Document of The World Bank FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Report No: ICR00005604 IMPLEMENTATION COMPLETION AND RESULTS REPORT TFA8188 ON A SMALL GRANT FROM THE JAPANESE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT FUND (JSDF) IN THE AMOUNT OF USD2.73 MILLION TO THE FARMERS UNION OF MALAWI (FUM) FOR THE Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) Agriculture And Food Global Practice Eastern And Southern Africa Region Regional Vice President: Victoria Kwakwa Country Director: Mara K. Warwick Regional Director: Ayat Soliman Practice Manager: Holger A. Kray Task Team Leader(s): Blessings Nyanjagha Botha, Ziauddin Hyder ICR Main Contributor: Dipti Thapa ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ANCC Area Nutrition Coordination Committee ANSA Adolescent Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture ASWAp Agriculture Sector Wide Approach CAS Country Assistance Strategy CGIAR Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research CIAT International Center for Tropical Agriculture CPF Country Partnership Framework DAEC District Agriculture Extension Committee DAES Department of Agricultural Extension Services DARS Department of Agricultural Research services DHIS2 District Health Information System DNCC District Nutrition Coordinating Committee DNHA Department of Nutrition HIV and AIDS DRHU Department of Reproductive Health Unit ESMP Environmental and Social Management Plan FA Financial Agreement FUM Farmers Union of Malawi GBV Gender Based Violence GDP Gross Domestic Product GHI Global Hunger Index GNI Gross National Income GRC Grievance Redress Committee GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism IGAs Income Generating Activities IPDM Integrated Pests and Disease Management IHF Integrated Homestead Farming JSDF Japanese Social Development Fund M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MGDS Malawi Growth and Development Strategy MTR Mid Term Review NAIP National Agriculture Investment Plan NAP National Agriculture Policy NNPSP National Nutrition Policy and Strategic Plan OFSP Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes PDO Project Development Objective PSC Project Steering Committee RF Results Framework SRH Sexual and Reproductive Health STEP Systematic Tracking of Exchanges in Procurement ToC Theory of Change VDC Village Development Committee VNCC Village Nutrition Coordination Committee VSL Village Savings and Loans WB World Bank TABLE OF CONTENTS DATA SHEET ....................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. I. PROJECT CONTEXT AND DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES ....................................................... 4 II. OUTCOME .................................................................................................................... 10 III. KEY FACTORS THAT AFFECTED IMPLEMENTATION AND OUTCOME ................................ 20 IV. BANK PERFORMANCE, COMPLIANCE ISSUES, AND RISK TO DEVELOPMENT OUTCOME .. 22 V. LESSONS LEARNED AND RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................. 28 ANNEX 1. RESULTS FRAMEWORK AND KEY OUTPUTS ........................................................... 31 ANNEX 2. PROJECT COST BY COMPONENT ........................................................................... 41 ANNEX 3. RESULTS FRAMEWORK (FINAL) ............................................................................. 42 ANNEX 4. RECIPIENT, CO-FINANCIER AND OTHER PARTNER/STAKEHOLDER COMMENTS ...... 43 ANNEX 5. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS: PROJECT PHOTOGRAPHS .......................................... 44 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) DATA SHEET BASIC INFORMATION Product Information Project ID Project Name P163923 Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project Country Financing Instrument Malawi Investment Project Financing Original EA Category Revised EA Category Partial Assessment (B) Partial Assessment (B) Organizations Borrower Implementing Agency Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM) Development Project Development Objective (PDO) Original PDO To increase production and consumption of nutritious foods and to improve access to livelihood opportunities among selected female and male youths in targeted project areas in the districts of Mwanza and Ntchisi. FINANCING FINANCE_TBL Original Amount (US$) Revised Amount (US$) Actual Disbursed (US$) Donor Financing TF-A8188 2,730,000 2,730,000 2,730,000 Total 2,730,000 2,730,000 2,730,000 Total Project Cost 2,730,000 2,730,000 2,730,000 Page 1 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) KEY DATES Approval Effectiveness Original Closing Actual Closing 27-Jul-2018 28-Aug-2018 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 RESTRUCTURING AND/OR ADDITIONAL FINANCING Date(s) Amount Disbursed (US$M) Key Revisions 15-Apr-2019 0.50 Reallocation between Disbursement Categories KEY RATINGS Outcome Bank Performance M&E Quality Satisfactory Satisfactory High RATINGS OF PROJECT PERFORMANCE IN ISRs Actual No. Date ISR Archived DO Rating IP Rating Disbursements (US$M) 01 01-Nov-2018 Satisfactory Satisfactory 0.00 02 10-Apr-2019 Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 0.50 03 06-Nov-2019 Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 1.04 04 12-May-2020 Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 2.21 05 20-Oct-2020 Satisfactory Moderately Satisfactory 2.55 06 30-Apr-2021 Satisfactory Satisfactory 2.73 07 22-Dec-2021 Satisfactory Satisfactory 2.73 ADM STAFF Role At Approval At ICR Regional Vice President: Makhtar Diop Victoria Kwakwa Country Director: Bella Deborah Mary Bird Mara K. Warwick Page 2 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) Director: Juergen Voegele Ayat Soliman Practice Manager: Mark E. Cackler Holger A. Kray Valens Mwumvaneza, Ziauddin Blessings Nyanjagha Botha, Task Team Leader(s): Hyder, Blessings Nyanjagha Botha Ziauddin Hyder ICR Contributing Author: Dipti Thapa Page 3 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) I. PROJECT CONTEXT AND DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES Context 1. At Appraisal, Malawi was making strides in improving some indicators related to human development1 but its overall progress in addressing poverty and vulnerability had experienced a stagnation over the past decade.2 The national poverty rate saw a marginal improvement between 2004 and 2010, declining from 52.4 to 50.7 percent, but remained broadly unchanged since, with the poverty measure for 2018 at 50.7 percent. This meant that around 70 percent of Malawians were living below the international poverty line (on less than $1.90/day), only marginally lower than in 2004, when it was at 72.8 percent (WDI, 2018).3 The country was also experiencing a widening gap between urban areas and rural areas, as poverty remained predominantly a rural phenomenon, where 94 percent of all poor households were to be found.4 The weak performance of Malawi’s economy exacerbated the poverty situation. The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, which was at US$391 in 2018, was ranked as one of the lowest in the world. Annual growth averaged a mere 1.6 percent for the last two decades5, a period when the population had grown almost three percent6. Malawi’s Gross National Income (GNI) per capita in 2018 was estimated at US$430. 2. Malawi’s economy was and continues to be dominated by the agricultural sector, which is strategic to the country’s economic growth, food security, and poverty reduction. At appraisal, agriculture accounted for 30 percent of GDP and generated over 80 percent of national export earnings (2005-2011). The sector employed two thirds of the country’s workforce comprising mostly of smallholder subsistence farmers in rural areas. Malawi’s small farms (which accounted for 80 percent of agricultural producers) operated alongside large agricultural estates and a growing number of medium�scale farms. 3. Challenges have prevailed in the agriculture sector, which has been characterized by its low and stalled productivity7, combined with a lowly diversified production system. This is true especially for smallholders and can be attributed to constraints that range from climate shocks and weather variations (floods and dry spells), limited adoption of improved agricultural technologies and practices, poor access to farm inputs and credit, weak linkages to markets, increasingly recurrent outbreaks of pests and diseases, and the progressive depletion of soil fertility. The scarcity of arable land and fragmentation of holdings further compound these problems. The availability of water also continues to be a key concern given Malawi’s single, predominantly rainfed agricultural cycle8. 1 There were improvements in Malawi’s Global Hunger Index and rates of child malnutrition, under-five mortality, prevalence of stunting, access to primary education and the proportion of households with school-aged children attending school. However, Malawi’s level of human development remained low, ranking at 174 of 189 countries in the 2019 HDI. 2 Malawi has made marginal progress against poverty reduction in the rural north (where the poverty rate reduced 24 percentage points between 2016 and 2019) and has experienced a decrease in overall urban poverty. 3 In 2020, 73% Malawians lived on less than $1.9/day, one of the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa (International Poverty Measure). 4 People living in rural areas in Malawi are three times more likely to be poor than those living in urban areas. 5 The country’s growth had been negatively affected in particular by persistent external imbalances, reduced donor inflows, fuel shortages, and low tobacco proceeds, compounded by the increasing frequency of exogenous climate-related shocks. 6 Malawi’s population of 17 million is expected to double by 2038. 7 In the last 15 years, between 2016 and 2019, the total factor productivity does not show significant differences. 8 Only 4 percent of cropland (104,000 ha) was irrigated in 2014. Page 4 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) 4. Agriculture is the main contributor to national and household food security and nutrition and Malawi has made marginal progress since 2000 in reducing its overall food insecurity and undernutrition levels. At appraisal, Malawi’s 2018 Global Hunger Index (GHI) score was 26.5, down from 44.7 in 2000, when it was categorized as alarming. Underlying this improvement were reductions in three of the four GHI indicator values: child stunting, child wasting, and child mortality.9 Yet most of these achievements were skewed towards high-income urban groups, and challenges still remain on overall magnitude and limited dietary diversity patterns. Despite these marginal improvements, the Malawi Demographic and Health Survey revealed substantial occurrences of stunting (37 percent), underweight (12 percent), and wasting (3 percent) in 2016, with the Malawi economy losing US$600 million annually due to child undernutrition10. This translates to approximately 10.3 percent of the GDP, as a result of increased healthcare costs, additional burdens to the education system and lower productivity by its workforce. In this context, women and girls are amongst the most vulnerable group in Malawi11, with early childbearing, early marriages12, and high fertility among female adolescents contributing to poor health and nutrition outcomes, and low literacy and enrollment at all levels of education, thereby perpetuating intergenerational poverty. This is particularly pertinent to Malawi’s context given that it has a youthful population, with 48 percent under the age of 15 years, and 64 percent below 24 years of age.13 5. The Malawi Adolescent Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture (ANSA) project was designed as a community-based and community-driven pilot project targeting adolescents and taking on an integrated nutrition-sensitive agriculture approach to increase the production and consumption of nutritious foods, and improve access to livelihood opportunities, while also incorporating essential elements of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and fostering life skills and empowerment. The project targeted adolescent youth aged 10-19 years, in the districts of Ntchisi and Mwanza, including front line workers, peer leaders, and family members in adolescent households. These two districts were selected based on high prevalence of malnutrition (including adolescent malnutrition), poverty, and the absence of interventions on the ground. As a pilot initiative, particular focus was placed on promoting innovation and informing scale-up and replication. The project was financed by the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF), through a ‘regular program grant’ aimed to serve communities not reached by mainstream development programs, through innovative projects that deliver results in the short term. Rationale for Bank Support 6. Overall, the rationale for Bank support is based on the pilot developing an innovative model for a community- driven, integrated nutrition-sensitive agriculture approach that specifically empowers youth as agents of change and that assesses the approach’s potential replicability and scale-up. The pilot is driven by the need to address the issue of stunting, wasting, and all other forms of malnutrition resulting from a range of issues including early marriages, cultural barriers to nutrition, lack of information on SRH rights, and low birthweight and poor feeding practices for children and youth. As such, it tests out a multi-pronged approach to: (a) improve nutrition for 9 Between 2004-2015, prevalence of stunting under-five fell from 53% to 37%, and under-five mortality rates also declined (Malawi Demographic Health Surveys) 10 The 2015 Cost of Hunger in Africa Study. 11 Malawi ranks 145 out of 159 countries on the 2015 Gender Inequality Index, signaling wide gender inequalities on reproductive health, empowerment and economic activity. 12 By age 19, 60% of adolescent girls are childbearing (NSO and ICF, 2017) and 50% get married by age 18 (DHS, 2016). 13 The Government of Malawi, through its National Youth Policy (NYP) (2013), defines a youth as person aged 10- 35 years. Page 5 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) adolescents through enhanced production and consumption; (b) improve awareness and information on nutrition through social and behavior change communication (SBCC); (c) promote financial literacy through income generating activities (IGAs) and village savings and loans (VSLs); (d) provide SRH rights education; and (e) provide deworming and iron and folic acid (IFA) supplements. 7. This pilot project is aligned with JSDF focus and priorities - it helps meet a financing gap in that it reaches previously unreached beneficiaries, and a knowledge gap in that it does so with integrated nutrition-sensitive agriculture activities. Lessons from the approach hold the potential to be replicated and scaled up by the Bank and other partners. Given the strong emphasis on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), the project aims to add to the body of evidence of interventions that can help improve nutritional outcomes in Malawi. 8. At Appraisal, ANSA was well-aligned with the Government of Malawi’s priorities, particularly its National Nutrition Policy and Strategic Plan 2017-2021 (NNPSP)14, which aimed to improve agriculture for nutrition security, improve maternal and childcare practices, and integrate nutrition education for behavioral change. The project also significantly accelerated the implementation of Malawi’s Adolescent Nutrition Strategy. It was also consistent with the strategic goals of Malawi’s National Agriculture Policy (NAP, 2017-2021)15 to increase agriculture productivity and farm incomes, of which a key priority area was aimed at increasing production and consumption of nutritious foods to address key underlying causes of stunting as well as overall food and nutrition security. 9. ANSA also remained consistent with the World Bank’s Malawi Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) (FY13-FY16, extended by one year to FY17), specifically with regards to themes 1 and 2 where the Bank envisaged to “promote sustainable, diversified and inclusive growth� and to “enhance human capital and reduce vulnerabilities�. The project was aligned with result areas 1.3, in terms of “strengthening productivity in a diversified economy, achieved through increased productivity and diversification, and ensuring sustainable availability of food�, as well as result area 2.1, on “improving coherence and integration of nutrition issues�. 10. The project also built on the lessons learned and the institutional support fostered under the past and ongoing World Bank engagements in the health, agriculture, and social protection sectors in Malawi , such as the Malawi Nutrition and HIV/AIDS Project (P125237) that promoted multi-sectoral interventions in nutrition, health, and agriculture targeting women and children; the Agriculture Sector Wide Approach Support Project II (ASWAp II) (P164445), aimed at improving agricultural productivity, market access and diversification; the Agricultural Productivity Project for Southern Africa (APPSA) (P094183) aimed at improving agricultural productivity, including of nutritious crops; and the Strengthening Safety Nets Systems Project (P133620) which focused on improving household resilience and economic livelihoods, including through enhanced food and nutrition security. Theory of Change (Results Chain) 11. The project’s Theory of Change (ToC), presenting the logic behind the design of the project, was simple and straightforward, and satisfactorily outlined the linkages between the activities supported under the main 14 https://www.csona.org/api/Api/public/uploads/2017- 2021%20Nation%20multisectoral%20Nutrition%20Policy%20(NMNP).pdf 15 https://www.canr.msu.edu/fsp/countries/malawi/malawi_national_agriculture_policy_25.11.16.pdf Page 6 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) components of the project, the related key outputs, and the desired outcomes. The ToC as described in the Project Appraisal Document (PAD), is illustrated in Figure 1. The premise of the project, as illustrated in the ToC, was that the planned interventions would result in three distinct project outcomes: (i) increased production of nutritious foods, (ii) increased consumption of nutritious foods, as well as (iii) improved youth access to livelihood opportunities. 12. Two assumptions were outlined. Both were valid and had implications on the successful achievement of the outcomes, i.e., that (i) adolescent youth, particularly adolescent girls, can participate in project activities with no resistance from family members/relatives, and that (ii) targeted adolescent youth have access to arable land. The ToC did not include assumptions on factors beyond the project’s control. Figure 1: Overview of the Project’s Theory of Change Project Development Objectives (PDOs) 13. The proposed project development objectives (PDOs) were to increase the production and consumption of nutritious foods and to improve access to livelihood opportunities among selected female and male youths in targeted project areas in the districts of Mwanza and Ntchisi. Page 7 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) Key Expected Outcomes and Outcome Indicators 14. The key expected outcomes of ANSA were therefore: (i) increased production of nutritious foods; (ii) increased consumption of nutritious foods; and (iii) improved access to livelihood opportunities among selected female and male youths in selected project areas. The key performance indicators through which progress toward the achievement of the PDO was being measured were defined as follows, including their corresponding targets: ▪ Number of adolescent female and male youths, aged 10-19 years, reporting consumption of four or more micronutrient-rich foods in previous 24 hours – with a target of 4500 individuals ▪ Proportion of beneficiary groups reporting year-round production of at least three micro-nutrient rich foods – with a target of 50 percent ▪ Proportion of beneficiary groups, aged 15-19 years, engaging in IGAs – with a target of 50 percent ▪ Number of beneficiary female and male youths, aged 10- 19 years, participating in the project– with a target of 6000 (4500 female) individuals Components 15. The project included three components as follows 16. Component 1: Community mobilization and capacity building to enhance nutrition sensitive agriculture (US$ 0.3788 million). The objective of this component was to mobilize and build capacity amongst youth aged 15-19 years to engage in nutrition-sensitive agriculture, improve overall nutrition, and foster the development of life skills (including financial literacy and livelihood development). The component was delivered through two subcomponents, (i) Sub-Component 1.1: Community mobilization and (ii) Sub-Component 1.2: Capacity Building - to mobilize community leaders, parents, and youth (in age-appropriate groups) as delivery platforms for demonstrations and trainings on homestead gardening, agronomy, food processing and utilization, group dynamics and governance, as well as SRH and gender. 17. Component 2: Strengthening production and consumption of nutritious foods (US$1.68 million). Activities under this component aimed to provide knowledge and skills to adolescents for increased production and consumption of nutritious foods through age-appropriate interventions. The primary target for this component was female and male adolescents of 15-19 years and pregnant/lactating adolescent women in selected communities. The component was delivered through two subcomponents: (i) Sub-component 2.1: Implementation of nutrition- sensitive agriculture interventions amongst youth and their households aimed at increasing and strengthening production of nutritious crops and animal-source food through the provision of inputs (such as the promotion of homestead gardens, small-animal husbandry and other suitable income generating activities), and (ii) Sub- Component 2.2: Nutrition Education and Communication to improve awareness, knowledge, and practices in processing, consumption, and utilization of nutritious foods, through the increased demand for and behavioral change in terms of diversified diets among youth and their households. This was also extended to education and awareness-raising on SRH practices and life skills for improved livelihoods amongst adolescents. 18. Component 3: Project Management and Administration, M&E and Knowledge Management (US$ 0.669 million). This component was delivered through three sub-components, as follows: (i) Sub-Component 3.1: Project Page 8 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) Management and Administration, which covered operating and management/administration costs for the project, including personnel, office space and supplies, computers, communications equipment, and transportation costs for delivering the project; (ii) Sub-Component 3.2: Monitoring and Evaluation, which was managed by the implementing agency, Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM) and included a participatory monitoring strategy to engage beneficiaries in routine monitoring of the program; and (iii) Sub-Component 3: Knowledge Dissemination and Learning for regular documentation and dissemination of project achievements and lessons learned through workshops at district and national levels. Significant Changes during Project Implementation 19. The project undertook a Level 2 restructuring in April 2019. The primary reasoning for the restructuring was to allow the project to engage with third party institutions – in this case a Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) entity – to carry out training activities as per envisaged in the PAD. The restructuring required changes to the Financing Agreement (FA) to accommodate the subgrant execution of training activities, i.e., the addition of a disbursement category as well as the reallocation of funds in the amount of US$266,987, between disbursement categories; the addition of a definition for “subgrants�; and implementation arrangements for the subgrants. The changes to the FA ensured that a distinction was drawn between client-executed trainings (by FUM) and trainings conducted by a sub grantee (such as the CGIAR). There were no implications to the overall ToC or delivery of project objectives beyond the added benefit of CGIAR being able to carry out these high-quality training activities. Relevance of PDOs 20. ANSA’s PDOs remain highly relevant to the agricultural and nutritional development objectives of the Government of Malawi, and are aligned with its ongoing efforts to improve food and nutrition security and enhance income status through job creation for unemployed youth. The project is consistent with the priorities of Malawi’s NNPSP specifically contributing towards supporting the financial gaps which exist in the NNPSP, particularly under the following pillars: (i) agriculture for nutrition security and improved maternal, infant, and young children care and practices, and (ii) integration of behavioral change, communication and nutrition education. The project is also aligned with Malawi’s National Multi-Sector Adolescent Nutrition Strategy (NMSANS) 2019-202316, which guides nutrition programming for in- and out-of-school adolescents 10-19 years of age through multi-sector collaboration among various government ministries. The project is also in line with the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS III)17, particularly two of its pillars: (i) Agriculture and Climate Change Management, that prioritizes improved nutrition and food security, along with improved access to water resources; and (ii) Health and Population, that prioritizes improved access to equitable health services, reduced prevalence of disease and of all forms of malnutrition, improved hygiene and sanitation practices, family planning, and increased maternal/neonatal/infant survival. ANSA also responds to the strategic goals of Malawi’s NAP to increase agriculture productivity and farm incomes, of which one key priority area is aimed at increasing production and consumption of nutritious foods, to address key underlying causes of stunting as well as overall food and nutrition security. 16 https://dnhamalawi.org/strategies/ 17 https://npc.mw/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/MGDS_III.pdf Page 9 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) 21. At the time of project closing, the PDO remained highly relevant to the World Bank’ s priorities for Malawi, including the World Bank Malawi Country Partnership Framework (CPF) 2021-2025 (which was under preparation at Appraisal). ANSA is strongly aligned with all three of the major strategic areas of the CPF, i.e., (i) bolstering foundations for growth and accountability (in particular “through reforms to increase agricultural productivity�); (ii) promotion of jobs and livelihoods (specifically through "creating new opportunities for women and youth�), and (iii) strengthening human capital development (in particular, through “building pathways for young people to access jobs�, with a “focus on women and girls' empowerment�). Improved nutrition sensitive agriculture is a priority under Malawi CPF (2021-2025), particularly under focus areas 1 and 2 to promote private sector jobs and livelihoods and improve nutrition. 22. The ANSA project was also aligned with the strategic objectives of the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF), in particular, to support pilots that promote alternative innovation approaches delivered through “community-driven development and poverty reduction projects that empower the poorest and most vulnerable groups not reached by other programs� and its priority thematic areas to improve nutrition, inclusive education, sustainable agriculture, and basic health and sanitation.18 The project was also aligned with on-the-ground interventions supported by other development partners, as coordinated through the Malawi Donor Nutrition Security Group19. Lessons learnt have informed ongoing operations such as ASWAp SP II (P164445) (which includes integration of nutrition as key technology promoted under model villages), and the Malawi Agricultural Commercialization (AGCOM) Project Phase II (P158434) PCN (concept review carried out in June 2022) which is expected to deepen youth engagement in agricultural commercialization. Overall Relevance of PDOs Rating 23. The relevance of the project’s PDOs is rated substantial given that they are in alignment with various national agriculture and nutrition strategies and policies as well as with the World Bank’s priorities as stated in the CPF. The project’s objectives are also particularly relevant in the context of the country’s youthful demographic and development needs for improved food and nutrition security and health outcomes. II. OUTCOME 18 The purpose of JSDF is to: (i) support innovative programs which directly respond to needs of the poorest and most vulnerable groups of society; (ii) provide rapid and demonstrable benefits, which can be sustained, to the poorest and most vulnerable groups; and (iii) build capacity, participation and empowerment of civil society, local communities and NGOs. 19 Such as: the Strengthening Agricultural and Nutrition Extension (SANE) project; the EU AFIKEPO (‘let the children grow to their full potential’) program; the EU KULIMA program on improved and sustainable farming; and the USAID Agricultural Diversification for Incomes and Nutrition (ADIN) project Page 10 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) Achievement of PDOs (Efficacy) 24. Given that the project largely achieved its PDOs (see section below), the project efficacy is considered substantial. Overall, in terms of the PDO indicators, the project surpassed the end of project targets in all cases as Table 1 demonstrates. Further evidence of achievement of the PDO is presented below with causal links to project activities and investments, organized around each outcome. The PDO is unpacked into its three objective outcomes: (i) increase production of nutritious foods; (ii) increase consumption of nutritious food; and (iii) improve access to livelihood opportunities, among selected female and male youths in targeted project areas. Table 1: Summary of the PDO outcomes and achievement status Unit of Baseline End target End actual Achievement PDO indicators measure value value value (%) Adolescent female and male youths (aged 10- 19 years) reporting Number 1410 4500 5717 127 consumption of four or more micronutrient-rich foods in previous 24 hours Beneficiary groups (aged 10- 19 years) reporting year-round Percentage 10.1 50 87.6 175 production of at least three micro-nutrient rich foods Beneficiary groups (aged 15-19 years) engaging in IGAs Percentage 13.8 50 85.7 171 Beneficiary female and male youth (aged 10- 19 years) participating Number 0 6000 6061 101 in the project - Female youth (aged 10- 19 years) participating in the project Number 0 4500 4500 100 Assessment of Achievement of Each Objective/Outcome 25. Objective Outcome 1: Increase production of nutritious foods, among selected female and male youths in targeted project areas. The project fully achieved this outcome. The project contributed to this outcome by financing a number of integrated interventions to boost the production of nutritious foods. It mobilized adolescents into 303 age-appropriate groups led by peer leaders who were trained, and supported by promoters and community development facilitators; it coordinated the allocation of land and homestead garden areas that were provided to the groups by community leaders and parents/guardians; and it enabled extension support through various sectoral agencies (through extension agents) and by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)-Harvest Plus. Furthermore, inputs were provided by the project (such as seeds, small stock livestock for rearing, feed supplements, vaccinations, etc.). In addition to other equipment, the project also financed solar irrigation pumps (which allowed for the expansion of demonstration sizes, while also easing the workload of adolescents, and helping expand winter production, ensuring year-round production of nutritious foods). Furthermore, the project introduced and promoted pass-on strategies and linked seed value chains amongst the groups. The project resulted in an increase in the production of nutrient dense and biofortified crops introduced and promoted by the project, such as orange Vitamin A-enriched maize, orange fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), high iron and zinc beans, along with local green leafy indigenous vegetables (Table 2). According to the project’s end-line study, 87.6 percent of households are now involved in year-round production of at least three micro-nutrient rich foods that the project promoted, which is a significant achievement, particularly given that before the project this was only 10 percent, and this has far surpassed the target set at 50 percent. Furthermore, 78.4 percent of households now have year- round homestead gardens compared to 48 percent from the baseline and there has been an increase of those engaged in fruit trees from 67.9 percent at baseline to 87.1 percent. Demand for bio-fortified crops and indigenous Page 11 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) vegetables within and outside project impact area - especially for orange maize – has also increased. To cater to this increased demand, as an indirect side/market effect, agro-dealer outlets mushroomed in the project areas to sell seeds, further increasing the visibility of nutritious foods traded on the market. Furthermore, continuous cropping practices using largely drought-resistant varieties have been sustained throughout the year, despite the prevalence of rain-fed cropping and seasonal climactic variations. Households that have increased yields through engaging in winter cropping through Integrated Homestead Farming (IHF) was reported as 50.9 percent compared to 19.6 percent at baseline. Table 2: Summary 2020/21 rain-fed production [on 957 ha of farmland] Crops introduced and No. of Seed used Area planted Production Micro-nutrient composition promoted* beneficiaries (tons) (ha) (tons) Vitamin A Orange Maize 1612 7.5 378.6 1000 (Also: phosphorus, magnesium, potassium) Cowpeas Iron and Zinc 1035 1.4 115 100.6 NUA 45 biofortified beans Iron and Zinc 1612 14.0 175.2 175 Orange fleshed sweet Vitamin A 1474 260.8 163 2037.5 potatoes (also: Calcium and Potassium) Soybeans Potassium, folate, magnesium, calcium, thiamin 1404 10.0 125 109.4 *No baseline data available, therefore change in production level not demonstrated 26. The project resulted in increases in small stock livestock rearing and ownership at the household level (Figure 2), from 29 percent at baseline to 86 percent at end line. The livestock pass-on strategy20 has been instrumental in this and has led to a massive multiplier effect within the project, boosting production even in communities beyond project areas. The project further supported this through the setting up of animal health services by mobilizing and educating community members and setting up of revolving fund schemes for veterinary medicine. Figure 2: Proportion by type of livestock reared at baseline and end-line 27. Various demonstrations and awareness raising campaigns also informed the community on increasing the production of nutrient dense foods (Figure 4). One key contributor to this was CIAT-Harvest Plus which provided 20ANSA’s livestock pass-on (and restocking) strategy/approach entailed providing livestock to project beneficiaries who would then pass on the livestock offspring to other farmers/community members. Page 12 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) technical support and an excellent platform for adolescents to learn about the production (as well as processing) of nutritious food. They were also crucial in ensuring that seed supply chains were functional in the targeted districts. 28. Objective Outcome 2: Increase consumption of nutritious food, among selected female and male youths in targeted project areas. The project has substantially achieved its objective of increasing the consumption of diversified food at the household level through improved access and availability of foods of high nutritive value (such as soybeans, high iron and zinc Beans, OFSP and Vitamin A maize), enabled by project activities that have also improved knowledge from various nutrition education and awareness engagements. Although there were certain intermediate results indicators that were lower than the target value (such as # of IHF gardens established, and # of nutrition campaigns promoted), the overall project design was effective enough such that there were significant changes in consumption behavior, leading to the achievement of this outcome. The percentage of adolescent who are consuming more than 4 food groups has increased from 24 percent to 96 percent, which represents 5770 adolescents, surpassing the target of 4500 individuals. The project has also increased household meal frequencies - the proportion of adolescents consuming 3 meals in a day has increased from 37.3 percent at consumption survey to 69.4 percent at end line, which is notable. This can be attributed to an increase in the number of households practicing IHF (87.6 percent of adolescents produce micronutrient rich food crops promoted by the project compared to 13 percent at baseline), the effects of which have been significant in terms of influencing consumption patterns. Homestead gardens have improved adolescent household access to and knowledge on diversified food, especially nutrient dense vegetables (Figure 3) and also influenced other households to establish homestead gardens within the catchment. As noted through engagements during supervision missions (and subsequently in Aide Memoires), nutrient rich crops that were introduced by the project were widely liked and produced by farmers across the project areas due to the crops’ other favorable characteristics (e.g. early maturing, drought tolerant, and high yielding, as well as taste profiles) beyond their nutrient contents. In addition to the promotion of production of nutrient dense crops, small stock livestock ownership at household level also increased (Figure 2) which played a vital role in increasing access to animal foods/products, enabling households to regularly consume animal protein especially eggs, rabbits and chicken, which are important sources of nutrients required for growth during adolescence. Figure 3: Proportion of adolescents by IHF and micronutrient parameters by baseline and end line 78.9 78.4 87.1 85.7 87.6 100 68.1 67.9 37.6 29 50 % 6 10.2 13 0 IHF Knowledge IHF Practice Homestead garden Fruit trees Small stocks Production of orange (Vit A), maize OFSP, and Biofortified beans IHF and micronutrient parameter Baseline Endline 29. Food consumption was assessed at both household and individual level using the Dietary diversity score tool21. Table 3 shows that there is an increase in both the household dietary diversity score (HDDS) and individual dietary diversity 21 12 food groups were used for the household dietary diversity score indicator and 9 food groups were used to assess the Page 13 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) score (IDDS). At the household level (HDDS), this signals access to more foods than before (i.e. signaling improved food security); at the individual level (IDDS), this indicates that the quality of the diet is increasing (i.e., nutrition adequacy) and that adolescents stand a better chance of meeting their nutrition requirements than before. This assessment was meant to supplement information that can be acquired from the project’s results framework, which indicates that at end of the project, 96% beneficiaries were consuming 4+ food groups. Table 3: Dietary Diversity Indicator Baseline: Mean± SD End-line: Mean± SD Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) 4.5±1.6 7.3±2.3 Individual Dietary Diversity Score (IDDS) 3.8±1.2 5.3±1.8 30. The notable increase in the demand and utilization of nutritious food and small-scale livestock at the household level was also due to the promotion of nutrition education via SBCC campaigns to improve awareness, knowledge and practices on the consumption of diversified diets, and to promote acceptability, including through demonstrations on the preparation of available nutrient-dense foods.22 Individual and group behavioral change on food consumption practices was promoted among adolescents and their households on topics such as nutrition for adolescents, use of biofortified crops, animal-source foods, breastfeeding, maternal health and nutrition, complementary feeding, as well as those that address cultural beliefs affecting women’s and children’s consumption of high nutritive value foods (Figure 4). CIAT-Harvest Plus played a key role in providing technical support, including through over 25 recipes that were demonstrated to youth peer leaders, care group promoters, and extension workers on the utilization of various nutrient dense and biofortified crops promoted by the project. It was notable that the project paid particular attention to the modality of communication, to make it relatable and appealing to adolescents (utilizing youth radio, TV, and talk shows; road shows; posters; brochures; t-shirts; and sports and community drama interventions). In order to promote physical and mental health and social cohesion among adolescents, the project promoted sporting activities and recreation, particularly amongst the 10-14 year-old age group. A total of 36 adolescent youth groups socialized through indoor and outdoor games and activities which created a conducive environment and platform where nutrition and SRH messages were delivered. To encourage participation, competitions were organized among youth groups and trophies and medals awarded. An assessment of food consumption and utilization knowledge revealed that almost all adolescents (99.4 percent) were knowledgeable about the six food groups as per the Malawi National Food Guide, a significant improvement from the consumption study of 26.7 percent. Most adolescents (90 percent) felt that they had the ability to gather the right information to make decisions about food consumption, and nearly 70 percent were now able to consume at least 3 meals/day. Figure 4: Proportion of adolescents by various trainings received under the project micronutrient adequacy of the diet of the adolescents at individual level. 22 CIAT-Harvest Plus, a member of CGIAR, led the campaign to promote bio-fortified/nutritious foods. It delivered its agenda through demonstration field plots, trainings, and nutritious processing. Page 14 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) 90 84.8 79.8 81.7 75.7 80 68 70 52.4 60 50 33.8 % 40 30 20 10 0 Training Focus 31. Objective Outcome 3: Improve access to livelihood opportunities, among selected female and male youths in targeted project areas. Through project activities discussed above that have increased the year-round production and diversification of nutritious crops and livestock, adolescents in Ntchisi and Mwanza have also become economically active and contributed to their household’s improved income, which was not the case before the project when local livelihoods were mainly dependent on maize-based food systems. More specifically, by engaging in IHF, adolescents have been able to sell surplus crop and livestock harvests and the income earned has been used to supplement their household needs as well as invest in VSL schemes promoted by the project, which have proven to be a key source of capital for adolescent entrepreneurs. The project supported the promotion of VSLs through financial literacy training, management of finances, bank account opening, and on savings and loans. Youth participation in trainings and implementation of VSL schemes have improved financial literacy - helping develop a saving culture, increasing overall access to finance, and economically empowering adolescents. These have enabled adolescents in project areas acquire entrepreneurial skills and gain overall confidence and have enabled adolescents to boost their livelihoods and raise capital for financing and make the leap to start small-scale businesses in their communities, as well as purchase nutritious foods and procure further inputs of nutritious crops on their own. This eventually led to over 86% adolescents belonging to functional VSLs (over 143 VSL groups formed, with savings realized annually over $8,200). Through these activities, during the project period, adolescents accumulated a share capital of MK2,958,100.00 (MK2,137,000.00 in Mwanza and MK811,147.00 in Ntchisi). 32. Livelihood opportunities amongst youth (aged 15-19 years) have been further boosted during the project period through a range of other IGAs. The promotion of IGAs was designed to enhance economic empowerment and ensure sustainability of the activities following project closure. While this intervention did not include any capital injection, it entailed interventions financed by the project which included skills trainings and capacity building required for the setting up and management of IGAs. Over 50% of adolescents were actively engaged in various IGAs ranging from nutrition-sensitive farming techniques, apiculture, making and selling sanitary pads, food processing, bakeries, flitters, tearooms, dried fish, hawkers, etc. (Figure 5), helping boost their income and livelihoods directly. The indicator tracking adolescents (aged 15-19 years) engaging in IGAs demonstrates that the project target set at 50 percent was surpassed, with the end line evaluation reporting 85.7 percent of the adolescent Page 15 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) beneficiary groups engaging in IGAs, 76.4 percent of whom reported to have received specific training through ANSA to pursue these IGAs. Figure 5: Types of IGAs that adolescents are engaged in 50 43.4 45 40 35 30 25 21.7 % 20 16.4 15 10 4.2 5.8 3.2 3.2 3.2 5 1.6 0.5 0.5 0 IGA Type Overall Efficacy Rating 33. Overall, achievement of the PDO, or efficacy, is rated as satisfactory as all project outcome areas are considered to have been well delivered, and project performance indicators show that all targets were surpassed (Table 1), despite the challenges presented by the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project also successfully achieved its intended objective through restructuring as it enabled the CIAT-Harvest Plus, a CGIAR entity, to promote the rolling out of nutritious crops in the project areas and conduct strategic demonstrations for the production and processing of nutrient-dense and biofortified crops, which served as an invaluable learning ground for adolescents and their households. Overall, there was great interest and excitement amongst youth about the project which prompted strong ownership, evidenced by the fact that activities are still being implemented even after project closure. The total number of beneficiary female and male youths, aged 10-19 years, participating in the project exceeded the set target of 6000, at 6061. The excess of the targeted beneficiary level underscores the unmet demand - many adolescents were interested to be part of the project beneficiaries. EFFICIENCY Assessment of Efficiency and Rating 34. The overall efficiency can be considered substantial, based on a simple cost effectiveness assessment that was undertaken by an independent evaluation. That being said, this section is not intended to be used to assign an efficiency rating, but has been included as supplemental information, beyond what is required of this ICR23. An 23 The simplified ICR template for small grants does not include an Efficiency section. Page 16 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) Economic and Financial Analysis was not conducted at the appraisal stage of the project and therefore there wasn’t a basis for comparison against estimates at the start of the project. 35. An estimate of the cost-per-beneficiary that the project accrued over the course of implementation revealed a ratio of 1: US$557. This took into consideration the resources the project had invested for community mobilization, capacity development, and direct investments in adolescents through the procurement of agricultural inputs, livestock, sanitary pads, nutritional supplements, demonstration plots and income generating activities. Total expenditures under Component 2 of the project showed that US$1,669,743.52 was spent on the targeted 3000 adolescents in the 15-19 year age category who were involved in the production of crops and livestock. 36. An estimate of the benefit-per-beneficiary calculated using the monetary gains of a single cropping season revealed a benefit ratio of 1: US$544. This was determined by quantifying benefits in terms of small stock livestock production in a single 2020/2021 cropping season, for which there was 85.7 percent ownership amongst the beneficiary group. Various project reports show that a total of 5826 goats were procured and passed on to over 900 households at a market value of US$33.62; 7121 rabbits were passed on to 900 households at market value of US$4.60; and 17603 chickens were passed on to 1650 households at US$4.60. The combined value of livestock and crops was estimated at MK1,335,000,000.00 (US$1,632,029.34). 37. Therefore, the unit cost of the beneficiary of the project was valued at US$557 and the benefit that each 15-19 year-old adolescent derives from the production of crops and livestock and accompanied knowledge and skills was valued at US$544. These results indicate that the benefit-cost ratio of the project is substantial particularly since the analysis is based on the benefits derived in one cropping season compared to the cost that spans three years of the project cycle. Considering the substantial spillover benefits (including those that can be attributed to project interventions such as VSLs, livestock pass-on schemes, and community assets from environmental safeguards interventions) that the project has attained, the real value of the benefits is estimated to be well above this threshold. 38. The project has significantly improved the overall production and consumption of nutritious food amongst adolescents and their households in the project areas. It has also equipped targeted youth with skills via trainings and demonstrations to enhance their livelihood opportunities. This combination of benefits has contributed to adolescents’ improved health and nourishment and increased school attendance rates following adoption of nutritious diets, and for adolescent girls, an overall reduction in school dropout rates has been reported in particular due to increased access to sanitary pads. The project also achieved both intended and unintended institutional and social benefits, including but not limited to, (i) strengthened seed supply chains through agro-dealer systems; (ii) improved access to local mediation and justice services through Grievance Redress Mechanisms; (iii) strengthened local institutions (for example, District Councils, and other decentralized institutions such as the District Agriculture Extension Committee (DAEC) and the District Nutrition Coordinating Committee (DNCC)) through various capacity building interventions and joint implementation arrangements. 39. The overall efficiency can be considered substantial as the cost effectiveness analysis demonstrates significant economic results as compared to project expenditures. In addition, ANSA-promoted interventions, including homestead gardens are still operational; crops introduced and promoted by the project have continued to be Page 17 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) consumed and sold24; project introduced IGAs and VSLs are still functional; livestock and seed pass-on schemes are still active; and GRMs are operational. Overall Outcome Rating 40. The overall outcome is rated satisfactory based on the following reasons: ▪ The relevance of the PDO is rated high at appraisal and remained so at project closure. ▪ Efficacy is rated high as the project exceeded most its outcome targets, as confirmed during the final end line evaluation. ▪ Efficiency rating is not being taken into consideration in the overall outcome rating since this section is supplemental, shared for information purposes only. Other Outcomes and Impacts Gender 41. The project reached 4500 female youth, aged 10- 19 years, as direct beneficiaries, reaching 100 percent of the target. Female youth were encouraged to actively participate in project activities and meetings were held with parents to ensure that they remained supportive of youth – particularly adolescent girls. Local leaders, parents, and youth also received trainings on gender and women rights issues and traditional cultural norms. As a result, adolescent girls’ participation in project interventions remained high throughout the duration of the project. 42. 75.7 percent adolescent girls reported to have been trained on SRH as a part of this project, aimed to help reduce school drop-out rates, early pregnancies, and early marriages. During stakeholder consultations, it also became apparent that girls’ drop-out rates were higher during their menstrual periods and therefore a total of 4,576 beneficiary adolescent girls (as well as 891 non-beneficiaries, due to high demand) were trained in the production of reusable sanitary pads. Capacity building in reusable sanitary pad-making skills have increased adolescent self- confidence and self-esteem and allowed adolescent girls to participate in activities that they would have otherwise missed, including attending school and participating in social and community development activities. 43. It was also observed that capacity building in a range of other IGA activities (see Figure 5) and participation in VSL schemes was key toward the socio-economic empowerment of adolescent girls, helping them raise capital to finance small-scale businesses (including making and selling sanitary pads to their peers), and to be independent and confidently participate in decision-making processes. Beneficiaries have indicated incidences of sexual exploitation, early marriages, and gender-based violence have drastically been reduced in project areas. Institutional Strengthening 24Crop-based interventions, such as increased production of biofortified crops is expected to be fairly sustainable as well because the varieties introduced and promoted by the project (such as Vitamin A fortified orange maize) have attracted demand on the market and as a result, farmers have been able to commercialize their production. Page 18 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) 44. The project had strong ownership of the Government of Malawi, with implementation facilitated by FUM, in a truly multisectoral partnership with a range of government ministries, departments and agencies, including the Department of Nutrition, HIV and AIDS (DNHA), the Ministry of Agriculture Irrigation and Water Development (now two separate Ministries), the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, and the Department of Agricultural Research Services. The project has thus strengthened multi sector coordination. There was strong ownership by local and district level government as well, owing to the fact that the project worked with and was jointly implemented, supervised and managed through the District Councils, and other decentralized institutions such as the DAEC and the DNCC. ANSA has strengthened these local institutions through various capacity building interventions (trainings supporting various extension workers, building on existing government structures and platforms) and the districts have integrated adolescent nutrition issues into their district development plans and budgets. A number of manuals developed under the project have also been adopted by the government and other non-state actors, and now inform various government-led trainings to promote adolescent nutrition and nutrition sensitive agriculture. 45. The involvement of research and academic institutions contributed to knowledge transfer and further institutional strengthening, such as with CIAT-Harvest Plus and Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR). The partnership with CIAT-Harvest Plus has been impactful through the provision of sound technical support (through demonstrations and trainings of youth peer leaders, care group promoters and extension workers) in the production and utilization of various nutritious crops. They were also crucial in ensuring that seed supply chains were functional in the targeted districts. Poverty Reduction and Shared Prosperity 46. The project did not directly measure its impact on poverty levels, but the adoption of improved seed varieties and nutrition-sensitive agricultural practices, including small stock livestock rearing, increased overall production of nutritious food, increased overall food availability, and raised incomes for adolescent youth and their families, thus positively impacting food security and contributing to poverty reduction in the short to medium term. Through the project, 2352 IHFs were established and operational and 245 community stakeholders trained on nutrition-sensitive agriculture practices. Before the project interventions, farmers reported seasonal fluctuations in the production of agricultural goods, experiencing frequent food shortages. The project helped to assure continuous production throughout the seasons as well as an opportunity to sell the surplus. Similarly, incomes increased and implementation support missions revealed that VSL schemes and IGA activities were promoted by the project improved livelihood opportunities and thereby raised the disposable income levels of beneficiary groups and their families. Other unintended outcomes and impacts 47. Improved access to mediation and justice services through GRMs set up by the project has been hugely successful in helping communities not only resolve grievances related to project interventions but has also proven invaluable in helping communities resolve issues unrelated to the project. A total of 84 grievances were resolved, without having to resort to an upper committee. Committee members have been trained and equipped with skills in case- handling and -recording; and these structures have continued to operate beyond the project period. The GRMs have Page 19 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) been adopted by the community beyond the project areas as a community-owned initiative for resolving general issues and are expected to continue to serve as communal courts even after project closure. 48. Effective Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPDM) practices promoted by the project, that employ cultural, physical, and biological approaches (with chemical as a last resort) have helped communities control pests and diseases and have been the approach that is being replicated and adopted at a wider level, beyond the project areas. 49. An increased demand for biofortified seeds was another positive unintended outcome of the project. The project demonstrated that there is a real opportunity to set up structures to work with seed supply companies and agro- dealers to ensure the seed supply chains are functioning within the impact areas. 50. An overall reduction in school dropout rates amongst adolescent girls were observed in the project areas, owing to project activities such as trainings on the production of sanitary pads and due to increased confidence in girls through their engagement and empowerment via VSLs and IGAs, along with an increased ability to purchase school supplies due to supplemental incomes. III. KEY FACTORS THAT AFFECTED IMPLEMENTATION AND OUTCOME A. KEY FACTORS DURING PREPARATION 51. Project design: The project was conceptually well-designed, enabling it to achieve its PDOs. The project received a preparatory advance as well as constructive technical advice from JSDF which was helpful during the project design phase. As a pilot project, ANSA interventions were designed to build a model for and provide evidence of an effective community-based and community-driven nutrition-sensitive agriculture approach for the Government of Malawi and other development partners to scale-up. The project was also strongly aligned with various government, World Bank, and development partner strategies to improve food and nutrition security outcomes. A crucial step during the design process was conducting wide stakeholder consultations and mapping, including at the grassroot level to determine priorities and avoid any duplication of activities with other players. Another strong design element was the inclusion of CIAT-Harvest Plus, to strengthen science-based implementation, quality of demonstrations, access to biofortified seeds, and to bring international experience with a pro-private sector orientation. These partnerships were also pertinent in adjusting project interventions to better manage the increased demand for inputs such as improved seeds. The project would have further benefited from including explicit input supply chain management considerations in its design (in particular seed) during preparation. The project design at appraisal also could have benefited from an indication of VSL group processes. The project’s several innovative features enhanced the overall design strength (including the choice of target beneficiary group, inclusive and age-appropriate youth platforms, and the use of digital M&E approaches, amongst others). Page 20 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) 52. Risk and mitigation measures: Most potential risks were adequately identified, and proper mitigation measures were put in place at entry. This is also true of social/environmental and financial management risks which were rated satisfactory at appraisal as well as towards closure of the project. B. KEY FACTORS DURING IMPLEMENTATION 53. Amongst the key factors that contributed to the project outcomes during implementation, the commitment and engagement of local stakeholders, including parents and guardians, community members, and local leaders had the greatest positive impact. The project was implemented through a community-based approach, with government stakeholders at the district level, using decentralized agricultural and nutrition extension structures. Through this collaborative approach, the project benefited from government resources from the District Councils, such as expertise and physical resources such as vehicles. There was strong commitment from local leaders who were instrumental in project implementation where they provided land for the demonstrations through voluntary land donation arrangements. The commitment and engagement of parents, guardians, and the broader community also contributed to achievement of project outcomes. Parents and guardians helped their children with the construction of livestock structures and were instrumental in helping take care of both livestock and crops when adolescents were attending school. Most adolescents sourced the initial VSL capital and other farm inputs not provided for by the project from their parents/guardians. Another factor that aided project implementation was the fact that FUM was involved in implementing another WB project – i.e. the Support for Nutrition Intervention Component (SNIC) of the Malawi Nutrition and HIV/AIDS Project (P125237) - and therefore demonstrated good technical experience and knowledge of WB procedures. 54. The project had a number of community-based approaches that helped in the effective adoption of project activities: (i) Care group models proved to be an excellent way to empower community members to help change behaviors and demonstrated a strong multiplier effect, at low cost and within a short period of time, reaching beyond the target beneficiary groups within the community; they limited the workload of project volunteers, while parents and guardians respected and trusted promoters, which enhanced the effectiveness of the project; (ii) Peer-to-peer learning was central to the project delivery approach, and played a key role in cultivating confidence amongst adolescents and their families in adopting/replicating behavioral changes to improve the production and consumption of nutritious foods and engage in alternative livelihood opportunities. 55. The project experienced a number of unexpected exogenous shocks, which impacted implementation of the project. The COVID-19 pandemic affected the implementation of project activities. Due to the pandemic, activities that would have required larger gatherings, such as nutrition open days, road shows, field days, and sporting activities were either ceased or in some cases conducted in smaller clusters and outdoor venues. The government’s COVID-19 preventive measures restricted travel, and therefore monitoring field visits could not be conducted in person, but were virtually managed. Pest and disease attacks reduced overall yield on some crops - most maize fields were attacked by fall army worm and cut worm, while there were aphids in beans. The project implemented IPDM practices, ensuring continuous sensitizing of households on the use Page 21 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) of biological and physical methods of controlling pests and diseases, which helped mitigate the effects of these infestations. IV. BANK PERFORMANCE, COMPLIANCE ISSUES, AND RISK TO DEVELOPMENT OUTCOME A. QUALITY OF MONITORING AND EVALUATION 56. The project’s M&E system had a special function of evaluating the pilot, which it did well. The overall quality of project M&E is rated as high, based on its innovative design, implementation, and utilization. M&E Design 57. The project included a sound Monitoring and Evaluation system with a set of key indicators to measure outputs and outcomes and a functional and innovative real time data collection and tracking system using smartphones. The system was twofold: (i) a web-based M&E system and (ii) the tracking of progress through a baseline study, a mid-term review (MTR), an end-of-project evaluation, and a consumption survey that tracked key consumption results indicators. The project’s overall RF was simple but effective. It included four outcome indicators to assess the achievement of the PDOs. Intermediate outcome indicators were aligned with intermediate outcomes and component outputs. The indicators were well-defined and sound methods to track them were established. The M&E framework established a baseline - based on the readiness M&E assessment that was conducted during the project preparation phase - for the PDO and all the intermediate results indicators to develop a results framework and as a basis for monitoring progress and achievement of results. A key design feature of the project’s M&E framework was a participatory monitoring approach that engaged beneficiaries in the routine monitoring of the project – peer leaders at the community level were empowered and trained to transmit data to project facilitators who forwarded it onwards to the project M&E officer. An innovative tracking system using smartphones provided a simple yet effective way to collect monitoring data at field level and transmit it, ensuring easy access including for detailed trend analyses. A few elements would have further benefited the overall M&E design: (i) additional gender disaggregation: while the PDO specifically defines the gender focus, only one in four PDO indicators includes a breakdown for girls, and none of the relevant intermediate results indicators have a gender breakdown; (ii) additionally, the project would have benefited from a direct production or income measure; (iii) it would have been insightful to also capture impacts on-the-ground, post project closure, given that a number of project activities are still active and sustained (such as kitchen gardens that have been ensuring year-round production of nutritious foods; pass on seed and livestock programs; GRM mechanisms, etc.). M&E Implementation 58. The implementing agency, FUM, managed the project M&E implementation activities. An M&E officer was recruited specifically for the project, reporting directly to the Project Manager for the project and who liaised with M&E teams and contributors at the community level as part of the participatory monitoring strategy. The team consolidated the data into a single RF, while ensuring consistency in data capturing and reporting. The project front-line workers also captured and uploaded real time data through the use of District Health Information System (DHIS2). Page 22 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) 59. FUM provided regular detailed reports every 3 months, and project implementation progress reports were documented quarterly which were consolidated into annual progress reports. These reports maintained data consistency and integrity throughout implementation. The project surveys helped to update the status on various indicators in the RF and provided good input into the Bank’s implementation support missions which allowed for exchange of experience and learning, particularly through field visits. An MTR was conducted to assess lessons learned with district stakeholders and to make necessary adjustments in the overall implementation plan. The end of project review with an associated implementation completion report was completed by an external consulting agency to assess cumulative project achievements in relation to the established baseline study. FUM also conducted a self-evaluation/completion review at project closing. The quality of these reviews was sound and provided guidance to the team as well as an evaluation of overall performance. 60. In addition to these features, project monitoring/oversight was also aided by a Project Steering Committee (PSC) structure that was in place and functional during the project implementation; workshop/dissemination activities that were carried out; and a strong complaints and feedback mechanism that was in place. M&E Utilization 61. The M&E activities concentrated on monitoring and reporting the results indicators as per the RF, contributing to the generation, organization, and review of the M&E data, as well as the preparation of the end-project documentation. Overall, the M&E framework was well-utilized throughout the project life cycle, as a reporting tool to inform the Bank task team and the project implementation team on progress in terms of PDOs and intermediate results and alerted the teams on areas where progress was lagging. The M&E utilization could have been further improved by having it disseminated to government or other development partners, informing them on the feasibility of replication or scale up for potential roll-out. Overall Rating of Quality of M&E 62. The overall M&E quality is rated as high, given its innovative features that ensured efficiencies and tackled unexpected challenges. The framework was also well-utilized throughout the project duration as evidenced above. The M&E design was robust enough to effectively track progress and inform the team during implementation and to capture overall impacts. The project had strong M&E capacity and included a digital platform as well as a midline evaluation, a consumption survey and end line evaluations. The overall M&E process met with a few minimal challenges, such as the slightly delayed provisional baseline survey, which did not affect the final baseline data, collected with a preparatory grant during project preparation. Yet another challenge was the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which hampered the monitoring and collection of data; however, the use of online smartphone M&E system was a handy, highly effective innovation to overcome this and continue to transmit data during the pandemic. Given that ANSA was designed as a pilot, a robust M&E system is particularly relevant in terms of facilitating replicability/scale-up. Page 23 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) B. ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND FIDUCIARY COMPLIANCE Environmental and Social Compliance 63. The overall implementation of environmental and social safeguards is rated satisfactory. Environmental and Social Management Plans were developed for the two districts of Ntchisi and Mwanza and implemented in collaboration with the district councils. 64. The project’s environmental safeguards management approach included awareness and sensitization workshops, meetings and trainings. Adolescents received regular trainings in good agricultural practices, composite manure making and the safe use and handling of pesticides to minimize land degradation and water pollution. The project promoted a range of activities to minimize the potential negative impacts of project activities on the environment. This included afforestation and natural tree regeneration interventions in both districts. Under this initiative, 38 woodlot sites (25 in Ntchisi and 13 in Mwanza) have been established covering an area of 19.5ha (8.5ha in Ntchisi and 11ha in Mwanza). In addition, the project has planted 20,204 fruit trees (mangoes, avocados, pawpaw, and bananas) and the district has pledged to continue tree-planting activities beyond the project’s life. The project also promoted soil and water conservation to minimize surface runoffs and soil erosion. The project also promoted Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPDM) practices which was largely embraced by adolescents. Specifically, these promoted physical and biological means of controlling pests and diseases, with the minimal use of synthetic chemicals employed only as a last resort. The project also trained adolescents on the use of organic manure to avoid/minimize the use of chemical fertilizers in their gardens. 65. In terms of social safeguards, awareness raising campaigns on sexual exploitation, SRH rights, and relevant life skills were conducted to decrease/prevent cases of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), to improve awareness amongst both adolescent boys and girls, and to empower adolescent girls, who were mostly the victims of gender-based violence. Campaigns on COVID-19 prevention measures were also introduced. The project established GRM structures and the committee members were trained such that 253 GRC members (of which 43 percent were women) were equipped to resolve grievances at the community level. Project beneficiaries and other stakeholders actively used the project’s GRM system to file their grievances and complaints during project implementation and the GRM committees established in each village were able to record, handle and resolve all grievances within the recommended 14-day grievance resolution period. The project did not register any GBV incidents during its implementation period. Reported concerns/grievances ranged from livestock theft, crop theft in mother demonstration plots, death of livestock, and delays in passing on the livestock to secondary beneficiaries. The GRMs have been adopted beyond the project areas as a community- owned initiative for resolving general issues. Financial Management 66. The project’s overall Financial Management (FM) has been satisfactory, with appropriate fiduciary arrangements having been established and fulfilled. The project disbursed US$2.73 million, or 99.8 percent, with cumulative expenditures at 98 percent. All project commitments to suppliers were honored. Overall, Page 24 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) the project implemented a number of strategies to maximize the use of resources, including utilizing already existing institutional structures; strong coordination with implementing stakeholders; use of government departments and their resources as well as harmonization of other available resources; and strong community mobilization for efficient reach and resilience of project investments. 67. The project relied on FUM staff for overall financial management, which comprised of a well-staffed accounting unit with an experienced financial expert, supported by a team. The Bank’s supervision missions reviewed the project’s financial management, including its compliance with Bank policies, on a regular basis. There was a timely submission of sound audit reports, with no outstanding issues. The final external audit report was submitted in December 2021. Procurement 68. The project’s overall procurement management performance was satisfactory and contributed to the achievement of the PDOs. All scheduled procurement activities are noted as having been completed by the project closing date of December 31, 2021. Procurement performance progressively improved throughout implementation, owing to the close involvement and guidance provided by the Bank task team. The final contract was the final financial audit which has been completed. 69. FUM submitted regular updated procurement plans to the Bank, and updates were tracked via procurement documents that were uploaded in the Systematic Tracking of Exchanges in Procurement (STEP) system. The documents were expected to present a complete paper trail during implementation. However, it was observed that the activity status in the system was sometimes not updated because supporting procurement documents weren’t always uploaded in a timely manner. Despite this minor setback, overall procurement risk remained moderate throughout the project life cycle. No mis-procurement was declared in the project, and no integrity, corruption, or complaint cases were reported. C. BANK PERFORMANCE 70. Overall World Bank performance has been satisfactory, in terms of quality at entry and during supervision. Quality at Entry 71. The Bank task team employed due diligence in basing the project on a solid diagnostic foundation of Malawi’s development priorities, which remained highly relevant throughout the project period. Furthermore, the project embraced adaptive principles of project execution, particularly to deal with implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic. At entry, the team undertook comprehensive consultations with stakeholders to foster strong ownership, conducted a detailed mapping to determine gaps, and utilized advance funds to ensure required processes were complete before project appraisal. The World Bank team also worked to ensure that the project built on the lessons learned from past engagements on related nutrition sensitive agriculture programming, particularly, the Support for Nutrition Intervention Component (SNIC) of the Malawi Nutrition and HIV/AIDS Project (P125237), ASWAp and APPSA projects in Malawi. As an integrated multisectoral approach, health and SRH interventions (including awareness-raising efforts, trainings, Page 25 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) dissemination of deworming and IFA tablets) were included as core project activities, but by design the outcomes relating to these interventions were not intended to be captured in the PDO or its indicators, instead allowing the focus at the PDO level to be on improved consumption, production, and livelihoods. Quality at Supervision 72. The World Bank team showed a high level of commitment to the project under the leadership of the current Task Team Leader who took on supervision of the project which was implemented by FUM. The task team conducted implementation support missions and technical missions, ensuring timely and dedicated attention in addressing technical, safeguards, and fiduciary issues including during COVID-19, when these were switched to virtual missions. Cross sectoral collaboration with the Health, Nutrition and Population GP was strong, and the implementation support missions repeatedly comprised high-level expertise from the World Bank as well as social and environmental safeguards, gender, and nutrition specialists, and M&E experts. The project had the same TTL from design to project completion, allowing continuity in leadership and an opportunity to reflect on experiences and achievements along the way, and allowing for necessary adjustments where needed. Timely use of data – baseline, consumption survey, midline and end evaluations – aided to inform effective implementation as well. In addition, the proactiveness of the task team to adjust and adapt during project implementation – for example through the restructuring and during COVID-19 – further aided sound implementation support. The turnaround of results bears witness to the high quality of implementation support shown from Bank management and the project team and task team members. It is also commendable that the project was able to disburse 100 percent of all project funds and required no extensions of the closing date. Overall Rating of Bank Performance 73. Overall World Bank performance is rated satisfactory. This is justified by the overall quality of Bank performance at entry (during project preparation) and supervision/implementation. The Bank supported the implementation team in adapting to challenges encountered during the various stages of the project, and the Bank’s constant support significantly contributed to the achievement of most of the expected project results. Risk to Development Outcome and Sustainability 74. Overall, the development outcome of the project is likely to be achieved and the risks to development outcomes is estimated to be low. The main risks to the development outcome are related to the sustainability of the interventions after the end of the project, despite the specific design and implementation measures (as elaborated in the paragraphs below) that have been put in place to address this: 75. Strong government ownership at local and national level: The project worked with and was implemented through the District Councils, using decentralized agricultural and nutrition extension structures (i.e., the District Agriculture Extension Stakeholders Panel and the District Nutrition Coordinating Committee) at the local level such as the DAEC and the DNCC, fostering strong ownership by local government, which is key for sustainability. The districts have since integrated adolescent nutrition issues into the District Development Planning System which is an assurance that adolescent nutritional issues will likely be fully integrated into Page 26 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) future district annual budgets and benefit from national budgets. ANSA was also strongly aligned with a number of key policies and programs of the Government of Malawi, which has enabled strong ownership by sector ministries that appreciate that the project assisted in the implementation of their sector policies. The project was showcased at various fora (such as the Scaling up Nutrition (SUN) global gathering) as a government flagship towards promoting adolescent nutrition and demonstrating how adolescents can play a key role in furthering nutritional outcomes at the local level. At SUN learning forums, the project was recognized as a best practice to inform scale up25 with partners such as UNICEF adopting the model and initiating scale-up in other districts. 76. The strategic utilization of - and investments in - existing platforms and local structures: The project invested in district and community level institutions26, coordinating committees, local leaders, parent groups, etc. at various levels of implementation and played an active role in supporting relevant operations for service delivery and community mobilization. This enabled partners to effectively implement their mandates, which is key to the sustainability of the project interventions. The project also fostered networks that have connected various existing structures (for both service support and technical guidance) at both communal and district levels – a move that greatly benefited the project through access to shared resources and facilities, such transport and technical help. Furthermore, the project has helped form strategic partnerships amongst various stakeholders, the results of which are expected to be carried through beyond the lifecycle of the project, including amongst CIAT-Harvest Plus, the Department of Agricultural Research services (DARS), the Department of Agricultural Extension Services (DAES), the DNHA, and the Department of Reproductive Health Unit (DRHU). 77. Effective – and still functional – local structures and programs: At the intervention level, a number of thoughtfully designed project activities have enabled continuity. Overall, project interventions were largely low-tech and community-based, and utilized locally accessible materials, resources, and community structures. These mechanisms such as - care groups, and those for GRM - are still well-equipped to continue to adapt for future needs and have continued to exist in the project areas past the project closure. Other examples are pass-on strategies for both improved seed and livestock, specifically promoted to ensure sustainable future supplies. The livestock pass-on strategy had an impressive multiplier effect within the project areas, its success also derived from the set-up of support structures (such as for access to veterinary medicine) and prior training of the beneficiaries. Nurseries for fruit and tree seedlings were established in project areas to address supply-side issues. The continuation of expert technical extension to beneficiary groups can be partially sustained due to the fact that CIAT-Harvest Plus helped put in place a national training- of-trainers team for further promoting capacity on biofortification and nutrition sensitive agriculture, which has cascaded to district level, and is fully functional. 78. Capacity-building of project beneficiaries on various skills: The project has engaged in capacity building interventions ranging from nutrition-sensitive farming techniques, apiculture, making and selling sanitary pads, and food processing - which beneficiaries can draw upon beyond the project time frame, and which 25 During the SUN 3.0 launched by the President of Malawi, the project was showcased to inform adolescent nutrition, with commitments made by youth towards addressing malnutrition 26 such as DAES, DNCC, ANCC, ACLAN, GRC and VNCC Page 27 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) have the potential to sustain adolescent socio-economic empowerment. Financial literacy exposure and education amongst beneficiaries have enabled the project’s sustainability, as VSL-enabled households can continue to access supplemental incomes to facilitate access to inputs needed in agricultural production and engage in small-scale businesses in their communities, enabling self-sufficiency and sustainability. It has been shown that VSLs have also had a spillover effect in non-beneficiary villages and households as these have demonstrated relatively expeditious economic gains in terms of enhanced incomes. 79. Although there were measures that helped enable sustainability, there may be a few interventions that may need further considerations post project closure, such as: (i) how to ensure the formation and continuation of beneficiary groups, particularly for those amongst the 10-14 year old group that will transition/graduate to the higher age group; and (ii) how to sustain the continued dissemination of deworming and IFA supplements; the VSL groups and expansion to graduating age groups; and the continued engagement of community development facilitators at district level which were facilitated by ANSA. 80. The government intends to mainstream activities similar to ANSA interventions to further nutritional outcomes in their budget, yet this will depend on the availability of competing public resources and budgetary allocations for a follow-on or replication or scale-up operation. Despite this risk, there is evidence of interest in scaling up these efforts in other regions. A testament to this has been the fact that FUM will be implementing a UNICEF-funded Scaling Up Nutrition Project in Malawi, building on the lessons learned though ANSA. 81. Another risk to the achievement of the anticipated development outcomes are exogenous factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic which has already resulted in increased vulnerability and has adversely affected rural communities, along with the increased frequency of Climate Change events to which Malawi remains highly exposed and vulnerable. Similar occurrences would hamper or reverse anticipated project development outcomes. V. LESSONS LEARNED AND RECOMMENDATIONS 82. Due to the nature and special role of ANSA as a pilot initiative, particular focus has been placed on learning lessons from the innovative features of the project and informing roll-out/scale-up and replication including through future Bank operations. Below are a few key lessons learned: 83. Specifically targeting adolescents facilitated faster acceptance, adoption, and consumption of micro- nutrient rich foods crops by households, generating a shift in behavior within the community: A key innovative feature of ANSA has been the choice of target beneficiary group – i.e., adolescents in the 10-19 age group – which has been a contingent that has not constituted primary beneficiaries in most agriculture and nutrition interventions. In particular, adolescent girls are routinely missing from malnutrition interventions, despite critical nutrition indicators. A key lesson from this project has been that adolescents are quick adopters and catalysts for change and can play a key role in influencing behavioral changes in their community. Through the ANSA project, adolescents actively participated in the production, processing and Page 28 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) utilization/consumption of nutritious foods. It helped that the project targeted youth through a community- based approach and fostered peer-to-peer learning, by mobilizing youth in age-appropriate groups and supporting them with trainings and start-up inputs for micro-nutrient rich food and small-scale livestock, as well as IGAs and VSLs – all of which also boosted confidence and a sense of ownership. In general, adolescents present a unique opportunity in reversing malnutrition trends, particularly if approached through holistic programs that can increase knowledge and empowerment and induce behavioral change towards the consumption of a diversified diet (in addition to investments towards increasing availability of nutritious food) - this is key to informing future Bank engagements of this nature. 84. Increasing the production of nutritious foods (i.e., increasing availability) is not enough of a catalyst for impact in terms of improving nutritional outcomes: The project demonstrated that awareness and access barriers exist in addressing malnutrition, and it is therefore important to fill knowledge gaps on good practices and to bridge utilization gaps on access to nutrition-related services. The project showed that improving nutrition is a complex task involving boosting year-round production of nutritious crops paired with changing various behaviors (including nutritional, health, sanitation, and other practices) among different population groups (such as adolescents, parents, young mothers, community leaders) at different levels (household and community levels), to improve adolescent household food availability, dietary diversity, and financial security. ANSA implemented an integrated package to enhance production, consumption/utilization and livelihood opportunities (IGAs, and VSLs, etc.) which proved to be an effective approach, which future similar programs can integrate. This approach could be further enhanced with improved advocacy and input supply chain management features. 85. It is critical to establish multi-stakeholder, multi-sectoral convergence and ownership to improve nutrition outcomes. Strong multi-sectoral collaboration and partnerships in project implementation – for e.g., amongst government sectors, local leaders, research and academic institutes – fosters strong project ownership, implementation efficiency, and assures sustainability of investments. This project not only demonstrated the importance of engaging government and local partners in implementing projects but also the ways in which this engagement can occur to increase efficiency and sustainability, including through the use of existing structures. As a result, local leadership is now empowered to manage and own the project which has essentially been mainstreamed within the government structures. Adolescent nutrition strategies are now integrated within district councils through district implementation plans, and include specific interventions on SRH, livelihoods, literacy skills, and recreation. 86. The sourcing of third-party technical expertise can be key to ensuring sound interventions that are sustainable. As a CGIAR leader in promoting biofortified foods, CIAT-Harvest Plus enabled the setting up of strategic demonstrations targeting youth groups as centers of learning/innovation to promote production and utilization of nutritious foods. It also put in place a national training of trainers team for further promoting capacity on biofortification and nutrition sensitive agriculture, and this cascaded to district level, and is fully functional. Furthermore CIAT-Harvest Plus supported the project to ensure increased private sector participation that responded to increased demand created by nutritious crops promoted by the project. The establishment of various agro-dealer outlets were facilitated (without direct project support), that continue to provide access to improved biofortified seeds of crops promoted by the project. Page 29 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) 87. Support in designing and setting up community -based and -led structures fosters the adoption – and sustainability – of project interventions. This was demonstrated by how mechanisms that empowered community members that were established by ANSA (and supported through capacity building activities) - such as peer-to-peer learning, GRM structures, seed and livestock pass-through schemes, and care groups - all of which are community-based and community-led - have sustained and continue to actively serve communities in the project areas of Ntchisi and Mwanza. These mechanisms are still actively managed by the community and have allowed youth beneficiaries to participate in decision making processes, and gain better ownership of the project. These very practices have also seen a strong multiplier effect, expanding to communities beyond the project areas - this is key to informing future Bank engagements of this nature. 88. ANSA as a pilot demonstrated the importance of pilot projects of this nature being linked with active country portfolios and anchored to ongoing/pipeline investment projects (to facilitate scale up). It also highlights the importance of pilot projects explicitly articulating in their PDOs the intent “to test� approaches/ideas, so that the focus shifts to extracting lessons - from the models being piloted and tested - for future viability and replicability. Along with this goes the need for pilot initiatives – as a best practice – to also build robust M&E systems that can inform replicability/scale-up. In addition to built-in systems to link ANSA (as a pilot) to country/thematic portfolios, active engagement with the Malawi country team has ensured that lessons learnt from ANSA have already informed ongoing operations such as ASWAp SP II (which includes integration of nutrition as key technology promoted under the model villages), and AGCOM which is expected to place emphasis on youth engagement in agricultural commercialization. . Page 30 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) ANNEX 1. RESULTS FRAMEWORK AND KEY OUTPUTS A. RESULTS INDICATORS A.1 PDO Indicators Unit of Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Baseline Original Target Measure Target Completion Number of adolescent female Number 0.00 4500.00 5717.00 and male youth aged 10-19 years reporting consumption of 06-Apr-2018 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 four or more micronutrient rich foods in previous 24 hours Comments (achievements against targets): Unit of Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Baseline Original Target Measure Target Completion Proportion of beneficiary Percentage 13.00 50.00 87.60 groups reporting year round production of at least three 06-Apr-2018 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 micro-nutrient rich foods Page 31 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) Comments (achievements against targets): Unit of Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Baseline Original Target Measure Target Completion Proportion of beneficiary Percentage 0.00 50.00 85.70 groups (aged 15-19 years) engaging in IGAs 28-May-2018 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Comments (achievements against targets): Unit of Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Baseline Original Target Measure Target Completion Number of beneficiary female Number 0.00 6000.00 6061.00 and male youths aged 10-19 years participating in the 06-Apr-2018 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 project Number of female youth Number 0.00 4500.00 4500.00 adolescents participating in the project 06-Apr-2018 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Comments (achievements against targets): Page 32 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) A.2 Intermediate Results Indicators Component: Component 1: Community mobilization and capacity building to enhance nutrition sensitive agriculture Unit of Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Baseline Original Target Measure Target Completion Number of youth groups Number 0.00 300.00 321.00 established 06-Apr-2018 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Comments (achievements against targets): Unit of Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Baseline Original Target Measure Target Completion Number of youth peer leaders Number 0.00 300.00 321.00 established by the project 06-Apr-2018 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Comments (achievements against targets): Unit of Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Baseline Original Target Measure Target Completion Number of model gardens Number 0.00 300.00 1985.00 Page 33 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) established and operational 06-Apr-2018 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Comments (achievements against targets): Unit of Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Baseline Original Target Measure Target Completion Number of district and Number 0.00 80.00 245.00 community stakeholders trained on nutrition sensitive 06-Apr-2018 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 agriculture Comments (achievements against targets): Unit of Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Baseline Original Target Measure Target Completion Number of training manuals Number 0.00 3.00 4.00 developed by the project on adolescent nutrition 06-Apr-2018 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Comments (achievements against targets): Unit of Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Baseline Original Target Measure Target Completion Page 34 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) Number of IEC materials Number 0.00 23000.00 25000.00 produced and promoted by the project 06-Apr-2018 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Comments (achievements against targets): Component: Component 2: Strengthening production and consumption of nutritious foods Unit of Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Baseline Original Target Measure Target Completion Number of beneficiaries Number 0.00 6000.00 3352.00 involved in livelihood activities promoted by the project 06-Apr-2018 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Comments (achievements against targets): Unit of Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Baseline Original Target Measure Target Completion Number of nutrition campaigns Number 0.00 64.00 38.00 promoted by the project 06-Apr-2018 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Comments (achievements against targets): Page 35 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) Unit of Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Baseline Original Target Measure Target Completion Number of lesson learning Number 0.00 6.00 4.00 events 06-Apr-2018 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Comments (achievements against targets): Unit of Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Baseline Original Target Measure Target Completion Number of female adolescents Number 0.00 4500.00 4348.00 receiving iron folic acid supplements 06-Apr-2018 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Comments (achievements against targets): Component: Component 3: Project Management and Administration, M&E and Knowledge Management Unit of Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Baseline Original Target Measure Target Completion Number of lesson learning Number 0.00 6.00 4.00 events 06-Apr-2018 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Comments (achievements against targets): Page 36 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) Unit of Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Baseline Original Target Measure Target Completion Percentage of targeted Percentage 0.00 75.00 73.00 communities with functional participatory monitoring 06-Apr-2018 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Comments (achievements against targets): Unit of Formally Revised Actual Achieved at Indicator Name Baseline Original Target Measure Target Completion Number of complaints and/or Amount(USD) 0.00 1.00 201.00 feedback mechanisms in place 06-Apr-2018 31-Dec-2021 31-Dec-2021 Comments (achievements against targets): Page 37 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) ORGANIZATION OF THE ASSESSMENT OF THE PDO Objective/Outcome 1: Increase production of nutritious foods, among selected female and male youths in targeted areas 1. % of beneficiary groups reporting year-round production of at least three micro-nutrient rich foods 2. # of beneficiary female and male youths aged 10-19 years Outcome Indicators participating in the project 3. # of female youth adolescents participating in the project 1. # of youth groups established 2. # of youth peer leaders established by the project 3. # of IHF model gardens established and operational Intermediate Results Indicators 4. # of district and community stakeholders trained on nutrition sensitive agriculture 5. # of IHF gardens established in the intervention districts 1. % adolescents with knowledge on integrated household farming 2. % with homestead gardens 3. % with fruits trees at home Key Outputs by Component 4. % involvement in food crop production (15-19) (linked to the achievement of the Objective/Outcome 1) 5. Ownership of small-scale livestock, % 6. Adolescents who practiced irrigation (%) Page 38 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) Objective/Outcome 2: Increase consumption of nutritious foods, among selected female and male youths in targeted areas 1. # of adolescent female and male youth aged 10-19 years reporting consumption of four or more micronutrient rich foods in previous 24 hours 2. % of beneficiary groups reporting year-round production of at Outcome Indicators least three micro-nutrient rich foods 3. # of beneficiary female and male youths aged 10-19 years participating in the project 4. # of female youth adolescents participating in the project 1. # of youth groups established 2. # of youth peer leaders established by the project 3. # of district and community stakeholders trained on nutrition sensitive agriculture 4. # of training manuals developed by the project on adolescent Intermediate Results Indicators nutrition 5. #of nutrition campaigns promoted by the project 6. # of IHF gardens established in the intervention districts 7. # of IEC materials produced and promoted by the project 8. # of female adolescents receiving iron folic acid supplements 1. % adolescents with knowledge on integrated household farming 2. % with homestead gardens 3. % with fruits trees at home 4. Ownership of small-scale livestock, % Key Outputs by Component 5. Average Number of meals per individual per day (linked to the achievement of the Objective/Outcome 2) 6. Whether consumed; OFSP, Cowpeas, Soy, Vit A Maize, Iron Zinc, OFSP (%) 7. Ever attended training (%) 8. Adolescents received nutritional education (%) Page 39 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) 9. Adolescents trained in food processing (%) Objective/Outcome 3: Improve access to livelihood opportunities among selected female and male youths in targeted areas 1. % of beneficiary groups (aged 15-19 years) engaging in IGAs 2. # of beneficiary female and male youths aged 10-19 years Outcome Indicators participating in the project 3. # of female youth adolescents participating in the project 1. # of youth groups established 2. # of youth peer leaders established by the project 3. # of beneficiaries involved in livelihood activities promoted by Intermediate Results Indicators the project 4. # of IEC materials produced and promoted by the project 5. # of lesson learning events 1. % adolescents with knowledge on integrated household farming 2. % with homestead gardens 3. % with fruits trees at home Key Outputs by Component 4. % involvement in food crop production (15-19) (linked to the achievement of the Objective/Outcome 2) 5. Ownership of small-scale livestock, % 6. Adolescents belonging to VSL (%) 7. Ever attended training (%) 8. Adolescents trained in food processing (%) Page 40 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) . ANNEX 2. PROJECT COST BY COMPONENT Amount at Approval Actual at Project Percentage of Approval Components (US$M) Closing (US$M) (US$M) Community mobilisation and capacity building to enhance 380000.00 378166.00 0 nutrition sensitive agriculture Strengthening production and consumption of 1680000.00 1681943.00 0 nutritious foods Project Management and Administration, Monitoring 670000.00 669891.00 0 and Evaluation, and Knowledge Management Total 2,730,000.00 2,730,000.00 0.00 Page 41 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) ANNEX 3. RESULTS FRAMEWORK (FINAL) Project Development Objective Indicators Actual Baseline Actual Indicator Name (November End Target (Oct’2018) (March, 2021) 2021) # of adolescent female and male youth aged 10-19 years 0.00 4033 5717 4500 reporting consumption of four or more micronutrient rich foods in previous 24 hours % of beneficiary groups reporting year-round production 0.00 53% 87.6% 50% of at least three micro-nutrient rich foods % of beneficiary groups (aged 15-19 years) engaging in 14.0 78.5% 85.7% 50% IGAs) # of beneficiary female and male youths aged 10-19 0.00 6061 6061 6000 years participating in the project # of female youth adolescents participating in the project 0.00 4500 4500 4500 Intermediate Results Indicators # of youth groups established 0.00 321 321 300 # of youth peer leaders established by the project 0.00 321 321 300 # of IHF model gardens established and operational 0.00 367 1985 300 27 # of district and community stakeholders trained on 0.00 482 245 80 nutrition sensitive agriculture # of training manuals developed by the project on 0.00 4 0 3 adolescent nutrition # of beneficiaries involved in livelihood activities 0.00 3506 3352 6000 promoted by the project #of nutrition campaigns promoted by the project 0.00 36 38 64 # of IHF gardens established in the intervention districts 0.00 2336 2352 3000 # of IEC materials produced and promoted by the project 0.00 25000 27 28 23000 # of lesson learning events 0.00 4 4 6 # of female adolescents receiving iron folic acid 0.00 4014 4,348 4500 supplements % of targeted communities with functional participatory 0.00 67 73 75 monitoring # of complaints and/or feedback mechanisms in place 0.00 176 201 1 27 Agriculture extension workers 28 Series of radio programmes Page 42 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) ANNEX 4. RECIPIENT, CO-FINANCIER AND OTHER PARTNER/STAKEHOLDER COMMENTS Comments from the Recipient (FUM) The Farmer’s Union of Malawi (client) provided editorial comments to the draft ICR which have all been incorporated in the final version of the report. FUM also prepared a client ICR report, which greatly informed this World Bank ICR. Comments from Financier (JSDF) The JSDF secretariat confirmed that the draft ICR report was of high quality and provided a sound assessment of the project. They noted that ANSA had achieved a lot with the resources provided by the JSDF. The secretariat provided editorial comments and recommended that the ICR capture JSDF’s financing rationale (i.e. articulate that JSDF grants are meant to support pilots which can be scaled up with IDA/IBRD, government or other development partner resources). Comments and suggestions received from JSDF have been incorporated in the final ICR. Page 43 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) ANNEX 5. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS: PROJECT PHOTOGRAPHS Collage 1: Fruit trees provided by the project and tended to by adolescents Collage 2: Small stock livestock and participating adolescent Collage 3: Adolescent (Julio) running a small store in Mwanza and group of adolescents conducting a VSL session Page 44 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) Collage 4: Adolescents and community members shelling orange maize and showcasing OFSP and bean recipe Collage 5: Adolescents demonstrating utilization of nutritious foods: orange maize OFSP recipes Page 45 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) Collage 6: Adolescents demonstrating utilization of nutritious foods: bean paste and local green vegetables Collage 7: Adolescents sewing reusable sanitary pads after training and adolescent (Aness) selling some pads Collage 8: Adolescents engaging in sporting activities as a part of ANSA Page 46 of 47 The World Bank Adolescent Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Pilot Project (P163923) Collage 9: ANSA GRM sessions in action Collage 10: Adolescent (Matilda) and family members enjoying their meal with meat Collage 11: Adolescent (Matilda) grazing her goats in Ntchisi and adolescent (Davie) feeding his pig Page 47 of 47