M&E for Agriculture, Food Security, and Livelihoods Projects Course

Introduction

Agriculture, food security, and livelihoods programs play a critical role in reducing poverty, enhancing resilience, and improving the well-being of vulnerable populations. This course equips participants with advanced Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) skills to effectively assess agricultural interventions and food security outcomes in diverse contexts.

The training provides a strong foundation in designing robust M&E systems tailored to agriculture and rural development programs. Participants will learn how to develop indicators that capture productivity, income generation, food availability, nutrition outcomes, and livelihood resilience.

A key focus of the course is on measuring food security dimensions, including availability, access, utilization, and stability. Participants will gain practical skills in applying internationally recognized frameworks such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) approaches and household food security assessment tools.

The course also explores data collection methods specific to agriculture and livelihoods, including farm surveys, value chain analysis, market assessments, and household economic profiling. These approaches help generate reliable evidence for program performance and impact measurement.

Emerging issues such as climate-smart agriculture, digital agriculture monitoring systems, agri-tech innovations, and food systems transformation are integrated into the curriculum. Participants will learn how to incorporate these modern approaches into M&E frameworks for improved decision-making.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to design and implement effective M&E systems for agriculture, food security, and livelihoods programs that support sustainable development, resilience building, and improved food systems.

Who Should Attend

• Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Officers and Specialists
• Agriculture Extension Officers
• Food Security Analysts and Practitioners
• Livelihoods Program Managers
• Rural Development Practitioners
• NGO and Humanitarian Workers
• Government Agriculture Officers
• Climate-Smart Agriculture Specialists
• Researchers in Agriculture and Economics
• Donor and Development Agency Staff
• Value Chain Development Experts

Duration

5 Days

Course Objectives

• Equip participants with the ability to design and implement agriculture-focused M&E systems that effectively measure productivity, income generation, and food security outcomes across diverse agricultural programs.
• Strengthen participants’ skills in developing food security indicators aligned with global frameworks such as FAO and SDG standards for accurate monitoring and evaluation.
• Enable participants to apply advanced data collection techniques such as household surveys, market assessments, and value chain analysis in agriculture and livelihoods programs.
• Build capacity in analyzing agricultural data to generate actionable insights that inform policy, programming, and resource allocation in food security interventions.
• Enhance participants’ ability to assess household livelihoods, income diversification, and resilience strategies within agricultural and rural development contexts.
• Develop competencies in integrating climate-smart agriculture indicators into M&E systems to track sustainability and environmental resilience outcomes.
• Strengthen participants’ understanding of food systems analysis, including production, distribution, consumption, and market linkages in agriculture programs.
• Introduce participants to digital agriculture tools, mobile data collection systems, and agri-tech innovations for improved monitoring and evaluation processes.
• Equip participants with skills to evaluate agricultural value chains and identify gaps, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improved food security outcomes.
• Enable participants to design adaptive M&E systems that support evidence-based decision-making and enhance resilience in agriculture and livelihoods programs.

Comprehensive Course Outline

Module 1: Foundations of Agriculture and Food Security M&E

• Concepts of agriculture and livelihoods M&E
• Food security frameworks and global standards
• Role of M&E in rural development
• Sustainable agriculture and resilience concepts

Module 2: Food Security Measurement Frameworks

• Dimensions of food security (availability, access, utilization, stability)
• FAO food security assessment tools
• Household food insecurity measurement
• Nutrition-sensitive indicators

Module 3: Designing Agriculture M&E Systems

• Developing agriculture program logframes
• Indicator development for agriculture projects
• Aligning M&E systems with project goals
• Data quality assurance in agriculture M&E

Module 4: Agricultural Data Collection Methods

• Farm-level surveys and data collection
• Crop and livestock monitoring tools
• Participatory rural appraisal methods
• Seasonal and production data tracking

Module 5: Value Chain Analysis and Monitoring

• Agricultural value chain mapping
• Market systems analysis
• Input-output tracking systems
• Identifying inefficiencies in value chains

Module 6: Livelihoods and Household Economy Analysis

• Household economy approach (HEA)
• Income diversification tracking
• Poverty and vulnerability analysis
• Livelihood resilience measurement

Module 7: Climate-Smart Agriculture Monitoring

• Climate adaptation indicators in agriculture
• Sustainable farming practices monitoring
• Soil, water, and resource management tracking
• Climate resilience measurement tools

Module 8: Digital Agriculture and Data Systems

• Mobile data collection tools in agriculture
• Agri-tech and smart farming systems
• Remote sensing and agricultural monitoring
• Digital dashboards for agriculture programs

Module 9: Food Systems and Nutrition Monitoring

• Food systems approach to M&E
• Nutrition-sensitive agriculture indicators
• Market and consumption monitoring
• Linking agriculture to nutrition outcomes

Module 10: Reporting and Adaptive Learning

• Agricultural M&E reporting systems
• Communicating food security findings
• Adaptive management in agriculture programs
• Policy influence and program improvement

Training Approach

The instructor led trainings are delivered using a blended learning approach and comprises of presentations, guided sessions of practical exercise, web-based tutorials and group work. Our facilitators are seasoned industry experts with years of experience, working as professional and trainers in these fields.

All facilitation and course materials will be offered in English. The participants should be reasonably proficient in English.

Certification

Upon successful completion of the training, participants will be awarded a certificate of completion by Steady Development Center.

Training Venue

The training will be held online. We also offer training for a group at requested location all over the world. The course fee covers the course tuition, tutorials and all required training manuals. Any other personal expenses are catered by the participant.
For registration and further enquiries, contact us on:

• Tel: +254 701 180 097
• Email: training@steadytrainingcenter.com

Tailor-Made Option

This course can be customized to suit the specific needs of your organization and be delivered on-line to any convenient location.

Terms Of Payment

Upon agreement by both parties’ payment should be made to Steady Development Center’s official account at least 3 working days before training begins to facilitate adequate preparation.

Our Upcoming Training Schedule