DRAFT OUTLINE OF THE MID-TERM REVIEW

OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN

Informal Consultation

19 March 2012

World Food Programme

Rome, Italy

WFP

wfp.org

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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*

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

.

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ACRONYMS USED IN THE DOCUMENT

CAADP Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme

M&E monitoring and evaluation

NGO non-governmental organization

PLW pregnant and lactating women

UNDAF United Nations Development Assistance Framework

C-11160E-Mid Term Review of the Strategic Plan.docx