DRAFT – INTERNAL USE ONLY
A Summary of the Structure of the
Comprehensive Vulnerability Analysis (CVA)
CVA analytic
process
Principal analytic
Functions
Situation Analysis (SA)
Prepare Annotated
Bibliography
Prepare Summary of
Food Security Issues
Secondary Data Analysis (SDA)
Description
The SA provides an initial source of information and expert perception about the nature of subnational food security and vulnerability status and dynamics in this country. Helps to direct the
Secondary Data Analysis (SDA).
See Situation Analysis TOR
See Situation Analysis TOR
The SDA uses secondary data, of all kinds, to describe the nature of sub-national food security
and vulnerability status and dynamics in this country. See SDA Guidelines.
Prepare working
hypothesis of food
security
conditions/problems
The SDA is intended to be as efficient in its use of scarce resources as it can. A rapidly-formed,
and thoughtful initial hypothesis of the types of food security issues that exist in the country, and
where they are found (a product of discussions with the WFP/CO, key partners, and the Situation
Analysis) will help to plan what types of data are required in the SDA, and what types of
analyses should be carried out in order to test and verify or reformulate this hypothesis. From an
initial view, what are the possible patterns and problems of food access, availability, utilisation,
and risk found in this country? Where are they, and who do they most affect? How can this
hypothesis be tested (with what type of analyses of data)?
Plan SDA analytic
Describe the steps that will be carried out, by whom, and when, to assess, and verify or
process
reformulate, this hypothesis. What types of analyses will be carried out in order to test the
accuracy and insight of the working hypothesis? In light of the working hypothesis of food
security conditions/problems, and the identified data needs and gaps, what efforts should be
made to identify and collect new sources of data?
Collect, prepare, and Collect data that appears, from your own knowledge and from the SA, to be pertinent for the
analyse data
analysis and prepare them for assessment, documentation and possible transfer. The SDA will
include analyses that are intended to: a) identify zones and groups that are the most vulnerable,
b) plausibly describe the reasons for this vulnerability, c) sub-divide the vulnerable areas into
food economy zones, and d) inform the CFSP sampling process (see below)
Implement geographic Using the data analyses described above, identify the most vulnerable zones/socio-economic
targeting analyses
groups, and describe and understand the reasons for the vulnerability of these zones/socioeconomic groups.
Map results of all
Prepare thematic maps displaying the results of all analyses.
analyses
Implement initial FEZ In areas determined as among the most vulnerable, begin building food economy zone
analyses
information and maps.
Document and transfer Determine with the WFP/CO and key partner organisations whether, and what type of, data and
analyses
analytic products should be left behind in the CO, or transferred to others from the SDA process.
Consultation and Consolidation (C/C)
Fieldwork/Verification
Zoning Workshop
WFP Brainstorming
At various points in the VAM/CVA implementation in a country, various types of consultation and
participatory learning/assessment should be carried out to better inform, test, and consolidate
the analyses carried out, as well as to build ownership in the WFP/CO and key partners of the
analyses. These consultations and exercises should be carried out at whatever point in the CVA
process they appear to be needed, and in whatever format appears appropriate.
During the course of preparing an initial hypothesis, and during the analyses that will test it,
various types of fieldwork and/or other interactions will be necessary to insure accurate
understanding of the data to be used, and the analytic products that will emerge from the
analyses.
In addition to other CVA analytic functions that assist in identifying and describing significant
homogenous zones of food (in)security, a workshop may be held in which a broad variety of
expert participants are asked to sub-divide the country into food economy zones, and to describe
key characteristics of each.
The WFP/CO owns the right to geographically target and describe the areas, populations and
principal food security problems that it will designate as a priority to treat with developmental
Partner Presentations
assistance in this country. The VAM/CVA input is intended to both enhance, and perhaps
substantially modify, this understanding. Formal and informal VAM/CO interactions that help to
inform both the CVA analyses and the CO decision-making should be carried out, as required, to
achieve this.
At various points in the CVA process, the CO and VAM will find it useful and important to present
results of the CVA analyses to key partners.
The VIP is a description of the nature of sub-national food security and vulnerability status and
dynamics in this country, based upon the CVA secondary data analyses, and is the basis for a
VAM input regarding geographic targeting and problem analysis in the CSO.
VIP report
A VIP, summarising VAM/CVA conclusions about the geographic distribution of the most
vulnerable zones and socio-economic groups in the country, and the causes of their food
insecurity and vulnerability is prepared. Based exclusively on the secondary data sources used
in the SA, SDA, and C/C analytic processes, it contains intermediate conclusions about
geographic targeting and problem analyses that should provide the basis for VAM’s input to
chapters 1 and 4 of the CSO. It may have the general structure of the Situation Analysis, if that
is appropriate.
VAM input to the CSO Perhaps more a product of the CVA than a discrete analytic function of it, the VAM/CVA input to
the CSO is based upon the VIP, and follows FAAD guidelines on the structure and content of
these chapters.
The CFSP is essentially a recognition of, and response to, the limitations of secondary data
analyses in identifying the nature and causes of vulnerability at the level of vulnerable
Community Food Security Profile (CFSP) communities and in the households of the most hungry. Nevertheless, the primary data
collection and participatory analysis that will be undertaken in the CFSP is too resource-intensive
and place-specific to undertake across the whole country. So, it will be guided by the CVA’s
secondary data analyses (SA/SDA/CC) to those areas of greatest concentration and severity of
hunger, and only carried out there. The place- and group-specific views of the status and
dynamics of food insecurity and vulnerability that it produces will primarily be used in VAM’s
input to the CP, and as an input into WFP/CO activity design.
Preparation of field
All CFSP field data collection and analyses will have a generally common objective, range of
data collection
activities, and common core of products. Nevertheless, in each case, the primary data collection
instruments
and participatory analyses to be carried out will have to be identified and adapted to the socioeconomic, physical, and cultural conditions of the areas in which they will be carried out.
Guidance and common “toolboxes” will be provided.
Field surveys
The most labor and time-intensive step of the CVA is the fieldwork of the CFSP. A variety of
resources are being developed to assist in implementing this step.
Consultation and
In the CFSP, much of the analysis that occurs is carried out as a part of the data collection
consolidation of
exercise itself, and the insights and conclusions that emerge should be a product not only of
analyses
VAM’s overall perspectives, but also of those who are the subject of the CFSP exercise. A
secondary, but equally important, phase of consultation and consolidation of conclusions should
occur with the WFP/CO and with key partners in the CVA.
The VAP is a description of the nature of the food security and vulnerability status and dynamics
Vulnerable Areas Profile (VAP)
in the most vulnerable zones and socio-economic groups of the country, based upon the CFSP,
and is the basis for a VAM input to the CP.
VAP report
A VAP, summarising CFSP conclusions about the causes of food insecurity and vulnerability in
the communities, households, and most vulnerable socio-economic groups of the most
vulnerable geographically-targeted areas is prepared. It may have the general structure of the
Situation Analysis and VIP, if that is appropriate.
VAM input to the CP
Following the general structure of the Country Programme, VAM will use the VAP report to
prepare an input to the CP beneficiary descriptions and problem discussion.
Vulnerability Issues Paper (VIP)