Impact Evaluation of WFP's Fresh Food Voucher Pilot Programme in Ethiopia
Condition: Diet; Deficiency; Malnutrition
MeSH terms: Malnutrition
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      To assess the impact of WFP's Fresh Food Voucher Pilot Programme in Ethiopia on children's
      and mother's diets
    

Detailed description: 
      Rationale: Infants, young children and adult women in rural Ethiopia consume one of the least
      diversified diets in the world. The World Food Programme's Fresh Food Voucher (FFV) Pilot
      Programme aims to improve dietary diversity among infants and young children and their
      mothers. The focus on these demographic groups is based on the now well-established theory on
      the importance of the 'first 1,000 days'. This period, spanning the pregnancy and the first 2
      years of child's life, is considered critical for child's physical growth and cognitive
      development. The beneficiary households receive a voucher that can be used to purchase fresh
      foods (fruits, vegetables and certain animal source foods).

      Objective: The main objectives of the evaluation are to assess and report on the performance
      and results of the FFV programme to help WFP present high-quality and credible evidence of
      actual impact to its donors. In addition, the evaluation will determine the reasons why
      certain results occurred (or not) to draw lessons, derive good practices and pointers for
      learning.

      Study design: This is a mixed methods evaluation that combines a Randomized Controlled Trial
      (RCT) with Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with caregivers and food traders. The RCT contains
      three arms. The first treatment arm receives a smaller voucher (roughly $12-17) and social
      behavioural change communication (SBCC). The second treatment arm receives a larger voucher
      (roughly $21-23) and SBCC. Households in the third study arm (control) receive SBCC but do
      not receive vouchers. A cluster in this impact evaluation is defined as a village (got in
      Amharic) and these clusters of are randomly allocated to the different arms of the trial.
      Within a cluster, all eligible households will receive the same treatment.

      Study population: All households with a child between 6-17 months at the baseline in December
      2017 were eligible to be included in the quantitative sample.

      Main study parameters/endpoints: The main outcomes of interest are minimum acceptable diet
      score for children 6- 23 months (World Health Organization, 2008) and minimum diet diversity
      for women of reproductive age (FAO & FHI-360, 2016).
    

Intervention name(s): BCC-Only; Small-voucher; Large-voucher
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Other; Other
Intervention description(s): Households in the 'BCC-only' arm receive SBCC but do not receive vouchers.; Households in the 'Small-voucher' arm receive a voucher (~$12-17) every month that entitles them to purchase fresh foods (fruits, vegetables and animal sourced foods). The households in this arm also receive the same social behavioural change communication (SBCC) messages as the 'BCC-only' arm.; Households in the 'Large-voucher' arm receive a larger voucher (~$21-23) every month that entitles them to purchase fresh foods (fruits, vegetables and animal sourced foods). The households in this arm also receive the same social behavioural change communication (SBCC) messages as the 'BCC-only' arm.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Factorial Assignment
Intervention model description: Cluster randomized controlled trial clustered at the village level, 2 treatment arms and one control group.
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: dietary diversity; minimum acceptable diet; fruits; vegetables; animal sourced foods