Virtual Seminar on Producing Proxy Estimates for SDG Indicator 5.a.1 using EHCVM surveys

FAO held a webinar on Producing Proxy Estimates for SDG Indicator 5.a.1 using the Enquête harmonisée sur les conditions de vie des ménages (EHCVM) or Harmonized Living Conditions Surveys on 8 September 2022. Participants came from national statistical offices, ministries of agriculture and other stakeholders of six countries from the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA). Experts of the World Bank and gender statisticians of UN Women served as resource persons.

SDG indicator 5.a.1 was classified as a Tier II indicator in March 2017, indicating that the methodology for its collection and computation has been finalized and approved. Since then, capacity building efforts have been undertaken by FAO, at regional and country levels. However, integrating the complete set of questions recommended to collect data for SDG indicator 5.a.1 is a process that takes time, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic that has very often meant the interruption and postponing of most data collections around the globe.

In order to improve countries’ capacity for reporting on indicator 5.a.1, FAO is looking into existing standardized internationally-supported surveys that have the potential of providing data for calculating proxies for indicator 5.a.1. Although these surveys have not been designed to apply the recommended methodology for the indicator, they have collected data that provide a sufficient amount of information for producing a measure that can approximate the indicator. One such survey is the 2018/2019 EHCVM conducted by the eight country members of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) with the support of the World Bank.

Objectives of the webinars

The webinars had learning objectives as well as action objectives. In terms of learning objectives, by the end of the seminar, it is expected that participants:

• Understand the concepts and data requirements needed to estimate SDGi-5.a.1
• Are able to assess the extent to which the data available in their country EHCVM meet the data requirements for estimating SDGi-5.a.1
• Understand how available data from their country EHCVM can be used to compute proxy measures for the sub-indicators SDGi-5.a.1(a) and SDGi-5.a.1(b)
• Understand the limitations of the proxy measures based on their country EHCVM data

In terms of action objectives, countries were strongly encouraged to take actions to:

• Validate the proxy estimates from their EHCVM surveys
• Study potential for integrating SDGi-5.a.1 data requirements in future runs of the EHCVM
• Determine wider applicability of proxy measures for SDGi-5.a.1 from their other household and agricultural surveys
• Assess how their planned and current statistical programs integrates/can integrate regular monitoring of SDG Target 5a through SDGi-5.a.1

The World Bank, UN Women and FAO through collaborative and coordinated initiatives would continue to support countries in various ways:

• Provide technical support for validation and assessing applicability of proxy measures
• Review initial proxy estimates and revise where needed based on feedback from countries
• Provide technical and advocacy support for better integrating SDGi-5.a.1 data requirements in EHCVM and other relevant household surveys
• Support countries in analysis and use of SDGi-5.a.1 related data

Outputs

This series of webinars presented the proxy estimation methodology for 5.a.1 using EHCVM data developed by FAO to 24 participants from six UEMOA countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal. Participants provided feedback on the methodology and the estimates produced. The webinars also facilitated discussions that identified opportunities for expanding the potential of the EHCVM as a data source for indicator 5.a.1 and, in general, for improving future data collections for the indicator.

FAO will be following up with countries on the actions to be undertaken to validate the estimates as well as to look into strengthening the role of the EHCVM and other standardized international surveys that are part of their statistical programmes as sources of data for regularly producing indicator 5.a.1.

The World Bank, FAO and UN Women will continue the dialogue and initiatives to support countries on how future EHCVM surveys could incorporate recommendations of the official 5.a.1 methodology in order to provide improved data for SDG indicator 5.a.1.

Agenda 

Time	Topic
20 minutes	Opening remarks Recap of main elements of 5.a.1 and its components: main concepts and definitions sub-indicator a sub-indicator b Minimum set of data required for indicator 5.a.1 according to the official methodology
5 minutes	Q&A
30 minutes	Why use the EHCVM for proxying SDG 5.a.1 Data availability in EHCVM surveys for estimating 5.a.1: which questions can be used to identify agricultural households and population which questions can be used to identify agricultural land which questions can be used to identify landowners How to compute the indicator from EHCVM data
5 minutes	Q&A
25 minutes	Results of 5.a.1 proxy estimates Discussion from selected countries, UN Women, World Bank and EHCVM implementer
5 minutes	Concluding remarks