Baseline study for the Multisectoral Programme to Reduce Chronic Malnutrition, Irish Aid, Liberia

This baseline study was conducted at the start of the Liberia WASH Consortium’s Irish Aid-funded programme to determine baseline values and start the collection of evidence for advocacy. The intervention is being led by Action Against Hunger Liberia in collaboration with Concern Worldwide and Water Aid Liberia in two countries, Grand Bassa and Montserrado. The main objectives of the baseline study are as follows:

1. To quantifying the distribution of certain variables to characterise the target population at the beginning of the project, to be used as a benchmark to compare against during a future midline and endline
2. To provide contextual understanding of the current vulnerability context
3. To outline and test the assumptions on the causal pathways identified during previous research studies that formed the basis of the project design
4. To serve as a starting point for the learning efforts that will occur throughout the project, outlining both current practices and extracting learning questions

PROCESS

The baseline began with a review of the formative research that formed the basis for the project design, in order to develop data collection tools that reflect the results framework and causal pathways identified in the research. The Action Against Hunger Liberia office facilitated data collection through household surveys, surveys with community health volunteers and focus group discussions with vulnerable community members. Further key informant interviews were conducted with programme and technical staff across the consortium. Data was analysed using thematic coding and Excel. The reporting phase included a validation workshop with the entire consortium.

OUTPUTS

• Inception report
• Baseline study report
• Validation workshop