The Household Economy Approach (HEA) is a livelihoods-based framework for analysing the way people obtain food, non-food goods and services, and how they might respond to changes in their external environment - a negative shock, such as a drought or crop failure, or a positive policy change, such as a cash transfer scheme.

Co-financed by the Regional Hunger and Vulnerability Programme (RHVP), Save the Children and FEG Consulting, the Practitioners' Guide to the Household Economy Approach provides practical 'how to' tools for those involved in the fieldwork and analysis of HEA assessments. It will also be a useful refresher for experienced practitioners.

The Guide is presented as a series of seven chapters, each of which is a self-contained module specific to a particular aspect of HEA. These are supplemented by two sections; one focussing on how to use market assessment to help determine an appropriate response to acute food insecurity and another for advanced practitioners who are being trained to take on team leader roles.

Although this is not meant to be used as a 'do-it-yourself' guide for those with no exposure to HEA, each subject is presented in clear, logical steps that should - in conjunction with formal training - enable fairly quick uptake for relative newcomers to HEA.

This guide will be complemented by two forthcoming publications - The Household Economy Approach: A guide for programme planners and policy-makers and The Household Economy Approach Facilitator's Resource Pack: Guidance materials for trainers later in 2008.

To view each chapter of the Practitioners' Guide to the Household Economy Approach, click on the links below:

Overview

1. Introduction to HEA
2. Livelihood zoning
3. Baseline assessment
4. Outcome analysis
5. Translating outcomes into actions
6. Adaptations of HEA
7. Emerging links issues and approaches
8. Market assessment supplement
9. Team leader's supplement

Recommended citation for this publication:
FEG Consulting and Save the Children (2008) The Practitioners' Guide to the Household Economy Approach, Regional Hunger and Vulnerability Programme, Johannesburg

Image credit: (c) 2007 Virginia Lamprecht, Courtesy of Photoshare