1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Approach

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (if relevant)

Book project: where people and their land are safer - A Compendium of Good Practices in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) (where people and their land are safer)

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Approach (if relevant)

CARITAS (Switzerland) - Switzerland

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

When were the data compiled (in the field)?

29/10/2016

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

2.1 Short description of the Approach

The early warning system is a mechanism which enables to prevent risks related to food insecurity.

2.2 Detailed description of the Approach

Detailed description of the Approach:

The early warning system (EWS) is a mechanism which enables to prevent risks related to food security. This approach is applied by farmers in the district of Dadjo, in Chad. The Dadjo are an ethnic group from central Chad in the region of Guéra (department of Guéra). The EWS was implemented after a diagnosis which showed that the local actors were not sufficiently involved in the collection, processing and dissemination of data from the Local Action Committee (LAC) at the sub-prefectorial level, or from the Departmental Action Committee (DAC) at the departmental level. The information generated by these institutions was not regular and not reliable. Based on this diagnosis, it was decided to implement an endogenous mechanism which promotes the involvement of beneficiaries themselves in the collection, processing and dissemination of information.

The approach has the following objectives:
- Sharing real-time information on the risks of food insecurity;
- Promote a tool to combat food insecurity;
- Reinforce the resilience of local actors through rapid response.

The approach is based on a team of 12 collecting agents and 4 processing agents. The collecting agents collect the data among the households in the villages of the district of Dadjo. This team was formed by the NGO ACORD in the framework of its partnership with Caritas Switzerland. The data collection is done with forms designed with support from the NGO ACORD, taking into account local experiences and knowledge. The data collection is done periodically. For example from June to August, the collection is focused on the condition of the crops, pests and diseases, the market report or the price of food products on the local market, animal and human diseases, the condition of rangeland, etc. The data collected in this way are centralized at the level of the processing agents. The data are processed at this second level, and then the compiled data are sent to the Departmental Action Committee (DAC) for validation. Only after validation the information is disseminated to all the villages of the district during general village meetings. In addition, a three-monthly report with a synthesis of the information on the food security is generated. This report is presented to the persons in charge of the clusters of villages (4 clusters of villages were constituted, each cluster containing between 6 and 12 villages) for operation and wider dissemination.

The information of the EWS is used to plan the agricultural production activities. When the prospects for the agricultural season or the rainfall are bad, the inhabitants, which are informed about the situation, deploy alternatives like market gardening, the choice of an early variety for cereal production, stockpiling of cereals in the community storehouses, or the implementation of social mechanisms of mutual aid (provision of credit to the very poor).

The involved stakeholders are:
- the traditional and administrative authorities;
- the persons in charge of the civil society organisations.
Their role is to facilitate the implementation of the process that started in the district.

The farmers appreciate the rapid response provided by the communities, the investors and the state following the disseminated information, and the strong cohesion between the different communities. This has created ownership of the approach in the community, who then decided to motivate the collecting and processing agents. The Early Warning System of the Dadjo district has continued to function, at present without the support of the NGO ACORD.

2.3 Photos of the Approach

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Approach has been applied

2.6 Dates of initiation and termination of the Approach

2.7 Type of Approach

• project/ programme based

2.8 Main aims/ objectives of the Approach

- Disseminate real-time information on risks related to food insecurity,
- Promote an instrument to combat food insecurity,
- Reinforce the resilience of local actors through rapid response.

2.9 Conditions enabling or hindering implementation of the Technology/ Technologies applied under the Approach

3.1 Stakeholders involved in the Approach and their roles

3.2 Involvement of local land users/ local communities in the different phases of the Approach

	Involvement of local land users/ local communities	Specify who was involved and describe activities
initiation/ motivation	none
planning	none
implementation	interactive	Support from the technical services of the state, in particular from the Departmental Action Committee (DAC) of the department, and from ACORD, in the context of the processing and the analysis of the collected information.
monitoring/ evaluation	self-mobilization

3.3 Flow chart (if available)

3.4 Decision-making on the selection of SLM Technology/ Technologies

Specify who decided on the selection of the Technology/ Technologies to be implemented:

• land users alone (self-initiative)

Specify on what basis decisions were made:

• personal experience and opinions (undocumented)

4.1 Capacity building/ training

Was training provided to land users/ other stakeholders?

Yes

Specify who was trained:

• field staff/ advisers

Form of training:

• Training workshops

Subjects covered:

- Data collection techniques
- Techniques for data analysis and dissemination of information
- Techniques for monitoring and evaluation of the disseminated information

4.2 Advisory service

Do land users have access to an advisory service?

Yes

Specify whether advisory service is provided:

• at permanent centres

4.3 Institution strengthening (organizational development)

Have institutions been established or strengthened through the Approach?

• yes, greatly

Specify the level(s) at which institutions have been strengthened or established:

• local
• regional

Describe institution, roles and responsibilities, members, etc.

Members of the early warning system: 12 collecting agents and 4 processing agents.

Specify type of support:

• capacity building/ training
• equipment

Give further details:

Technical support to adopt the approach and to be able to replicate it.
Motorbikes for the collecting agents to facilitate their work, two computers, a printer and a rain gauge.

4.4 Monitoring and evaluation

Is monitoring and evaluation part of the Approach?

Yes

If yes, is this documentation intended to be used for monitoring and evaluation?

No

4.5 Research

Was research part of the Approach?

Yes

Specify topics:

• sociology
• economics / marketing

Give further details and indicate who did the research:

The approach EWS implemented in the district of Dadjo enables the collection of information on the prices of basic food products on the local markets of the district. The collection of this information makes it possible to inform farmers and livestock farmers on the prices, which allows them to sell their products at the appropriate time to guarantee substantial earnings.

5.1 Annual budget for the SLM component of the Approach

If precise annual budget is not known, indicate range:

• 2,000-10,000

Comments (e.g. main sources of funding/ major donors):

Mobilization of own contributions (per village)
External financing (Caritas Switzerland)

5.2 Financial/ material support provided to land users

Did land users receive financial/ material support for implementing the Technology/ Technologies?

Yes

If yes, specify type(s) of support, conditions, and provider(s):

The motorbikes were purchased by ACORD and financed by Caritas Switzerland. They were provided to the EWS of the district of Dadjo on a contract basis between the two parties. The district of Dadjo has committed itself to the maintenance of the motorbikes. After one year, the motorbikes were sold to the district to continue the activities of the EWS.

5.3 Subsidies for specific inputs (including labour)

• none

If labour by land users was a substantial input, was it:

• voluntary

5.4 Credit

Was credit provided under the Approach for SLM activities?

No

5.5 Other incentives or instruments

Were other incentives or instruments used to promote implementation of SLM Technologies?

Yes

If yes, specify:

The team which operates the EWS receives training on a regular basis. The team receives social recognition from the community for their work and voluntary engagement.

6.1 Impacts of the Approach

6.2 Main motivation of land users to implement SLM

6.3 Sustainability of Approach activities

Can the land users sustain what has been implemented through the Approach (without external support)?

• yes

If yes, describe how:

After the end of the project that led to the implementation of the early warning system in 2013, the members of the early warning system continue their activities with persistence, by generating 06 news reports on the food security situation.

6.4 Strengths/ advantages of the Approach

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
- Sharing of real-time information on the risks of food insecurity; - Rapid response provided after the dissemination of the information.

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
- The strong relationship created with the traditional and administrative authorities; - Awareness on the effects of climate change.

6.5 Weaknesses/ disadvantages of the Approach and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view	How can they be overcome?
- Insufficient transport means (motorbikes) to cover all the villages of the district (46); - Weak community engagement to finance the Early Warning System and to motivate the collecting agents; - Insufficient financial means to produce sufficient reports.	- Increase the number of available motorbikes; - Use of telephones; - Strengthen the awareness campaigns to raise funds.

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Low competence in data compilation, entry and analysis	Training

7.1 Methods/ sources of information