Swayam Krishi Sangam Ultra Poor Program: Qualitative Evaluation of Sustainability of Program Outcomes

Vinay Jawahar and Anasuya Sengupta

ABSTRACT

This paper documents the results of a qualitative evaluation of the Ultra Poor Program, a pilot poverty alleviation program implemented by Swayam Krishi Sangam NGO in Andhra Pradesh, two and a half years after it ended. Over a 4-week period in January and February 2012, we spoke with over 60 women, of who around 35 had participated in the SKS pilot. This study is part of a wider research agenda in which research teams are following up with program members at least a year after the end of the program to understand how sustainable any positive outcomes of the various graduation pilots have been. We begin by describing the graduation model and the conceptual innovations that gave rise to this particular approach to poverty alleviation. Next, we provide a detailed description of the SKS’s Ultra Poor Program and its unique aspects vis-a-vis the other pilots. In the third section, we describe the results of earlier evaluations of the pilot, both quantitative and qualitative. Finally, we present the findings of our research, which was conducted between January and March of 2012. We conclude with recommendations for SKS to consider as it moves forward with scaling up the Ultra Poor Program in other locations. In brief, we find that the sustainability of the program's outcomes has been uneven. While many social and financial behaviors inculcated by the program seem to have dropped off, many members seem to be continuing to benefit from the livelihood aspects of the program. Furthermore, the heightened political energy in Andhra Pradesh has caused disruptions in the microfinance industry and has greatly expanded social safety nets for poor people; both of which have had serious implications for the Ultra Poor Program's target group.