Impact Pathways Workshop & VCA Tools Workshop, Managua, August 2013

1. Site selection
in the Nicaragua VC
An Notenbaert, Jeannette van de Steeg, Isabelle
Baltenbeck, Jane Poole
Impact Pathways Workshop & VCA Tools Workshop, Managua, August 2013

2. Huge heterogeneity in bio-physical and socio-economic
context
 Identify a small number of representative research locations:
That capture the gradient of key variables
provide opportunity for good research and impact
Site selection - rationale

3. Site selection - criteria
Field Sites are selected using a combination of ‘hard’ and
‘soft’ criteria
• Hard criteria
Based on maps of e.g. cattle density, poverty and market
access
Implemented in a Geographical Information System (GIS)
• Soft criteria
‘Ease of working’
Opportunity to double up with Field Sites with other
projects/programs
Presence and capacity of partners
Institutional actor presence and networks
Resource availability – interest from other donors
Potential for impact
Current practices

4. Multi-step procedure
1. Define the target zone
 Different types of markets in Nicaragua
2. Decide what a site is
 Municipality or cluster of municipalities?
3. Spatial stratification and selection of ‘potential sites’
 Based on the ‘hard’ criteria
 Representing the different contexts/environments
 Our proposal: cattle density, poverty, market access
4. Scoring of potential sites
 Based on the ‘soft’ criteria
 ‘Impact’ indicators and ‘ease of working’ indicators
5. Agreement on final set of sites
 Start implementation of the project

5. Different types of markets
LaF (milk, meat & fish for the
poor by the poor) strata to
consider
 Peri-urban (not in this case)
 Rural to urban
 Rural to rural
Define target zone Site definition Spatial stratification Scoring of potential sites

6. Different types of markets - 2
Define target zone Site definition Spatial stratification Scoring of potential sites

7. Departments and municipalities
Define target zone Site definition Spatial stratification Scoring of potential sites

8. Why stratify into domains?
Define target zone Site definition Spatial stratification Scoring of potential sites
• To ensure representativeness
and inclusiveness of the diverse
environments
• To evaluate research processes
etc. in different environments
• To facilitate lessons learning
across the various VCs
• To facilitate scaling out of
interventions

9. Spatial stratification
Spatial criteria:
Cattle density → high density areas
Poverty → high poverty areas
Market access → good vs. bad
access areas
Define target zone Site definition Spatial stratification Scoring of potential sites
LaF strata to consider:
 Peri-urban
 Rural to urban
 Rural to rural

10. Cattle densities
Define target zone Site definition Spatial stratification Scoring of potential sites
Cut off value:
60 head/km2

11. Poverty
Define target zone Site definition Spatial stratification Scoring of potential sites
Cut off value:
50% of population

12. Market access
Define target zone Site definition Spatial stratification Scoring of potential sites
Cut off value:
4 hours
Cut off value:
2 hours

13. Domains
Cattle densities, poverty, market access
- in that order -
Define target zone Site definition Spatial stratification Scoring of potential sites
Meat Value Chain
(< 4 hours travel time)
Milk Value Chain
(< 2 hours travel time)

14. Rural to rural markets
Cattle densities, poverty, market access
- in that order -
- Meat Value Chain -

15. Rural to rural markets
Cattle densities, poverty, market access
- in that order -
- Milk Value Chain -

16. Rural to urban markets
Cattle densities, poverty, market access
- in that order -
- Meat Value Chain -

17. Rural to urban markets
Cattle densities, poverty, market access
- in that order -
- Milk Value Chain -

18. Selection criteria
• The spatial criteria ALONE don’t have a high enough
resolution to select field sites completely, so we
combine them with soft criteria AND ‘ground-truthing’
(with stakeholders) to come up with the final selection
• Under ‘soft’ criteria we understand:
Partners – presence & capacity
On-going research activities
Proximity and comparability to other long-term research sites
Institutional actor presence & networks
Resource availability
Others?....
Define target zone Site definition Spatial stratification Scoring of potential sites
Example criteria

19. CGIAR is a global partnership that unites organizations engaged in research for a food secure future. The CGIAR
Research Program on Livestock and Fish aims to increase the productivity of small-scale livestock and fish systems
in sustainable ways, making meat, milk and fish more available and affordable across the developing world.
CGIAR Research Program on Livestock and Fish
livestockfish.cgiar.org

21. Pre-selected sites and domains
Cattle densities, poverty, market access
- in that order -
- Meat Value Chain -

22. Pre-selected sites and domains
Cattle densities, poverty, market access
- in that order -
- Milk Value Chain -