Surveying the food security, nutrition, and agricultural landscape

Generating evidence and improving data management systems designed to address malnutrition, hunger, and food insecurity.

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Food security, resilience, and nutrition

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We address world hunger through innovative programs that build community resilience and focus on the underlying causes and outcomes of food security and nutrition. Worldwide, we’ve helped national and international organizations understand the critical links between food security; nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); agriculture; resilience; women’s empowerment; and poverty.

Our multi-sector approach ensures that strong evidence informs the design and implementation of food security programs for evidence-based decision making. Clients have included USAID, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Scaling Up Nutrition Initiative (SUN), and UNICEF.

Standardizing measurement guidance

We work with USAID’s Bureau for Resilience and Food Security (RFS) to standardize and maintain the Feed the Future Zone of Influence (ZOI) Survey Methods Toolkit. We provide technical guidance to ZOI Survey implementers through a helpdesk that responds to technical questions on survey methods, programming, implementation, and analysis.

Leading population-based surveys (PBS)

Our strength lies in the design, implementation, and analysis of population-based household surveys to collect data on household demographics, poverty, food insecurity, nutrition, and women’s empowerment.

We lead complex PBS surveys for USAID’s Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) Program, the Feed the Future Initiative, Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), and agriculture surveys for UNOPS Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT) agriculture program.

Evaluations that inform program learning

Our mixed-method evaluations use qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methodologies, as well as integrated secondary data and program monitoring data. We’ve led and supported performance evaluations for RFS and BHA to inform programming, assess the effectiveness, and provide evidence for use in policy and investment decisions.

Data collection and management tools that are fit to purpose

In addition to paper-and-pencil surveys (PAPI), we have extensive experience in the design and collection of complex, multi-respondent survey data on Android and Microsoft Windows devices, including phones, tablets, and computers for computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) and computer-assisted field entry (CAFE) surveys. We utilize CSPro software to ensure the high quality of complex surveys.

strengthening country capacity rice india

A focus on strengthening country capacity

We have a long history of working in-country with local firms, especially national statistical organizations, providing guidance and technical assistance to strengthen their capacities to implement and use sampling methods, field procedures, and data management for the highest quality surveys and evaluations.

Our services

Technical guidance and technical assistance
Population-based surveys (PBS)
Non-permissive environment surveys
Performance evaluations

Agriculture plot measurement and soil testing
Applications of Earth Observation and GIS data
CSPro training

Feed the Future ZOI Survey Methods Toolkit

We work with USAID’s Bureau for Resilience and Food Security (RFS) to standardize the Feed the Future’s Zone of Influence (ZOI) survey questionnaire, protocol, manuals, data collection and analysis, programming, and reporting templates—the Feed the Future ZOI Survey Methods Toolkit.

Download the toolkit on Agrilinks