the R4 rural resilience initiative and the Zimbabwe Country office’s approach to resilience building programming to be adopted in the 2021-2025 Country Strategic Plan. The evaluation also intended to reduce existing evidence gaps in the studies on the R4 Initiative in Zimbabwe conducted prior to the final evaluation, mainly related to the integrated risk management (IRM) approach and integration of R4 activities with each other and with other WFP activities in Zimbabwe. The evaluation served the dual purpose of learning and accountability (with more weight given to learning). It focused on assessing the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability of the R4 initiative.  The overarching evaluation question focused on the extent to which the R4 initiative, as part of the integrated risk management interventions, was effective in enhancing food security and building the resilience of beneficiary households and communities.