HIGHLIGHTS OF THE

WFP EXECUTIVE BOARD Second Regular Session 2012 (EB.2/2012)

Rome, 12—14 November 2012

In order to read the individual highlights, please click on the topic links below

Opening Remarks by

the Executive Director

Address by

Mr Tony Lake

UNICEF Executive Director

WFP Management Plan

(2013—2015)

Policy Issues

Strategic Evaluations Operational Matters

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Special Guest

Address by Mr Tony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director

Mr Lake opened by stating that all children in the world had a right to lead healthy lives, a right to food, to nutrition, to health care, to protection and to education. He particularly thanked all WFP field staff working together with UNICEF in the face of declining resources, tighter budgets and unpredictable needs, such as those that had emerged in the Near East and North Africa.

Rather than competing for existing funds, agencies should work together to identify new funding sources. Recent developments in WFP – UNICEF collaboration included expansion of the REACH Ending Child Hunger initiative to 12 countries, and strengthening of the UN Standing Committee on Nutrition. Aimed at reducing child malnutrition by 2024 and involving 30 countries, the SCN was getting growing support including from the G8 countries.

There were opportunities for reinforcing partnership between WFP and UNICEF on the ground, such as UNICEF’s recent distribution of schoolbooks through WFP’s school feeding programmes. Such opportunities were often identified by field staff. Success laid in facing problems early and tackling them quickly, together. Collaboration enhanced results, particularly when resilience-building efforts were included in emergency responses. Mr Lake argued that both agencies’ work should not focus only on the first months after a natural disaster or in a humanitarian crisis, but strive for long-term resilience from the very outset of emergency interventions.

The UNICEF Executive Director announced that a common monitoring and evaluation approach was being developed by UNICEF which could become a standard United Nations system.

Board members expressed approval of the cooperation between WFP and UNICEF, recognizing that coordinated activities, e.g. on REACH and Scaling Up Nutrition, had resulted in positive impacts for beneficiaries.

Several Board members recognized WFP’s and UNICEF’s work to enhance the resilience of vulnerable communities, while cautioning against the creation of another funding category.

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Opening Remarks by the Executive Director

In her opening remarks, the Executive Director gave the Board an update on the progress made in the organizational realignment process which had started in June 2012. The “Fit for Purpose” document and Framework for Action formed the basis for the 2013–2015 Management Plan. The special senior reassignment exercise undertaken to strengthen the organizational structure would result in moves to new duty stations in 60 percent of the reassignment cases, many of which from Headquarters positions to the field. More than 50 percent of promotions were granted to women. Further implications of the realignment process regard the annual reassignment of professional staff which will conclude early next year, and plans to shift national staff from UNDP to WFP contracts. Organizational strengthening will also be pursued by a stronger focus on monitoring and evaluation, gender mainstreaming as well as risk management efforts.

Following the evaluation of WFP’s Private-Sector Partnership and Fundraising Strategy, the Executive Director announced revised strategies, for presentation to the Board in June 2013. She reaffirmed that private-sector partners were useful sources of technical expertise, resources and innovation. She underlined WFP’s commitment to stronger engage in partnerships in general, which would feature prominently in the 2014–2017 Strategic Plan. In this spirit, she highlighted the productivity of the recent annual consultation with WFP’s partners.

Enhanced collaboration with the other Rome-based Agencies include the development of plans to harmonize strategic communications, to create a Rome-based Secretariat for the Secretary-General’s High Level Task Force (HLTF) on the Global Food Security Crisis, to select the country team with the best Rome-based Agency collaboration and to launch a joint travel tender. WFP’s engagement in the cluster system was invigorated through the Inter-Agency Standing Committee’s (IASC’s) Transformative Agenda. In this context, the Executive Director announced that in December 2012, for the first time, WFP would host the IASC Principals and the annual launch of the Consolidated Appeals Process.

Several Board members expressed appreciation for the positive leadership of the Executive Director in the realignment process and her transparent and collegiate approach. The ongoing communication and “healthy tension” in relations between the Board and the Secretariat reflected the improvements in WFP governance over the last ten years. While WFP was commended for empowering its Country Offices and Regional Bureaux, a member cautioned that decentralization had to be kept under control: a secure system was needed to prevent fragmentation.

The Board warmly supported WFP’s role in the Transformative Agenda, noting the importance of common indicators to assess impact on beneficiaries. The need for additional unearmarked funding to support such developments was recognized. With this in mind, WFP was urged to develop its relations with non-traditional donors and private-sector organizations with a view to maximizing the efficient use of scarce resources. Opportunities for South–South cooperation should also be sought.

WFP’s work in emergency situations was applauded for the professionalism, courage and commitment of its staff. The Board encouraged WFP to contribute to the pool of trained Humanitarian Coordinators and cluster leaders, with appropriate funding, and decentralized decision-making authority.

(The full speech is available here. You may contact the Library to access documentation on the HLTF Food Security and the Transformative Agenda, as well as other documentation of interest, by clicking on the link: http://go.wfp.org/web/library/home)

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WFP Management Plan (2013-2015)

The 2013–2015 Management Plan reflects the current process of organizational strengthening and realigned structure of WFP. In order to ensure that beneficiaries are the focus of WFP’s work, country offices were to be empowered as WFP’s “centre of gravity”, with decision-making authority located as close as possible to the point of implementation. Regional bureaux serve as WFP’s front-line platform for managing, overseeing and supporting the country offices, while a light and lean Headquarters office focus on developing organization-wide strategy, policy, corporate oversight, communication and resource management, innovative corporate initiatives, tools and guidance. Further main structural changes concern the integration of policy and programming in a single division, as well as the strengthening of WFP’s work on gender mainstreaming, monitoring and evaluation. The 2013 annual budget proposal estimates the following requirements:

2013 funding forecast US$ 3.7 billion

2013 total resource requirements US$ 5.66 billion

Operational requirements US$ 4.97 billion

Regular PSA budget US$ 249.1 million

Supplementary PSA budget US$ 20.0 million

Security funding US$ 10.0 million

Treasury management system US$ 0.4 million

Special accounts and trust funds US$ 412.9 million

It was explained that the supplementary PSA budget would cover the costs of change management, staff relocations and terminations under the organizational realignment process; this would result in a reduced level of US$ 49 million proposed for the PSA Equalization Account. The regular PSA budget proposal, representing zero nominal growth, would cover the 2013 requirements including those priority areas identified by the Board. The security funding and new treasury management system would be funded by income from interest on investments.

The Board complimented the Secretariat on the clear document and expressed appreciation for the transparent way in which it has been prepared through four informal consultations. It reiterated its approval of the proposals for empowering regional bureaux and country offices, the focus on gender mainstreaming and the plans for enhanced monitoring and evaluation.

Members asked which were the expenditures envisaged from the US$ 20 million supplementary PSA budget and whether this was a one-off allocation. Clarification was also sought as to the variations in requirements among the different strategic objectives, to the expenditures for scaling up cash and voucher interventions and the cost-effectiveness of very small country offices.

The emphasis on supporting resilience was noted, but Board members observed that new mechanisms and tools would be needed to optimize such an approach and that WFP’s role needed to be clarified.

The Board recommended that the original PSA Equalization Account level be restored as soon as practicable. In view of the considerable gap between funding forecast and resource requirements, innovative approaches to fundraising were encouraged. Twinning was considered as an effective modality, but the rules governing twinning arrangements would benefit from updates.

WFP Management Plan

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Policy Issues

Policy for Disclosure of Oversight Reports

The policy revises two previous Board documents, namely the ‘Policy for Disclosure of Internal Audit Reports to Member States’ from 2010 and the ‘Oversight Framework and Reports Disclosure Policy’ from 2011.

During its June 2011 Board discussions, the Board had requested a review of the concept of inspection and an update of the oversight reports disclosure policy. The new policy clarifies the concept of inspection and includes the following changes:

disclosure of internal audit and inspection reports on the public website one month after their submission to the Executive Director;

authorization of the Inspector General and Director, Oversight Office to enter into formal agreements for sharing investigation reports on a confidential and reciprocal basis;

authorization of the Inspector General and Director, Oversight Office to redact or withhold reports where disclosure of the contents would be inappropriate for reasons of confidentiality, or where it could place in jeopardy the safety and security of any individual, or run the risk of violating the rights of individuals.

The policy applies to reports issued following its approval by the Board. It was stressed that the policy was in line with those of other UN funds and programmes.

The Board noted that increased disclosure would enhance transparency and that the policy had extended beyond its original request. Acknowledging that WFP’s provisions for sharing investigation reports with counterparts were unique, the Board expressed its hope that this would set a precedent within the UN system.

Members emphasized that the policy should allow for guarding of confidentiality, and should not impinge on WFP’s immunities. They therefore agreed to authorize the Inspector General to redact or withhold the contents of a report in accordance with the safeguards described in the policy, and were assured that the reasons for such decisions would be provided together with report.

Some members appreciated the gradual development of the disclosure policies since 2010, and called for a similar step-by-step approach in the implementation of the new policy to avoid unnecessary risks, give the Secretariat more time to adjust its work without compromising core activities, and take into consideration the on-going discussion in the General Assembly.

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Evaluation of WFP’s Private-Sector Partnership and Fundraising Strategy

The evaluation found that although annual targets for private-sector fundraising and partnership were consistently exceeded, overall results were mixed. WFP was unique in having a strategy for the private sector, but this strategy did not distinguish sufficiently between fundraising and partnerships, and the scope and limits of corporate partnerships were unclear. The strategy was insufficiently inte-grated or coordinated across relevant WFP s technical and decentralized units. Management fees were applied inconsistently and under-investment limited overall results achieved. Corporate part-nerships can contribute to WFP’s strategic goals, but often generate little unrestricted cash, while re-quiring additional supporting resources. The evaluation noted a conflict of interest in due diligence processes and a need for more fundraising from the general public. Management announced new resource mobilization and partnership strategies, to be presented at the Board’s Annual Session 2013.

The Board appreciated the bringing together of all partnership work under the new Partnership and Governance Services Department and the proposals for integrating private-sector resource mobilization into WFP’s overall budget. It urged the Secretariat to implement all of the evaluation’s recommendations, stressing the need to differentiate between private-sector partnership and fund-raising, as outlined in the 1999 United Nations Global Compact on working with the business sector.

Members also requested clear and transparent standard procedures for selecting, managing and reporting on partnerships, as well as annual updates on private-sector fundraising and partnerships.

WFP should give particular consideration to potential corporate partners’ market development approaches, to avoid unfair advantage and damage to WFP’s reputation; partnerships based on specific products were particularly risky.

Evaluation of the Global Logistics Cluster

The evaluation, jointly commissioned by WFP, the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNICEF, covered the cluster since its inception, focusing on issues of efficiency, effectiveness, utilization of resources and results. The assessment proved generally positive in that the work of the cluster was considered relevant, effective and valued by those who used its services. WFP’s leadership helped to enhance partnerships and coordination, achieving positive impacts on beneficiaries. The overall impact of the work of the cluster has to be understood in the context of the relatively small proportion of global logistics activity it handled. Efficiency and outcomes were enhanced by the advanced funding options adopted, but WFP’s financial, reporting and tracking systems lacked transparency. The utilization of resources was assessed as satisfactory, but there were mixed opinions as to coordination and delivery flows. The evaluation noted needs for investment at the global level, and for more effective partnerships.

Board members were pleased that the cluster operations had been assessed as relevant and that positive outcomes had been achieved, even though the cluster approach had accounted for a small proportion of worldwide logistics activity. Board members expressed concern that the processes for de-activation of cluster operations were not as clear as they should be, and urged WFP to take action to rectify the issue. Members also observed that the Global Logistics Cluster Support Cell should be augmented and that WFP should ensure that the mechanisms for tracking and financing be as transparent and cost-effective as possible. WFP should also contribute as a matter of urgency to the development of a global staff roster.

Strategic Evaluations

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Asia

Overview of the region

Multi-sector nutrition approaches were being scaled up in the Asia Pacific region in cooperation with UNICEF, WHO and FAO. To respond timely to food insecurity in the region, WFP was working with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to stockpile equipment at the UNHRD in Subang, Malaysia. Urbanization in Asia would require adaptation of responses to food insecurity in urban contexts.

Afghanistan Country Portfolio Evaluation

The evaluation found that operations were well aligned with national needs. However, until recently there was a marked lack of operational coherence in WFP’s targeting to take account of other actors’ coverage. Humanitarian access was a constant problem. A thorough conflict analysis had not been done at the time of design which left the portfolio insufficiently responsive to its highly complex context. The reduction of rations in order to maintain beneficiary numbers in view of significant funding gaps was questioned and more attention should have been given to staffing requirements.

The Board commended WFP for the achievements made in a challenging context. Some members stressed the importance of clear reporting and scrupulous accountability to maintain donors’ trust.

PRRO Myanmar 200299

The PRRO aims to support equitable development and post-conflict reconciliation through improved food security and nutrition. It is to be implemented in a context of transition to democratic governance, improved education and health, and economic growth. WFP’s good relations with the Government were considered an asset as it addressed problems of isolation and displacement.

Board members were encouraged by the focus on education, healthcare and income generation in WFP’s food-assistance programmes and encouraged WFP to develop partnerships and joint activities with a range of actors. WFP should focus on social protection and the most vulnerable groups.

PRRO Pakistan 200250

The PRRO is in line with the priorities of the current UNDAF. In close cooperation with the Government, UN clusters and other partners, WFP focuses on alleviating hunger, reducing poverty, enhancing community resilience and disaster risk management.

The Board expressed its approval of the risk-reduction and resilience-building elements in view of the likelihood of future disasters. WFP should ensure adherence to fundamental humanitarian principles in all its work and use approaches which are flexible and sensitive to local contexts.

PRRO Sri Lanka 200452

WFP’s operation in Sri Lanka supports the country’s recovery from 30 years of conflict. WFP’s assistance helps reduce wasting, stunting and acute malnutrition, rehabilitate damaged infrastructure, safeguard food security improvements and assist resettlement.

Board members recommended that WFP continue to use its comparative advantage in Delivering as One, maximize local and regional procurement as well as consider expanding voucher distributions earlier than planned in the PRRO.

Operational Matters

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Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Overview of the region

In the Middle East as a whole and Syria in particular, WFP was experiencing challenges in terms of lack of access, insecurity and hostility. It was working with ICRC to assist up to 1.5 million people, but operations and monitoring were extremely hazardous. WFP was providing free logistics support for UN agencies in the country and was cooperating with Turkish and Lebanese authorities to support the rapidly growing number of refugees. Food insecurity was the major challenge, exacerbated by very high rates of food losses and wastage.

Jordan Development Project 200478

The project’s goal is to help the Government sustain its nationally owned and locally sourced school feeding programme responding to increasing numbers of children – including 18,000 Syrian refugees. Planned interventions include capacity development, multi-stakeholder assessment, supply chain management and analysis of school meal composition.

Board members commended Jordan’s hosting of refugees and supported the project, while inquiring about the indirect project support costs and contingency plans for ensuring financial sustainability.

Budget increase to Armenia Development Project 200128

The budget increase will allow to extend school feeding activities, facilitating full hand-over to the Government and development of a sustainable national school feeding policy by 2016. The Government of the Russian Federation agreed to provide funds and technical capacity, while the Armenian Government would cover all logistics costs. Other important partners include FAO and UNICEF. Nutrition education aims to teach children healthy eating habits.

The Board supported the increase and noted the good results already achieved in school feeding as a productive system for social protection.

Budget increase to Egypt Country Programme 104500

The six-month extension would allow to bring the Country Programme into line with the new UNDAF, which includes food and nutrition security. Extensive capacity development includes activities for climate change adaptation and nutrition. The Country Director stressed the contributions and strong partnerships with the Government and the Egyptian private sector.

Board members particularly welcomed the programme’s efforts in school feeding to strengthen girls’ education, preventing child labour and enhancing nutrition. Local food production incentives should be enhanced in order to build stronger resistance against food price rises.

Budget increase to PRRO Occupied Palestinian Territory 2000037

The budget revision would allow to align the new PRRO with the next UNDAF and country strategy, which is being developed in collaboration with FAO. The PRRO’s objectives focus on relief work and resilience-building, including emergency preparedness, food voucher schemes and local purchase.

The Board commended the operation’s support to livelihoods, expansion of voucher schemes and the hand-over process with a continuing safety net for the most vulnerable.

Operational Matters

(continued)

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Latin America and the Caribbean

Overview of the region

The Regional Director summarised the main areas of interventions in response to the recent hurricanes in Cuba and Haiti, a major earthquake in Guatemala as well as droughts and floods in Paraguay. Main needs include capacity development for Government counterparts, nutrition interventions, school feeding and emergency preparedness mechanisms.

Nicaragua Draft Country Programme 200434

The programme focuses on indigenous groups in the ‘dry corridor’ and resilience-building interventions in partnership with FAO and other actors. An HIV component would be incorporated, as well as capacity building for national partners, using P4P approaches to support small-scale farmers.

Members stressed the importance of effective partnerships with the Government and NGO partners for targeting and needs assessment, implementation and hand-over. The Board cautioned that WFP would have to avoid possible overlaps with the resilience-building operations of other actors.

Report on the WFP Field Visit to Colombia

The Board President gave a brief overview of the field visit and reported on meetings with communities and stakeholder consultations that had revealed the high esteem in which WFP was held. Partnerships were supporting WFP’s work, but there was scope for development, particularly with FAO and IFAD.

Some members underlined the need for prioritization, as well as coordination and harmonization.

West Africa

Overview of the region

The Regional Director for West Africa reported good harvests, but food prices in the Sahel were 30-90 percent above five-year averages and floods had affected 2.5 million people. Acute malnutrition rates had improved but remained at serious levels. Challenges had included contrasting messages about the scale of the crisis, mixed Government capacities and procurement problems. In response to the current crisis in Mali, WFP was involved in joint UN efforts to enhance humanitarian access; in the meantime it provided assistance through NGOs with access to affected areas.

Budget increase to Mali Country Programme 105830

The budget revision allows to align the new Country Programme with the new UNDAF in 2014. The increase would serve 425,000 of the most vulnerable people. Innovations include supplementary feeding to prevent stunting, cash-for-nutrition awareness and mother-and-child health and nutrition activities, as well as additional fortified foods in the food basket.

The Board supported the increase, noting the political uncertainty and instability in Mali. Members sought clarification on the opportunities for local purchases and the coordination with other humanitarian agencies which had similar programmes in the same areas.

Operational Matters

(continued)

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East and Central Africa

Overview of the region

Five regional priorities were set: i) strengthening countries’ capacities to respond to hunger and food security issues; ii) building resilience and disaster risk reduction; iii) filling gaps in emergency response where governments lacked capacity; iv) post-conflict, post-disaster and transition situations; and v) supporting governments in addressing chronic hunger. In view of the rainy season, pre-positioning of food was considered essential in areas where rains made roads impassable.

Joint UNHCR/WFP Impact Evaluation on the Contribution of Food Assistance to Durable Solutions in Protracted Refugee Situations — Rwanda

The evaluation found that WFP’s food assistance was insufficient to meet needs, and assumptions about beneficiaries’ use of rations had not been realized. Households were adopting negative coping strategies, including selling monthly rations at poor terms. School attendance dropped in the fourth week after monthly food distributions, when food was scarce. Women and girls were vulnerable to gender-based violence in the camps’ surroundings. A lack of funding was the main cause of these issues.

The Board expressed concern about the situation of refugees in Rwanda. While encouraging WFP to consider opportunities for facilitating refugees’ income generation, the Board recognized the need to prioritize saving lives. IT skills training was suggested as an example of income-generating options for young people in the camps.

Somalia Country Portfolio Evaluation

The evaluation found that the portfolio has changed significantly over time and is increasingly aligned with guidelines for interventions in fragile States since 2010. The evaluation commended the increased focus on nutrition, recovery, and livelihood activities. Recently, better engagement with local authorities has helped WFP be more responsive to different area contexts. Accountability to donors at the Nairobi level has increased since 2011. Overall, the evaluation found that WFP had improved its reputation in Somalia since 2010, but still needed to improve its knowledge of the impact of food assistance on livelihoods and markets throughout the different regions.

The Board welcomed the progress already made in implementing the recommendations. It requested more information on plans for strengthening partnerships and inquired about the separation between WFP’s humanitarian and the UN’s wider political mandate. Members urged WFP to improve its overall knowledge of the food security situation on the ground and looked forward to seeing further improvements in the analysis of markets and livelihoods of different groups.

PRRO Somalia 200443

Given the need for multi-sectorial investment in resilience-building, the strategy for the PRRO has been devised in consultation with FAO, the Global Alliance, local authorities and other partners with a view to long-term sustainability and livelihood creation. To ensure access to beneficiaries and operational continuity despite the prevailing insecurity, WFP would work largely through local NGOs.

While praising the commitment of WFP staff in a challenging operational environment, the Board stressed the importance of security and stability for achieving the objectives of the PRRO. Investments in resilience-building and livelihood development were welcomed. WFP should adjust its interventions in the light of impact measurements and consider the feasibility of cash and voucher approaches.

Operational Matters

(continued)

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PRRO Uganda 200429

The PRRO aims to improve refugees’ food consumption in the southwest and northwest of Uganda, as well as that of the most vulnerable population in Karamoja. Cash-based modalities, to be introduced based on beneficiary preference, are expected to support refugees’ economic integration.

The Board praised the PRRO’s alignment with the Government’s liberal policies for refugee support, which promoted stability and economic development. Partnerships and hand-over to the national Government were welcomed, but more concrete steps such as a hand-over timetable were requested.

Budget increase to PRRO Democratic Republic of the Congo 200167

Complementing the current EMOP, the budget increase aims at extending the PRRO for six months to assist the increasing number of internally displaced people. As staff security has been a major issue, partnerships are even more essential in areas inaccessible to WFP.

Board members supported the revision, but sought clarification on the development of cash and voucher transfers. The Board was also interested in learning more about measures to address pipeline breaks, security and access issues, as well as the protection of women and girls against violence.

Budget increase to PRRO Ethiopia 200290

The budget increase allows to assist an additional million people for two years. Interventions include a pilot cash and voucher project, subject to availability of funds. The Government of Ethiopia has already provided some funding.

The Board welcomed the PRRO’s activities in emergency preparedness and resilience-building. Members inquired about the effect of increased local purchases and establishment of the Djibouti hub on storage and handling costs.

Southern Africa

Overview of the region

Drought emergency preparedness and strengthened partnerships with governments and NGOs were defined as priorities for the region. Harvests were good, but drought and high maize prices affected 5.5 million people. WFP is working with UN and other partners to reduce chronic malnutrition through mother-and-child interventions for the first 1,000 days, food-by-prescription programmes for HIV-positive people and their families, as well as the REACH approach. Positive developments included reinforced partnerships with South Africa, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the private sector.

Swaziland Development Project 200422

In response to the country’s high HIV/AIDS prevalence, the project targets orphans and other vulnerable children in preschool care points, secondary and vocational schools. School feeding is considered essential to support undernourished pupils in general and pregnant girls in particular. The project also includes training and technical assistance to the Government and partners.

Board members recognized that food assistance would generally be the appropriate modality under the circumstances. However, cash and voucher schemes could also be considered as there was no food deficit in Swaziland. The alignment with the gender policy was welcomed.

Operational Matters

(continued)

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Snapshots

EB.2/2012

The Highlights of the Board are produced by the Board Secretariat. Photo credits: Rein Skullerud and Giulio d’Adamo