The Disaster Management Authority (DMA) together with the World Food Programme (WFP) launched Lesotho Vulnerability Assessment Committee (LVAC) dashboard at the event held in Maseru on Thursday.
When handing over the dashboard, the WFP Country Director and Representative, Ms. Aurore Rusiga said this is the moment the country has been all waiting for, saying the dashboard has been successfully designed and they are pleased to be gathered here to officially hand over the dashboard to the Disaster Management Authority.
Ms. Rusiga said LVAC members have worked tirelessly with the consultants to put this dashboard together therefore expressed her gratitude to the LVAC team that contributed to achieving this key milestone and worked tirelessly with the consultants to make this happen.
She further encouraged the LVAC members for taking this as the first step, saying the next challenge will be the broad adoption of the tool.
She said the adoption will be determined by how accurate, up-to-date, complete and reliable the dashboard information will be.
Ms. Rusiga urged different users, stakeholders and development partners to all support this initiative and provide feedback as the presenters encouraged all of us to use this opportunity to interact with the dashboard, reflect on challenges and gaps and explore opportunities to strengthen partnerships.
Moreover, she said the system will allow for different stakeholders at national and subnational levels to access LVAC information to inform evidence decision-making.
When launching the dashboard, DMA acting Chief Executive, Mrs. Makhotso Caroline Mahosi extended her gratitude to the WFP for providing both financial and technical support in the development of the dashboard, saying DMA is looking forward to more support in all aspects possible to WFP.
Mrs. Mahosi said LVAC’s mandate is to generate information on livelihoods, in particular their vulnerability to food and nutrition insecurity and other socio-economic factors, saying LAVC provide timely and reliable information to determine emergency interventions while also informing early action, medium as well as long-term programming policy interventions in planning, programming and decision making by the government together with its development Partners.
She said since the inception of LAVC in 2002 to date, LAVC has Integrated Food Security Phase Classifications (IPC) using Acute Food Insecurity Scale (AFI) in 2014 and successfully produced IPC Communication Briefs since 2017 to date, adding that 24 rural vulnerability and livelihoods assessment and analysis, urban vulnerability assessment analysis, crop/lean season assessment lastly rapid assessments have been conducted under the establishment of LAVC.
She mentioned that LAVC communicated information through technical presentations covering different thematic areas comprehensive of agriculture and food security, health and nutrition, water and sanitation, general seasonal performance, and recommended interventions to address the prevailing food insecurity and vulnerability Conditions in the period under review.
She, however, noted that even though LAVC has made a remarkable achievement there are challenges surrounding it thus an information management system of LVAC data which includes a lack of a central data hub accessible to all users at all levels.
She, therefore, said the dashboard will curb the prolonged challenge of lack of a central platform where LVAC databases and reports are stored and accessed by most of the public users.
In conclusion, she thanked the Ministry of Communication, Science and Technology for hosting the LVAC dashboard and making it possible for it to be accessible to the public.
LVAC is chaired by the Disaster Management Authority under the Prime Minister’s Office which coordinates disaster risk reduction in the country, it was established in 2002.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Government of Lesotho.
