HEA analysis and the IPC / Cadre Harmonisé protocol

1The Household Economy Approach (HEA)

HEA describes how households obtain their food and income during a reference year, then projects the effect of a shock. Its steps:

• Livelihood zoning: areas where people make a living in the same way (agropastoral, pastoral, fishing, urban…).
• Wealth breakdown: very poor, poor, middle, better-off, according to land, livestock, labour.
• Quantification of food sources (production, purchases, gifts) and income, and of expenditure.
• Problem specification (lower harvest, price rise) and analysis of coping capacity.

2The two HEA thresholds

The projected outcome is compared with two thresholds:

• The survival threshold: 100% of energy needs, plus the minimum costs of preparing and eating food (water, fuel, salt, soap).
• The livelihoods protection threshold: survival, plus what is needed to maintain livelihoods (seeds, veterinary care, inputs) and basic services (school, health).

A survival deficit calls for immediate humanitarian assistance; a livelihoods protection deficit calls for support to prevent asset depletion. HEA tells you who, how many, when and for what amount: a valuable tool to cost a response plan.

3The IPC classification rules

The IPC classifies an area in the most severe phase reached by at least 20% of the population. The analysis relies on convergence of evidence: outcome indicators (consumption, livelihoods, nutrition, mortality) and contributing factors (hazards, availability, access, utilisation, stability), each with a reliability level.

• A current analysis and one or two projections based on the most likely scenario.
• The "!" sign shows that an area would be at least one phase worse without the humanitarian assistance received.
• Famine (Phase 5) requires 20% of households with extreme food gaps, global acute malnutrition of at least 30% and a crude death rate above 2 per 10,000 per day; it is verified by the Famine Review Committee.

The IPC also has scales for chronic food insecurity and acute malnutrition.

4The Cadre Harmonisé and NGO contributions

The Cadre Harmonisé, coordinated by CILSS, is the IPC equivalent in West Africa, the Sahel and Cameroon. Its main cycles take place in March (current situation and lean-season projection) and in October-November (after harvests). Its figures guide national response plans and humanitarian appeals.

An NGO contributes by bringing recent, representative and documented data (method, sample, dates), taking part in technical workshops and defending its findings with evidence, not impressions. It accepts the final consensus and clearly flags the limits of its own data.