Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) for Measurement of Household Food Access: Indicator Guide, Version 2 [September 2006]

Months of Adequate Household Food Provisioning (MAHFP) for Measurement of Household Food Access: Indicator Guide [June 2007]

See also: Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS)

Household food access is defined as the ability to acquire sufficient quality and quantity of food to meet all household members’ nutritional requirements for productive lives. Given the variety of activities implemented by Cooperating Sponsors (CSs) to improve household food access and the significant challenges most CSs face in measuring household food access for reporting purposes, there is a need to build consensus on appropriate household food access impact indicators. These two guides describe two proxy measures of household food access. These guides provide background on the indicator as well as guidance on data collection (including questionnaire format) and analysis.

In light of the need to build consensus on household food access impact indicators, two strategic objective level indicators of household food access (HDDS) and months of adequate household food provisioning (MAHFP) were identified during the development of USAID Office of Food for Peace (FFP)'s FY05-08 strategy, through a process of consultation and discussion with CSs, researchers, and other technical groups. Inputs from the Food Aid Management (FAM) Monitoring & Evaluation Working Group and the FFP Performance Management Plan (PMP) Working Group were particularly critical. These two indicators focus on the desired outcome of improved food access - improved household food consumption. FFP will be requiring all new Title II Multi-Year Assistance Programs (MYAP) with improved household food access as an objective to include these indicators in their results frameworks.

In addition, a Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) to measure the experience of household food insecurity has been developed.