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This case study documents the process of early action taken by Start Network members in anticipation of drought in Timor-Leste in 2017. Alert 158 for Timor-Leste was submitted in May 2017, in anticipation of a potential drought from November 2017. Timor-Leste had suffered a severe El Nino in 2015- 2016, so a second drought would have been detrimental. Five agencies responded; four through a food and seed distribution and one through an early warning systems analysis, and some drought preparedness activities with local partners. In September 2017, a survey of seed and food recipients took place alongside interviews with implementing partners, which forms the basis of this case study.

Key reflections:

• The short window of time for proposal development and implementation negatively impacted the quality of projects. One informant reflected that a longer period for proposal development could have resulted in more innovative activities. Others reflected that the short period of time for implementation was a key factor in the decision to carry out a single distribution, instead of a more multi-faceted approach.
• The Anticipation Window triggered significantly earlier that other drought response mechanisms in Timor-Leste. Some activities were not well timed in relation to the participant farmers seasonal calendars though. While earlier response can be better, activities should be planned to correspond with evolving risks and opportunities.
• The response raised questions about quality assurance mechanisms in place among Start members and the Start Teams responsibility for these.