Measuring impact in order to improve

Working with your on-site teams, what are the most notable recent improvements?

Lukas Reinhard: The focus of our work is on fighting hunger. We succeeded in making improvements in many of our project areas, sometimes despite adverse conditions on the ground. Specifically, around 45,000 people have seen their food situation improve since 2024. With the ‘Guardianes del Páramo’ project in Ecuador, for example, we were able to bring down moderate and severe food insecurity from just under 50 percent to 25 percent. And then, of course, the introduction of the MDDW indicator developed by the FAO and its partners kept me well occupied.

What does this indicator measure?

It measures the dietary diversity of women between the ages of 15 and 49. In many countries of the Global South, women eat a less varied diet because they leave much of their food to the rest of the family or are at a disadvantage in the distribution of food. Together with local experts, we developed corresponding surveys and determined the relevant food groups. The data we collected shows that we have made a good start, and that we now have a solid basis of information for the coming years.

How do large-scale surveys differ from traditional evaluation methods?

We are currently in the process of creating a more comprehensive dataset that is supported internationally and makes it easier to compare results. When it comes to food security, we use the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), a global standard developed by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). But we have also added key topics such as agroecology and gender, as well as seeds and income, to the scale. The result is a modular household survey that can be customised according to the context and project activities.

How exactly is the data collected?

Last year, we surveyed 5,367 households from 17 projects. The interviews are conducted by local staff and partners, together with students from the project regions. No matter how well a survey is set up, the data will only be representative if the questions are understood in the local context. And we aim to make sure that this is the case.

Why is good controlling so important?

First and foremost, we are accountable to the project participants. It is important to know what they think of the work we are doing, and we want to promote this kind of exchange. As an organisation, we are dependent on solid data so we can steer, improve and develop our projects further. And finally, the public and our donors have a right to transparency. Especially in an age of halftruths, we have to have solid facts on our side. Unfortunately, many people do not realise how evidence-based and impact-driven NGOs actually work.