Self-evaluation and Holistic Assessment of Climate Resilience of Famers and Pastoralists (SHARP)

Why is the tool important?

The Self-evaluation and Holistic Assessment of Climate Resilience of Famers and Pastoralists (SHARP) tool is a form of participatory learning exchange in which project personnel measure and monitor climate resilience by working with smallholder farmers and pastoralists to shape their own forms of resilience.

The tool has been designed specifically for farming as part of a broader socioecological system. It is presented as an alternative to other tools that have been developed for urban settings and tested mainly in Asia.

Who is the tool for?

The tool is for practitioners, project/program designers and implementers, local governments and policymakers.

Country of focus: Angola, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, Uganda

How can I use the tool?

The tool is used to work with smallholder farmers and pastoralists to develop locally appropriate ways of improving their resilience to climate change.

The SHARP questionnaire considers a range of topics, including land degradation, sustainable land management, agricultural biodiversity, resilience, decision-making about major and daily purchases and other financial decisions.

As the information collected can be disaggregated by gender, the results can inform the design and implementation of gender strategies, including the development of Farmer Field Schools’ curriculums and interactions with advisory services.

It is conducted in three phases:

• a participatory survey of smallholder farmers and pastoralists on their resilience to climate, to give a baseline assessment and household strengths and weaknesses
• a gap analysis and assessment of the responses involving two groups—the farmers and pastoralists involved, and local government officials and policymakers
• information is used in conjunction with climate data to inform and guide smallholders’ practices and to inform local and national policies.

When and how was it developed?

SHARP was developed by FAO and external partners as a means of better understanding and incorporating the situations, concerns and interests of farmers and pastoralists. Development took two years and involved more than 150 academics, practitioners and people in civil society.

It was tested in the field in Angola, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal and Uganda before being published.

Where can I get the tool? Who can I contact?

Download SHARP from the FAO website.