Heifer

          Heifer's benefits ‘beyond doubt'
             Western Michigan University

"It is beyond doubt that in all 20 of the countries we have examined, Heifer has brought large overall benefits to very large numbers of low income rural families."

So say evaluators from the Evaluation Center of Western Michigan University (WMU), one of the United States' leading evaluation institutions, following five years of study of Heifer International projects in 20 countries.

Heifer International kicked off the cycle of evaluations in 2005 to measure the impact of its work and determine whether or not efforts by staff and volunteers and generous gifts from donors were contributing to making a difference in the lives of the families with whom Heifer works.

The findings were clear: the benefits are real and life changing.

According to the evaluators' summary: "In particular, there are always substantial benefits wherever the elements of basic human needs are in short supply ... the needs for adequate food, water, shelter, improved protection against life-threatening disease, and enough reasonably secure income to provide for basic clothing, household equipment for cooking and storing basic foods, and minimal medical needs. "

The research team, led by Dr. Michael Scriven, considered one of the founders of evaluation science as a modern discipline and associate director of the evaluation center at WMU, visited more than 139 Heifer projects in 20 countries. In site visits and interviews with 5,000 Heifer program participants, evaluators measured accountability and transparency, community spirit, gender equity, training, diets, incomes, the health and care of livestock and environment.

"I am so delighted to be able to say that these evaluations clearly demonstrate change-in nutrition, income, opportunity, but also in attitudes, in values, in willingness to work together. It provides the accountability-to staff and volunteers, and especially to donors-that is so important," said Rienzzie Kern, Heifer International's senior director of planning, monitoring and evaluation.

In virtually every evaluation, researchers noted improvements in nutrition, agriculture, income, hope and opportunity, access to health care and medicine, livestock management. And mentioned in nearly every report was Heifer's signature, Passing on the Gift (POG) program.

"The ‘Heifer edge' in the organization's cost-effective crusade against poverty has always been the built-in sustainability of the commitment to ‘Passing on the Gift' of livestock, and of skills in (i) their care, and in (ii) respect for the Twelve Cornerstone Values (guiding principles of all the organization's programs)," evaluators noted. "Our evaluation convinced us of the importance of continuing with this core feature."　 Additionally, evaluators cited as a strength Heifer's work on gender equity.

In the specific in-country finding in China, evaluators said, "It was evident that Heifer China has the strongest system we have seen so far, not only to provide livestock care training and management support, but also to effectively influence other agencies to adopt Heifer values and work strategies."

Evaluators noted that Heifer project participants' homes had healthier environment, a greater chance of self-employment, increasing sources of food and an increased sense of hope about the future. Evaluators additionally noted that Heifer's presence positively impacted community members who were not direct beneficiaries of the projects as well. Families who see the benefits their neighbors get from diversifying crops and using organic fertilizers are copying their behavior, and Heifer participants are sharing their knowledge.

"These evaluations clearly show the difference Heifer is helping to make, but it doesn't end here," said Kern. "These evaluations have helped develop a toolkit we will use to help build evaluation capacity in the field so that we can continue to monitor and measure Heifer's contribution to impact, and to demonstrate to volunteers, staff and donors the value of the work."

Scriven, Michael, The External Evaluation of Heifer International's Efforts in twenty countries, A Five Year overview, Western Michigan University, 2009