The World Food Programme (WFP) in collaboration with the Government of Liberia and partners has conducted a two-day Integrated Context Analysis (ICA) technical and programmatic consultation seminar in Monrovia.
Led by the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo-Information Services or LISGIS, in close partnership with three United Nations agencies (FAO, UNICEF and WFP), the Integrated Context Analysis (ICA) Workshop is aimed at strengthening the design, planning and implementation of programmes in resilience building, productive safety nets, disaster-risk reduction and preparedness.
Nearly 100 participants from various institutions, including the Government of Liberia, UN and European Union, among other development partners were in attendance.
The ICA provides for a framework to aggregate data from a wide range of sources, including Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) and Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNet), to inform vulnerability analyses on food security, nutrition and disaster risk reduction, among others.
WFP Liberia’s Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping Associate, Emmanuel Anderson, defined the importance of bringing together different parties to conduct such exercise: “The participation of all stakeholders throughout this exercise is very crucial because the results of the analysis will be essential in properly informing and guiding development plans and programmes to address regular food insecurity and climate-related shocks and risks in the country”.
At the same time, WFP’s National Programme Policy Officer, Amos Ballayan, on behalf of WFP’s Representative and Country Director, Karla Hershey, underscored the relevance of the ICA conference. “This ICA exercise is essential in enabling Liberia to be on par with other countries in the subregion in obtaining the quality data we need to inform our programming activities,” said MrBallayan. “The ICA results are coming during a time when there is serious discussion over climate change and its effects on agriculture production, migration and urban planning being held around the globe.”
Meanwhile, Acting Director of Food Security and Nutrition at the Ministry of Agriculture, TarnueKoiwou, recognized WFP’s role as a reliable partner to the Government in the area of integrated context analysis, food security, and capacity strengthening. Press Release
