Evaluation Brief: Evaluation of the Impact of Food for Assets on Livelihood Resilience in Bangladesh (2008-2011)

This evaluation was one in a series that assessed the outcomes and impacts of WFP's food-for-assets programming on livelihoods resilience. The evaluation emphasized learning by identifying lessons for enhancing the impacts on resilience and aligning food-for-assets programming with WFP's recently adopted 2011 Food for Assets Guidance Manual and Disaster Risk Reduction Policy. The evaluation covered the food/cash for assets component of WFP Bangladesh Country Programme from 2007-2010, under which participants received a support package for two years, including food and cash for labor and training. The evaluation used a mixed method approach that included household surveys, asset assessments, focus groups, and interviews.

The evaluation found that WFP Bangladesh achieved significant positive impacts on the biophysical environment, in agriculture production, incomes and household assets, savings and women's empowerment. Evidence on long term food security and coping strategies were inconclusive. Assets were well targeted to reduce disaster risk and participation by the poorest. The evaluation recommended that WFP continue to support these activities, and made three other recommendations related to network management, asset maintenance and monitoring systems.