6.4.2 Other Food Security Specific Tools and Assessments (SMART, HEA, 48-Hr Tool, RIMA, ENA)
- 06 Dec 2023
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6.4.2 Other Food Security Specific Tools and Assessments (SMART, HEA, 48-Hr Tool, RIMA, ENA)
- Updated on 06 Dec 2023
- 5 Minutes to read
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In addition to the above examples of common food security specific assessments/tools, the following are also frequently used and have relevance for the food security sector:
SMART Surveys
SMART (Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transition) is an inter-agency initiative launched in 2002. It is a nutritional survey methodology that measures the nutritional status and food security in crisis situations and collects information on the two most vital, public health indicators in assessing the magnitude and severity of a humanitarian crisis: 1) the nutritional status of children under-five and 2) the mortality rate of the population.
These indicators are useful for prioritizing resources as well as for monitoring the overall impact (or lack of) of a relief response. On the ground, SMART surveys are usually led by the Ministry of Health and UNICEF. FSC partners can participate, and SMART survey results are used in early warning systems such as IPC and FEWS NET (6.3.1).
What is the role of the FSC Coordinator? SMART surveys are relevant for the FSC given the cluster’s link with nutrition outcomes - in particular, for FSCs in countries with a nutrition indicator (GAM/ Global Acute Malnutrition) that fall above the internationally agreed emergency (15%) threshold (see IPC resources under 6.7.1).
The Coordinator should be aware of the timing of the SMART survey (as it makes sense to have analysis in parallel to food insecurity). If a SMART is available, it should be included in the IPC.
In specific contexts, where no FSAs are planned or possible, the Coordinator could explore the possibility to have food security indicators (see Annex II) included in SMART surveys planned by Ministry of Health/UNICEF, to “piggyback” onto their exercise.
Although rapid and in-depth EFSA s can be done jointly with a SMART survey (with same sampling to maximise resources as has been done in Chad), this is rare. SMART surveys are regularly done in parallel with EFSA s.
Examples: See the ACF SMART Survey Report (2021) from Cox’s Bazar (since 2009, ACF has been the project convener for SMART for all agencies’ needs with regards to the methodology).
Resources: See details on the SMART Methodology website. See also the Rapid SMART guidelines and accompanying annexes.
The Household Economy Analysis (HEA)
The HEA examines food access in the context of changes in households’ livelihood and coping strategies, their incomes and expenditures. It uses a variety of rapid appraisal methods to build up a picture of the economy of households in a defined population group and generate, amongst other things, quantitative estimates of the decline in household food access due to a shock. Assessments using this approach are undertaken at three different levels of detail and sophistication, and probable reliability – comprehensive, simplified and rapid.
What is the role of the Coordinator? HEAs can be useful for the FSC (and partners) to inform programme development as they help to predict communities’ vulnerability to crises and shocks and by focusing on how families make ends meet, it provides a framework to analyse how people get food and non-food goods and services. For example, in Bangladesh, HEAs have been used to calculate the MEB and thereby inform the development of multipurpose cash grant activities. The Coordinator will help facilitate the process and ensure outcomes inform the FSC’s response.
Resources: See the Practitioners’ Guide to the Household Economy Approach (Save the Children, FEG 2007). This website (Save the Children & the FEG) brings together resources on HEA and Cost of the Diet (CotD). The HEA is also be used to act as or inform early warning systems in contexts prone to slow onset food and nutrition crises to trigger early action or timely response to mitigate impacts of shocks (by identifying households that have the least ability to cope with shocks, and should be targeted to receive livelihoods resilience building, emergency, or recovery programming). See Household Economy Analysis (Save the Children UK, 2018), pp. 3-6.
Oxfam 48 Hour Assessment Tool
The Oxfam 48 Hour Assessment Tool is a well-known tool used to assess the impact of a shock/hazard on an affected population’s food security and livelihoods within the first few days after a rapid-onset disaster. This tool is independent of (but can complement) other inter-agency multi-sectoral assessments such as the MIRA and collects information only on food security and livelihoods. It aims to inform the design of first phase responses, for the first 6 to 8 weeks after the disaster occurred.
Resources: Find the Oxfam 48‐Hour Assessment Tool – Objective and Guidance Notes here.
The Resilience Index Measurement and Analysis (RIMA)
The Resilience Index Measurement and Analysis (RIMA), developed by FAO , is a quantitative approach that enables a rigorous analysis of how households cope with shocks and stressors. Comparisons can be made between different types of households (for example, male-headed versus female-headed or urban versus rural) in a given country or area. The RIMA is currently used as a (composite) indicator by the FSC in Chad.
Resources: Read about RIMA here. See also this FSC presentation from 2020 or take this FAO E-learning course on “Understanding RIMA”https://elearning.fao.org/course/view.php?id=747.
WFP Essential Needs Assessment (ENA)
Although not strictly a food security assessment tool, an ENA can be used when carrying out food security assessments to help understand if people are meeting their essential needs and how. It identifies essential needs and gaps; estimates the number of people unable to meet their essential needs; and profile these households. The ENA provides a more holistic picture of underlying drivers of food insecurity. It is also relevant for FSC partners seeking to support government strategies and policies (i.e. informing the design of social safety nets), or to support the design of multi-sectoral interventions. It is often highly relevant when assessing the situation of poor urban populations, who depend heavily on markets to meet their food and other essential needs.
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