Process evaluation of ARC payment to the Mauritanian government for the 2021-22 season

Key Aid Consulting (KAC) was involved in the final evaluation of the African Risk Capacity (ARC) payment process established in 2021 by the Mauritanian government. This evaluation was commissioned by the African Risk Capacity Agency, which provides insurance products to African states. The insurance mechanism aims to provide rapid and predictable financing in the event of a disaster to protect the food security and livelihoods of vulnerable populations. The objective of the evaluation was to draw lessons learned from the operationalization process of emergency planning following the 2021 drought and the food distribution carried out by the Food Security Commission in 2022. To accomplish this, KAC conducted 27 interviews, facilitated 15 community focus groups, and conducted 351 quantitative surveys with beneficiaries to gauge their perception of the process and draw lessons learned. This evaluation identified concrete recommendations to improve the implementation of the plan and beneficiary targeting.