The Food Security and Nutrition Network resource library features practical implementation-focused guides, tools, and training materials in a number of relevant program areas. You can browse the library by topic or view the newest, highest rated, most downloaded or FSN Network recommended materials. If you know what you are looking for you can also search by author or title.

We welcome submissions of new resources from the community. Please remember we are looking for high-quality, published materials, that offer guidance for improved food security and nutrition implementation.

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IFAD Policy on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment

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Files: 
application/pdf icongender_e_ifad.pdf

This policy offers insight into the strategies and target activities for IFAD at the programmatic and operational levels.  Sector-specific guidance is offered for natural resources, climate change adaptation and mitigation, agriculture, financial services, value chains, marketing, rural enterprise, skills development, community-based organizations, livestock, fisheries, and forestry.

Organizational Authors: 
IFAD
Year Published: 
2012
No votes yet
Categories:

FIELD Brief 3: Economic Strengthening for Vulnerable Children

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Files: 
application/pdf iconFIELD Brief 3: Economic Strengthening for Vulnerable Children

This 12-page brief offers an introduction to seven programming principles and one-page overviews of eleven economic strengthening tools from asset transfers to microfinance to enterprise development and value chain initiatives. Each one-pager includes a definition, examples from Africa, programming recommendations and highlights on what is successful and what to avoid.

Organizational Authors: 
Save the Children
FHI360
Year Published: 
2008
No votes yet
Categories:

Maximizing the Value of “Cash for Work”: Lessons from a Niger land recuperation project, CRS EARLI

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Files: 
application/pdf iconcash_for_work_sahel_english.pdf

This resource, from Catholic Relief Services, describes the 20 best practices distilled from a recent Real Time Evaluation of the cash for work program Emergency Agricultural Recovery of Livelihoods Initiative (EARLI). In this food security and land recuperation project vulnerable households in two towns in Niger were paid to dig half-moons that reduce erosion, regenerate natural vegetation and recuperate degraded land. The project is a response to the complex emergency in the Sahel that was triggered by shortages in the 2011 harvest, but caused by a much longer-term cycle of perpetual crises and shocks.

Organizational Authors: 
Catholic Relief Services
Year Published: 
2012
No votes yet
Categories:

Beyond Financial Services A Synthesis of Studies on the Integration of Savings Groups and Other Developmental Activities

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Files: 
application/pdf iconBeyond Financial Services A Synthesis of Studies on the Integration of Savings Groups and Other Developmental Activities

 

This document summarises the findings of a Learning Initiative carried out by the Aga Khan Foundation with Support from the MasterCard Foundation, to study the integration of Savings Groups and other developmental actvities. The other activitites include: training provided to group members; products or services offered; cash or in-kind; linkages between the SG and service providers including financial institutions; creation of federations or netowrks of SGs.

Authors: 
Paul Rippey
Ben Fowler
Organizational Authors: 
AGA KHAN Foundation
Year Published: 
2011
No votes yet
Categories:

Governing the Oral Institution

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Files: 
application/pdf iconGoverning the Oral Institution

 

The central hypothesis underpinning this paper is that much of the institutional fragility in poor villages results from a mismatch between oral and literate ways of managing collective information. Oral tools must be much more clearly understood -- and systematically applied -- if we are to really succeed in transferring the capacity to build institutions to rural villages.

Authors: 
Brett Hudson Matthews
Organizational Authors: 
MATHWOOD
Year Published: 
2009
No votes yet
Categories:

Bringing Financial Services to Africa's Poor

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Files: 
application/pdf iconBringing Financial Services to Africa's Poor

 

“Bringing Financial Services to Africa’s Poor” focuses on microfinance, a tool that’s been proven effective against poverty in the developing world. Nearly four decades of global microfinance experience have shown that when poor people have access to financial services – secure savings, credit, insurance and other products – they can change their lives and build stronger, more prosperous communities. 

Authors: 
Kristin Helmore
Sybil Chidiac
Lauren Hendricks
Organizational Authors: 
CARE
Year Published: 
2009
No votes yet
Categories:

Monitoring, Evaluation and Research

Download
Files: 
application/vnd.ms-excel iconGroup Quality Assessment Tool
application/vnd.ms-excel iconData Accuracy Report
application/vnd.ms-excel iconData Accuracy Assessment Tool

The materials in this section provide practitioners with useful tools and information regarding programme monitoring, programme evaluation, impact studies and external reporting .  The Group Quality Assessment Tool enables practitioners to assess the institutional health of groups, based on standardized indicators, and compare results across groups, Field Officers, regions and projects.  The Data Accuracy Assessment Tool enables practitioners to assess the accuracy of group-level data and compare results across groups, Field Officers, regions and projects.

Organizational Authors: 
VSL Associates
Year Published: 
2011
No votes yet
Categories:

VSL Associates Management Information System

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Files: 
application/pdf iconVSL Associates MIS Guide Changes
application/vnd.ms-excel iconVSL Associates MIS Updated Guide

 

On August 8, 2011 VSL Associated released on updated version of its Management Information System- Version 4.02. This is the newest version as well as a guide to all the changes made from the older version. 

Organizational Authors: 
VSL Associates
Year Published: 
2011
No votes yet
Categories:

Village Agent Training Guide

Download
Files: 
application/pdf iconVillage Agent Training Guide

 

This manual is part of a 2-part series: the first to be used by Field Officers (FOs) and the second by Village Agents (VAs).

␣ FOs are paid employees of a Facilitating Agency (FA) or its partner organisations, who create and train Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs)

␣ VAs are community-based trainers who are not paid employees of the project

We have developed the manuals in order to provide straightforward guidance to FOs and VAs on how to train VSLAs, reduced to the essentials. We have deliberately avoided suggesting a step-by-step training system, since implementing organisations may have their own pedagogical approach. Rather, we have specified what needs to be achieved and have focused more on group-level outputs and procedures.

Authors: 
Hugh Allen
Mark Staehle
Organizational Authors: 
VSL Associates
Year Published: 
2011
No votes yet
Categories:

Field Officer Training Guide

Download
Files: 
application/pdf iconField Officer Training Guide

 

This manual is part of a 2-part series: the first to be used by Field Officers (FOs) and the second by Village Agents (VAs).

␣ FOs are paid employees of a Facilitating Agency (FA) or its partner organisations, who create and train Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs)

␣ VAs are community-based trainers who are not paid employees of the project

We have developed the manuals in order to provide straightforward guidance to FOs and VAs on how to train VSLAs, reduced to the essentials. We have deliberately avoided suggesting a step-by-step training system, since implementing organisations may have their own pedagogical approach. Rather, we have specified what needs to be achieved and have focused more on group-level outputs and procedures.

Authors: 
Hugh Allen
Mark Staehle
Organizational Authors: 
VSL Associates
Year Published: 
2011
No votes yet
Categories:

Quality Improvement & Verification Checklists: Online Training Module, Training Files, Slides, QIVCs, etc.

Download
Files: 
application/msword iconCommunity Development Worker Quality Improvement & Verification Checklist (QIVC, French)
application/msword iconCommunity Development Worker Quality improvement & Verification Checklist (English)

Quality Improvement and Verification Checklists (QIVCs) provide a detailed check of development workers’ performance on their key processes in order to monitor and improve their performance, identify “system problems,” and to encourage them.  QIVCs are being used in many countries throughout the world to improve key processes.&

Authors: 
Thomas Davis
Organizational Authors: 
FH
FSN Network
TOPS
Year Published: 
2012
Your rating: None Average: 4.6 (5 votes)
Categories:

Quality Improvement & Verification Checklists: Online Training Module, Training Files, Slides, QIVCs, etc.

Download
Files: 
application/msword iconCommunity Development Worker Quality Improvement & Verification Checklist (QIVC, French)
application/msword iconCommunity Development Worker Quality improvement & Verification Checklist (English)

Quality Improvement and Verification Checklists (QIVCs) provide a detailed check of development workers’ performance on their key processes in order to monitor and improve their performance, identify “system problems,” and to encourage them.  QIVCs are being used in many countries throughout the world to improve key processes.&

Authors: 
Thomas Davis
Organizational Authors: 
FH
FSN Network
TOPS
Year Published: 
2012
Your rating: None Average: 4.6 (5 votes)
Categories:

Quality Improvement & Verification Checklists: Online Training Module, Training Files, Slides, QIVCs, etc.

Download
Files: 
application/msword iconCommunity Development Worker Quality Improvement & Verification Checklist (QIVC, French)
application/msword iconCommunity Development Worker Quality improvement & Verification Checklist (English)

Quality Improvement and Verification Checklists (QIVCs) provide a detailed check of development workers’ performance on their key processes in order to monitor and improve their performance, identify “system problems,” and to encourage them.  QIVCs are being used in many countries throughout the world to improve key processes.&

Authors: 
Thomas Davis
Organizational Authors: 
FH
FSN Network
TOPS
Year Published: 
2012
Your rating: None Average: 4.6 (5 votes)
Categories:

Maximizing the Value of “Cash for Work”: Lessons from a Niger land recuperation project, CRS EARLI

Download
Files: 
application/pdf iconcash_for_work_sahel_english.pdf

This resource, from Catholic Relief Services, describes the 20 best practices distilled from a recent Real Time Evaluation of the cash for work program Emergency Agricultural Recovery of Livelihoods Initiative (EARLI). In this food security and land recuperation project vulnerable households in two towns in Niger were paid to dig half-moons that reduce erosion, regenerate natural vegetation and recuperate degraded land. The project is a response to the complex emergency in the Sahel that was triggered by shortages in the 2011 harvest, but caused by a much longer-term cycle of perpetual crises and shocks.

Organizational Authors: 
Catholic Relief Services
Year Published: 
2012
No votes yet
Categories:

Field Officer Training Guide

Download
Files: 
application/pdf iconField Officer Training Guide

 

This manual is part of a 2-part series: the first to be used by Field Officers (FOs) and the second by Village Agents (VAs).

␣ FOs are paid employees of a Facilitating Agency (FA) or its partner organisations, who create and train Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs)

␣ VAs are community-based trainers who are not paid employees of the project

We have developed the manuals in order to provide straightforward guidance to FOs and VAs on how to train VSLAs, reduced to the essentials. We have deliberately avoided suggesting a step-by-step training system, since implementing organisations may have their own pedagogical approach. Rather, we have specified what needs to be achieved and have focused more on group-level outputs and procedures.

Authors: 
Hugh Allen
Mark Staehle
Organizational Authors: 
VSL Associates
Year Published: 
2011
No votes yet
Categories:

VSL Associates Management Information System

Download
Files: 
application/pdf iconVSL Associates MIS Guide Changes
application/vnd.ms-excel iconVSL Associates MIS Updated Guide

 

On August 8, 2011 VSL Associated released on updated version of its Management Information System- Version 4.02. This is the newest version as well as a guide to all the changes made from the older version. 

Organizational Authors: 
VSL Associates
Year Published: 
2011
No votes yet
Categories:

Beyond Financial Services A Synthesis of Studies on the Integration of Savings Groups and Other Developmental Activities

Download
Files: 
application/pdf iconBeyond Financial Services A Synthesis of Studies on the Integration of Savings Groups and Other Developmental Activities

 

This document summarises the findings of a Learning Initiative carried out by the Aga Khan Foundation with Support from the MasterCard Foundation, to study the integration of Savings Groups and other developmental actvities. The other activitites include: training provided to group members; products or services offered; cash or in-kind; linkages between the SG and service providers including financial institutions; creation of federations or netowrks of SGs.

Authors: 
Paul Rippey
Ben Fowler
Organizational Authors: 
AGA KHAN Foundation
Year Published: 
2011
No votes yet
Categories:

Bringing Financial Services to Africa's Poor

Download
Files: 
application/pdf iconBringing Financial Services to Africa's Poor

 

“Bringing Financial Services to Africa’s Poor” focuses on microfinance, a tool that’s been proven effective against poverty in the developing world. Nearly four decades of global microfinance experience have shown that when poor people have access to financial services – secure savings, credit, insurance and other products – they can change their lives and build stronger, more prosperous communities. 

Authors: 
Kristin Helmore
Sybil Chidiac
Lauren Hendricks
Organizational Authors: 
CARE
Year Published: 
2009
No votes yet
Categories:

Village Agent Training Guide

Download
Files: 
application/pdf iconVillage Agent Training Guide

 

This manual is part of a 2-part series: the first to be used by Field Officers (FOs) and the second by Village Agents (VAs).

␣ FOs are paid employees of a Facilitating Agency (FA) or its partner organisations, who create and train Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs)

␣ VAs are community-based trainers who are not paid employees of the project

We have developed the manuals in order to provide straightforward guidance to FOs and VAs on how to train VSLAs, reduced to the essentials. We have deliberately avoided suggesting a step-by-step training system, since implementing organisations may have their own pedagogical approach. Rather, we have specified what needs to be achieved and have focused more on group-level outputs and procedures.

Authors: 
Hugh Allen
Mark Staehle
Organizational Authors: 
VSL Associates
Year Published: 
2011
No votes yet
Categories:

Monitoring, Evaluation and Research

Download
Files: 
application/vnd.ms-excel iconGroup Quality Assessment Tool
application/vnd.ms-excel iconData Accuracy Report
application/vnd.ms-excel iconData Accuracy Assessment Tool

The materials in this section provide practitioners with useful tools and information regarding programme monitoring, programme evaluation, impact studies and external reporting .  The Group Quality Assessment Tool enables practitioners to assess the institutional health of groups, based on standardized indicators, and compare results across groups, Field Officers, regions and projects.  The Data Accuracy Assessment Tool enables practitioners to assess the accuracy of group-level data and compare results across groups, Field Officers, regions and projects.

Organizational Authors: 
VSL Associates
Year Published: 
2011
No votes yet
Categories:

Governing the Oral Institution

Download
Files: 
application/pdf iconGoverning the Oral Institution

 

The central hypothesis underpinning this paper is that much of the institutional fragility in poor villages results from a mismatch between oral and literate ways of managing collective information. Oral tools must be much more clearly understood -- and systematically applied -- if we are to really succeed in transferring the capacity to build institutions to rural villages.

Authors: 
Brett Hudson Matthews
Organizational Authors: 
MATHWOOD
Year Published: 
2009
No votes yet
Categories:

Savings groups: What are They?

Download
Files: 
application/pdf iconSavings groups: What are They?

 

Savings groups are not only a viable alternative for the vast number of people unlikely to be served by brick-and-mortar financial institutions, they are the catalyst for enhanced social capital, improved gender relations, women’s leadership, and community social and economic develop- ment. In the last 20 years, these pioneering projects have demonstrated the power of saving over and over again. Now they are achieving very rapid growth, increasing in number and scale.

This paper seeks to explore and explain the nature of savings groups and the varying approaches used by the most experienced facilitating agencies (FAs) and projects, which mainly work in Africa.

Authors: 
Hugh Allen
David Panetta
Organizational Authors: 
The SEEP Network
Savings-Led Financial Services Working Group
Year Published: 
2010
No votes yet
Categories:

Beyond Financial Services A Synthesis of Studies on the Integration of Savings Groups and Other Developmental Activities

Download
Files: 
application/pdf iconBeyond Financial Services A Synthesis of Studies on the Integration of Savings Groups and Other Developmental Activities

 

This document summarises the findings of a Learning Initiative carried out by the Aga Khan Foundation with Support from the MasterCard Foundation, to study the integration of Savings Groups and other developmental actvities. The other activitites include: training provided to group members; products or services offered; cash or in-kind; linkages between the SG and service providers including financial institutions; creation of federations or netowrks of SGs.

Authors: 
Paul Rippey
Ben Fowler
Organizational Authors: 
AGA KHAN Foundation
Year Published: 
2011
No votes yet
Categories:

Bringing Financial Services to Africa's Poor

Download
Files: 
application/pdf iconBringing Financial Services to Africa's Poor

 

“Bringing Financial Services to Africa’s Poor” focuses on microfinance, a tool that’s been proven effective against poverty in the developing world. Nearly four decades of global microfinance experience have shown that when poor people have access to financial services – secure savings, credit, insurance and other products – they can change their lives and build stronger, more prosperous communities. 

Authors: 
Kristin Helmore
Sybil Chidiac
Lauren Hendricks
Organizational Authors: 
CARE
Year Published: 
2009
No votes yet
Categories:

FIELD Brief 3: Economic Strengthening for Vulnerable Children

Download
Files: 
application/pdf iconFIELD Brief 3: Economic Strengthening for Vulnerable Children

This 12-page brief offers an introduction to seven programming principles and one-page overviews of eleven economic strengthening tools from asset transfers to microfinance to enterprise development and value chain initiatives. Each one-pager includes a definition, examples from Africa, programming recommendations and highlights on what is successful and what to avoid.

Organizational Authors: 
Save the Children
FHI360
Year Published: 
2008
No votes yet
Categories:

Field Officer Training Guide

Download
Files: 
application/pdf iconField Officer Training Guide

 

This manual is part of a 2-part series: the first to be used by Field Officers (FOs) and the second by Village Agents (VAs).

␣ FOs are paid employees of a Facilitating Agency (FA) or its partner organisations, who create and train Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs)

␣ VAs are community-based trainers who are not paid employees of the project

We have developed the manuals in order to provide straightforward guidance to FOs and VAs on how to train VSLAs, reduced to the essentials. We have deliberately avoided suggesting a step-by-step training system, since implementing organisations may have their own pedagogical approach. Rather, we have specified what needs to be achieved and have focused more on group-level outputs and procedures.

Authors: 
Hugh Allen
Mark Staehle
Organizational Authors: 
VSL Associates
Year Published: 
2011
No votes yet
Categories:

Governing the Oral Institution

Download
Files: 
application/pdf iconGoverning the Oral Institution

 

The central hypothesis underpinning this paper is that much of the institutional fragility in poor villages results from a mismatch between oral and literate ways of managing collective information. Oral tools must be much more clearly understood -- and systematically applied -- if we are to really succeed in transferring the capacity to build institutions to rural villages.

Authors: 
Brett Hudson Matthews
Organizational Authors: 
MATHWOOD
Year Published: 
2009
No votes yet
Categories:

IFAD Policy on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment

Download
Files: 
application/pdf icongender_e_ifad.pdf

This policy offers insight into the strategies and target activities for IFAD at the programmatic and operational levels.  Sector-specific guidance is offered for natural resources, climate change adaptation and mitigation, agriculture, financial services, value chains, marketing, rural enterprise, skills development, community-based organizations, livestock, fisheries, and forestry.

Organizational Authors: 
IFAD
Year Published: 
2012
No votes yet
Categories:

Maximizing the Value of “Cash for Work”: Lessons from a Niger land recuperation project, CRS EARLI

Download
Files: 
application/pdf iconcash_for_work_sahel_english.pdf

This resource, from Catholic Relief Services, describes the 20 best practices distilled from a recent Real Time Evaluation of the cash for work program Emergency Agricultural Recovery of Livelihoods Initiative (EARLI). In this food security and land recuperation project vulnerable households in two towns in Niger were paid to dig half-moons that reduce erosion, regenerate natural vegetation and recuperate degraded land. The project is a response to the complex emergency in the Sahel that was triggered by shortages in the 2011 harvest, but caused by a much longer-term cycle of perpetual crises and shocks.

Organizational Authors: 
Catholic Relief Services
Year Published: 
2012
No votes yet
Categories:

Monitoring, Evaluation and Research

Download
Files: 
application/vnd.ms-excel iconGroup Quality Assessment Tool
application/vnd.ms-excel iconData Accuracy Report
application/vnd.ms-excel iconData Accuracy Assessment Tool

The materials in this section provide practitioners with useful tools and information regarding programme monitoring, programme evaluation, impact studies and external reporting .  The Group Quality Assessment Tool enables practitioners to assess the institutional health of groups, based on standardized indicators, and compare results across groups, Field Officers, regions and projects.  The Data Accuracy Assessment Tool enables practitioners to assess the accuracy of group-level data and compare results across groups, Field Officers, regions and projects.

Organizational Authors: 
VSL Associates
Year Published: 
2011
No votes yet
Categories:

Quality Improvement & Verification Checklists: Online Training Module, Training Files, Slides, QIVCs, etc.

Download
Files: 
application/msword iconCommunity Development Worker Quality Improvement & Verification Checklist (QIVC, French)
application/msword iconCommunity Development Worker Quality improvement & Verification Checklist (English)

Quality Improvement and Verification Checklists (QIVCs) provide a detailed check of development workers’ performance on their key processes in order to monitor and improve their performance, identify “system problems,” and to encourage them.  QIVCs are being used in many countries throughout the world to improve key processes.&

Authors: 
Thomas Davis
Organizational Authors: 
FH
FSN Network
TOPS
Year Published: 
2012
Your rating: None Average: 4.6 (5 votes)
Categories:

Savings groups: What are They?

Download
Files: 
application/pdf iconSavings groups: What are They?

 

Savings groups are not only a viable alternative for the vast number of people unlikely to be served by brick-and-mortar financial institutions, they are the catalyst for enhanced social capital, improved gender relations, women’s leadership, and community social and economic develop- ment. In the last 20 years, these pioneering projects have demonstrated the power of saving over and over again. Now they are achieving very rapid growth, increasing in number and scale.

This paper seeks to explore and explain the nature of savings groups and the varying approaches used by the most experienced facilitating agencies (FAs) and projects, which mainly work in Africa.

Authors: 
Hugh Allen
David Panetta
Organizational Authors: 
The SEEP Network
Savings-Led Financial Services Working Group
Year Published: 
2010
No votes yet
Categories: