DRAFT OUTLINE OF THE MID-TERM REVIEW
OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN
Informal Consultation
19 March 2012
World Food Programme
Rome, Italy
WFP
wfp.org
1
I. CONSULTATION SCHEDULE
Mid-Term Review
2011 7 July: Executive Board Bureau meeting to consult on the schedule
2012 19 March: Board consultation on the outline and findings of the mid-term review
2012 23 April: Board consultation on full text of the mid-term review (date to be confirmed)
WFP Strategic Plan (2014–2017)
2012 June: Mid-term review of WFP Strategic Plan (2008–2013) presented at EB.A/2012 for consideration
2012 fourth quarter: Concept note based on feedback from EB.A/2012 presented for discussion at an informal consultation
2013 first quarter: Draft WFP Strategic Plan (2014–2017) presented for discussion at one or more informal consultations
2013 June: Strategic Plan (2014–2017) presented for approval at EB.A/2013
2
II. RATIONALE AND INPUTS FOR THE MID-TERM REVIEW
1. Recalling General Assembly resolution 63/232 of 19 December 2008, the
Board extended the WFP Strategic Plan by two years, from 2011 to 2013,
and requested the Secretariat to prepare a mid-term review of the plan
(2009/EB.A/3). The review, conducted by the Policy, Planning and
Strategy Division, is WFP-wide. It draws on four main inputs:
i) Evaluations and other reviews of WFP’s work, particularly a series of
strategic evaluations recently conducted by the Office of Evaluation:
“WFP’s Role in Safety Nets and Social Protection; From Food Aid to
Food Assistance: Working in Partnership”; “How WFP Country
Offices Adapt to Change”; and “WFP’s Role in Ending Long-Term
Hunger”. Reports of the Inspector General, internal reviews and
reports on lessons learned were also consulted.
ii) Consultations with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) –
including two special sessions – and with United Nations partners,
the Board, and WFP regional bureaux, country offices and liaison
offices. The Secretariat communicated with management and staff
of the agencies covered by Resolution 63/232 while their mid-term
reviews were conducted. WFP participates in the Quadrennial
Comprehensive Policy Review process, which will inform the next
Strategic Plan.
iii) Country case studies. The Secretariat commissioned an external
organization to conduct a study of the Strategic Plan from a country
perspective; it visited Ecuador, Kenya and Pakistan and performed
a desk review of WFP’s work in other countries.
iv) Data analysis. The Secretariat conducted an analysis of changes in
WFP’s operations since the Strategic Plan was introduced, drawing
on Annual Performance Reports, Standardized Project Reports and
other data sources within WFP.
3
III. DRAFT OUTLINE OF THE MID-TERM REVIEW
1. Executive Summary
2. Rationale and Methodology
3. Summary and Rationale of the Strategic Plan (2008–2013)
4. Internal Changes to Support the Strategic Plan
a) Decision-making structures
b) Country strategy documents
c) Performance management and accountability
d) Financial framework
e) Human resources
5. The Strategic Plan at Work: 2008–2012
a) Global context
b) Responding to emergencies
c) Developing a robust toolbox of hunger solutions
6. Partnerships
a) Supporting national plans and priorities
b) Coherence with United Nations partners
c) Non-governmental organizations
d) Private sector
7. Resourcing
8. Key Findings and Recommendations
9. Risk Analysis
4
IV. DRAFT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE MID-TERM REVIEW
2. The preliminary findings of the mid-term review indicate that the WFP
Strategic Plan (2008–2013) moved WFP in the right direction, positioning
it to meet rising and increasingly complex hunger challenges. However,
more needs to be done to advance, mainstream and institutionalize these
changes within WFP’s culture and work. The review found that host
governments, donors, partners and, most important, those served by
WFP expect – and deserve – WFP’s readiness to deploy the full range of
tools and approaches outlined in the plan to meet urgent food and
nutrition needs, build resilience, and support national priorities and local
capacity.
3. The Board’s approval of the Strategic Plan formalized a series of reforms
and approaches that build on WFP’s core strengths and comparative
advantages and that were already being implemented in the field. These
reforms put WFP on track for improving its prioritization and
deployment of sustainable approaches that have the potential for greater
impacts than a “one-size-fits-all” traditional food aid approach. Many
new tools and modalities, such as cash, vouchers, regional and local
purchase, and targeted nutrition products, have already been integrated
into parts of WFP’s emergency response, giving WFP a broader set of
tools in these settings.
4. The plan has catalysed significant changes in WFP, from the development
of new policies and internal systems and controls to the updating of
programme guidance for deploying new approaches in the field and
cultivating a culture of learning from testing. These changes have been
developed and deployed rapidly, particularly in the areas of cash,
vouchers, nutrition and Purchase for Progress. However, many of the
new approaches have yet to reach scale. For example, although WFP
increased its cash and voucher beneficiaries from a small number to 3
million in just two years, this is still only a small proportion of the nearly
100 million people WFP reaches each year.
5. Institutionalizing these changes, mainstreaming them into WFP’s
responses, and scaling up tested tools to reach a wider range of
beneficiaries will take time, dedication and continuing willingness to
learn and adopt new ideas and approaches. In some cases, new skill sets
will be required, either through retraining of existing staff or hiring of
new staff with different skills. Mainstreaming will also require the
continued support and backing of nations and partners.
6. The new plan prioritizes national ownership and capacity development,
and many WFP staff have made significant efforts to promote
sustainable, nationally owned approaches to fighting hunger. This is
5
particularly important in the context of safety nets, which help nations
meet ongoing hunger needs, build resilience to shocks, and respond more
efficiently and effectively when shocks occur. In this area, some
institutional constraints remain, including the need to monitor and
evaluate not just processes and outputs, but also outcomes over time,
cost-effectively and uniformly across country offices. Variable funding
flows, the short duration of many WFP programmes, and the staff profile
of country offices can also limit WFP’s ability to scale up effectively.
These and other challenges to full institutionalization of the plan will be
noted throughout the review.
7. The following are some preliminary findings regarding the trends that
will be highlighted in the mid-term review. Data for 2011 will be added.
Figure 1: EMOPs tripled from 2007 to 2010
Figure 2: Increase in numbers of mothers and
children assisted through EMOPs
832 1 029
2 1082 466
1 955
2 485
2 448 1 890
515
402
425389
Total = 3 302
Total = 3 916
Total = 4 980Total = 4 745
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
2007 2008 2009 2010
MT
dis
trib
ute
d (
tho
usa
nd
s)
EMOP PRRO CP/DEV
Source: WFP DACOTA
0.5
1.8
2.6
6.0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
2007 2008 2009 2010
MC
H b
en
efic
iari
es
(mill
ion
s)
MCH
includes
blanket
feeding
.
Source: WFP DACOTA
6
Figure 3: Cash and voucher beneficiaries by programme category –
two thirds are in EMOPs
Figure 4: Sharp increase in under-2 children receiving specialized foods
0.61
2.06
0.42
0.75
0.080.26
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
2007 2008 2009 2010
Ben
efic
iari
es (
mill
ion
s)
EMOP PRRO CP/DEV
Limited data for
Cash and Voucher
pilots in 2007/08
Source: WFP DACOTA
55 125
2500
0
500
1 000
1 500
2 000
2 500
3 000
2008 2009 2010
Be
nef
icia
ries
un
der
age
2 (
tho
usa
nd
s)
Under Two Reached with Specialised Nutritious Food Products*
Source: WFP Nutrition Unit
*Specialised nutritious food products are defined as: CSB++, WSB++, Plumpy’Doz, Supplementary plumpy, MNP, Nutributter, and Wawa Mum.
Under-2s reached with specialized nutritious food products*
7
Figure 5: Increase in expenditure on specialized products for
under-5s and pregnant and lactating women (PLW)
Figure 6: Improved quality of food purchased
467
898635
772
300
505
322
425
5
8
53
Total = 767
Total = 1408
Total = 965
Total = 1250
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1 000
$1 200
$1 400
$1 600
2007 2008 2009 2010
Foo
d p
urc
has
es (
US$
mill
ion
)
Non-processed food Fortified food Specialized products for under-5 & PLW
Nutritious
products for
under-5s and
PLW
Source: WINGS II – Procurement Unit
Specialized products for under-5s and PLW
Supercereal replaces corn-soya blend
67
166
93
40
1
3
5 92 69
169
99 m
132
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
$120
$140
$160
$180
2007 2008 2009 2010
Pu
rch
ases
(U
S$ m
illio
n)
Supercereal (CSB+, CSB++, High Energy Supplements, Unimix ,Vitacereal)Corn soya blend
10-fold increase in purchases of specialized food for under-5s and PLW
5 8
53
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
2008 2009 2010
Pu
rch
ases
(U
S$ m
illio
n)
Under-5 & PLWUnder-5s and PLW
8
Figure 7: Cash and vouchers reached more
than 3 million beneficiaries in 2010
Figure 8: Forty-two per cent of WFP’s food
was procured in host countries (locally)
1.1
3.1
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
2007 2008 2009 2010
Be
nef
icia
ries
(m
illio
ns)
Cash and voucher beneficiaries for all WFP programmes
All Projects
Limited data for
Cash & Vouchers
pilots in 2007/08
Source: WFP DACOTA
57%(435)
62%(879)
65%(625)
58%(728)
43%(332)
38%(529)
35%(340)
42%(522)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
2007 2008 2009 2010
Perc
enta
ge o
f p
urc
has
es b
y o
rigi
n
Food procurement (US$ million)
International Local (includes P4P)
Source: WINGS II – Procurement Unit
9
Figure 9: US$34 million of food purchased from
small-holder farmers through P4P in 2010
US$8 million
US$34 million
$0
$5
$10
$15
$20
$25
$30
$35
$40
2009 2010
Pu
rch
ases
th
rou
gh P
4P
(U
S$ m
illio
n)
Source: WINGS II – Procurement Unit
This represents 3.5% of WFP total food
purchases
10
Preliminary Findings
8. The Strategic Plan positioned WFP to meet growing and increasingly complex
food security and nutrition security challenges more effectively and sustainably.
The world has witnessed a wide-ranging and alarming increase in food
and nutrition insecurity. The changes called for in the plan gave WFP’s
staff in the field more tools and greater flexibility to meet these
challenges, particularly when responding to emergencies.
9. The new tools and modalities open new possibilities for supporting national
plans, capacity development and resilience. The Strategic Plan positions WFP
to respond to the Paris Declaration, the Accra Agenda and the Busan
Declaration, which call for supporting national priorities and plans.
10. The Strategic Plan leverages WFP’s impact in the communities it serves.
Greater flexibility has enabled WFP to leverage food assistance
programmes to support safety nets, nutrition, smallholder farmers and
disaster risk reduction priorities.
11. The Strategic Plan has broadened WFP’s knowledge sharing and partnerships.
In pursuing its new strategic direction, WFP has entered a wide range of
new partnerships, from national authorities to research institutions, to the
private sector. WFP is also more engaged in integrating hunger solutions
into the wider international architecture, from the Comprehensive Africa
Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) to the G8/G20. This
provides a strong foundation for continuing to expand partnerships with
a focus on learning and sharing.
Preliminary Recommendations
12. Deepen, improve and increase partnerships at every level. The Strategic Plan
has opened space for new partnerships, and WFP has established new
partners in a broad range of activities, from nutrition to connecting
smallholder farmers to markets. An evaluation of partnerships noted that
WFP is a respected partner, but called for greater clarity and focus in
WFP’s partnerships; additional resources dedicated to health and
nutrition areas, including for building partnership skills among staff; and
the inclusion of partnerships in project planning, outcome measurement
and evaluations. These recommendations should be implemented to
ensure that WFP continues to play a coherent and effective role and to
support the scale up and institutionalization of changes called for by the
Strategic Plan.
13. Maintain and enhance staff profiles, particularly in country offices. WFP’s staff
profile is good for an operational role, ensuring the integrity of supply
chains and the delivery of goods. However, there is an increasing need to
advise government partners on nutrition and to obtain access to new
11
funding, which requires the engagement of senior staff, significant time
and technical expertise. This should be addressed by providing
additional training, skills and knowledge-building opportunities for staff,
and greater flexibility for country offices to develop the staff profiles they
need.
14. Continue to pursue financial reforms, focusing on country-level needs. The
flexible reforms to the financial framework approved by the Board in
November 2010 need to be followed up throughout WFP. Adjustments in
WFP’s systems and engagement with country office finance and budget
officers must remain top priorities to ensure that country offices have the
flexibility they need to deploy a broad range of tools and modalities.
15. Improve reporting on impact, efficiency and results. WFP’s reporting focuses
on integrity of the supply chain and delivery to beneficiaries, with an
emphasis on processes and outputs. Impact, efficiency and results
reporting will require monitoring and evaluation (M&E) that is both
affordable and adequately funded, and a corporate system for reporting
with clear guidance to country offices on how to report in a way that
allows comparisons across offices. WFP’s forthcoming M&E strategy will
be critical for pursuing these changes, and the Strategic Results
Framework for the next Strategic Plan should build on lessons learned
from the current results framework and efforts by other United Nations
agencies.
16. Improve capacity development. Studies have noted that WFP managers have
limited time and technical expertise for capacity development. Capacity
development efforts are sometimes very effective, but are not always
applied systematically across WFP. Reporting on these activities and their
impacts has been inconsistent. WFP has produced a capacity
development toolkit and matrix for country capacity, which is being
deployed. Improving staff skills, allocating funding and continuing to
provide guidance to country offices are strongly recommended.
17. Address funding model constraints. Most WFP contributions are still
earmarked for specific projects, which constrains operational flexibility
and reduces planning horizons. Recently, several donors have recognized
this and have moved to flexible, multi-year commitments. More
unrestricted, multilateral and multi-year contributions are critical to
better measuring, tracking and improving the efficiency and effectiveness
of WFP programmes.
18. Address the challenges of short project duration by further integrating WFP
programmes into national plans and strategies. Most WFP funding goes to
relatively short projects. Evaluations and other reports have found that
brevity can create challenges for the building of partnerships, particularly
12
for safety nets, nutrition, support to capacity development and hand-
over. To overcome this, WFP should further integrate its programmes
into national plans and broader strategies, such as the United Nations
Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). The country strategy
documents, which were launched to support roll-out of the Strategic Plan
in country offices, articulate a clear and coherent role for WFP within the
national and United Nations country team contexts, and can help build
support for longer-term projects.
.