Evaluation of the R4 Initiative in Senegal
This 2016 external impact evaluation, carried out by the Dalberg Global Development Advisors, studies the impact of the R4 program since 2013 in Senegal.
The R4 Rural Resilience Initiative is a strategic partnership between the World Food Programme (WFP) and Oxfam with the goal of responding to the challenges faced by food-insecure communities in the context of increasing frequency and intensity of climate disasters and other shocks. The program’s four main risk management components include (i) risk reduction (improved resource management through asset creation), (ii) risk transfer (insurance), (iii) prudent risk taking (livelihood diversification and microcredit), and (iv) risk reserves (savings). Globally, R4 is currently operational in Ethiopia, Malawi, Senegal, and Zambia. In Senegal, the Initiative was first piloted during the 2013 agricultural season in Koussanar and has subsequently expanded to Tambacounda, Kolda, and Kaffrine regions, covering approximately 12,000 farmers. The objective of this 2016 impact assessment, which builds on a preliminary assessment undertaken in 2015, is to document lessons learned to-date and provide recommendations aimed at deepening the program’s impact and mitigating any negative effects.