WFP ADVOCACY FRAMEWORK GRAND BARGAIN SPECIAL EDITION

Transcription

1 WFP ADVOCACY FRAMEWORK GRAND BARGAIN SPECIAL EDITION WFP s implementation of the Grand Bargain commitments, January TRANSPARENCY WHAT IS WFP DOING TO ENHANCE TRANSPARENCY? Improving data transparency and accessibility: The timing, quality and quantity of financial data published by WFP is widely acknowledged as a corporate strength. In 2016, WFP ranked first of 473 organizations in the financial transparency rating of the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI). WFP is moving forward with the development of a regularly updated online portal which will enable member states and donors to track how we are deploying resources to support activities and outcomes against the planned budget. This portal is expected to be operational by the second quarter of Country Portfolio Budget: WFP s Country Portfolio Budget consolidates all funding requirements in one place, helping partners understand what WFP seeks to achieve in country. Coherence in budgeting and prioritization are key benefits of the Country Portfolio Budget. It provides a clear line of sight starting from country specific activities through country strategic outcomes to SDG targets, all aligned with corporate strategic objectives. WFP s Country Offices in Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Niger, Uganda, Yemen and Zimbabwe undertook the first pilot development of the Country Portfolio Budget structure in 2015 and LOCAL AND NATIONAL RESPONDERS HAS WFP INCREASED ITS SUPPORT FOR FIRST RESPONDERS? Investing in local capacity: For WFP to support governments achieve zero hunger, it needs to leverage local partners and their capacity. Thus, the Strategic Plan stipulates that WFP will make strategic demand-side investments in the capacity strengthening of relevant national and local NGOs, farmers organizations and other community-based organizations to help communities lead and sustain their own fight against hunger and achieve SDG 2. Further, WFP will pay special attention to strengthening the performance capacity of local crisis responders. Greater transfers to local actors: Consensus emerged at the World Humanitarian Summit around the merit of localizing humanitarian preparedness and response. Empowering local actors entails a reallocation of resources in the international aid system. For its, part WFP will WFP Advocacy Framework 1

2 transfer at least 25 percent of its expenditure to first responders by 2020 as compared to a 20 percent baseline in WFP is applying a whole of society approach to its Country Strategic Planning process. Under government leadership, Country Strategic Reviews include the participation of a wide range of stakeholders, including local NGOs, community-based organizations, faith-inspired organizations, and Red Cross/Red Crescent societies. These organizations are systematically included in the design and implementation of WFP Country Strategic Plans. Joint capacity strengthening: In , WFP and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) are jointly investing in the capacity of Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies in Burundi, the Dominican Republic, Pakistan and Sudan. 3. CASH-BASED TRANSFERS HOW IS WFP SCALING UP CASH-BASED TRANSFERS? For WFP, cash is a standard transfer modality alongside in-kind food, value vouchers and commodity vouchers. WFP is scaling up cash-based transfers in over 50 countries reaching close to ten million people with nearly US$ 1 billion in transfer value. This represents a quarter of WFP s food assistance portfolio. Turkey - Providing cash through the Emergency Social Safety Net: WFP partners with the Turkish Government, Turkish Red Crescent and ECHO in the Emergency Social Safety Net programme (ESSN). The ESSN enables 1 million refugees to afford food, rent, medicine, winter clothes and other essentials. Each refugee family receives a debit card for use in local shops or in ATMs. Somalia - Digital beneficiary and transfer management: WFP uses digital payments to progressively scale up cash. In Somalia, a digital beneficiary management system (SCOPE) allows real-time electronic management of programmes. Following biometric registration, beneficiaries receive e-cards to purchase food in local shops or to access food assistance. Fingerprints serve as a signature and assistance can only be redeemed by the individuals registered on the card. 4. DUPLICATION AND MANAGEMENT COSTS WHAT IS WFP DOING TO REDUCE DUPLICATION AND MANAGEMENT COSTS? By providing common logistical services, WFP drives down the cost of humanitarian assistance for the system as a whole. These services include the UN Humanitarian Air Service, the UN Humanitarian Response Depots, and the Fast Information Technology and WFP Advocacy Framework 2

3 Telecommunications Emergency and Support Team. Through its leadership of clusters, WFP helps ensure that those in greatest needs are prioritized for assistance. Cost excellence: In , WFP conducted a comprehensive analysis of travel, facilities and utilities costs to identify ways of achieving better value for money. A total of US$ 3.8 million was saved and subsequently reinvested in strategic priority areas. Cost excellence: In 2016 WFP examined processes in finance, human resources, information technology, management services, and supply chain with a view to optimizing effectiveness and costs. The emphasis in 2017 is on further improving these processes, particularly those with a high volume of transactions. The purpose is to enable field offices to focus on work that adds operational value, and to spend less resources on time-consuming processes. In 2017, WFP aims to generate potential savings of up to USD 6.2 million. Haiti system-wide logistics coordination of Hurricane Matthew response: As Hurricane Matthew made landfall in October 2016, WFP and the Global Logistics Cluster mobilized rapid response with Government and humanitarian partners. Airlifts from UN Humanitarian Response Depots, customs clearance support and international ocean freight helped keep transport costs to a minimum. Logistics Emergency Team partners (Agility, Maersk, UPS) provided pro bono support. WFP coordinated access to US military air assets and to Dutch navy vessels, enabling aid to be delivered to people in hard to reach areas. WFP also contracted commercial air and sea services and offered a fleet of off-road trucks and warehouses, thereby reducing competition for scarce assets and ensuring rapid and costeffective response. Iraq WFP cost optimization through supply chain improvements: WFP has piloted its new Optimus solution in Iraq. Optimus enables WFP to optimize food baskets (nutritional value, choice of commodities and ration sizes), transfer modalities (in-kind food deliveries, cash-based transfers, hybrid responses) within supply chain (lead times, capacities) and budget constraints. As a result, WFP has achieved savings of USD 1.1 million per month in Iraq. South Sudan Reducing the costs of airdrops: WFP with its partner SkyLife have designed a new aerial delivery system to reach remote locations where there is no surface transport infrastructure and high insecurity. WFP s effectiveness in delivering large volumes of food has increased dramatically through the use of fixed wing aircraft. These aircrafts offer higher delivery capacity than helicopters. They have reduced delivery costs of airdrops by 75%. 5. NEEDS ASSESSMENTS HOW IS WFP TAKING FORWARD JOINT NEEDS ASSESSMENTS? Joint assessments: WFP routinely carries out joint assessments with partners, both crosssectoral assessments and in-depth food security and nutrition assessments. Examples of well-established joint assessments include Crop and Food Security Assessment missions with FAO, Multi Cluster/Sector Initial Rapid Assessments with OCHA, Joint Assessment Missions with UNHCR, and Post Disaster/Conflict Needs Assessments with UNDP. DFID s Multilateral Aid Review (2015) highlighted the reliability of needs assessments and their use to inform programming as one of WFP s many strengths. WFP Advocacy Framework 3

4 A new global network: In 2016, WFP, FAO and EU launched the "Global Network against Food Crises". The network acts as a catalyst for shared assessment of needs and for collective analysis of impact. It will enhance response to food and nutrition crises, by bridging humanitarian and development programming. A new approach: Also in 2016, WFP, UNICEF and other partners finalized the Joint Approach to Nutrition and Food Security Assessments, following three years piloting of the assessment tools in East and Central Africa. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC): For WFP, the IPC and cluster coordination are two key tools to support joint needs assessments. As a global multistakeholder partnership involving UN agencies, NGOs, the EU, governments and FEWSNET, the IPC builds consensus on the severity and causes of food insecurity situations. IPC in South Sudan: WFP supports IPC assessments in emergencies, including Central African Republic, North Eastern Nigeria, South Sudan, Southern Africa and Yemen. The IPC is conducted quarterly in South Sudan. WFP is part of the government-led IPC technical working group, along with FAO, OCHA, UNICEF, WHO, FEWSNET, ACF, CARE, Save the Children, World Vision, NRC, Oxfam and IRC. WFP leads IPC mapping and provides technical expertise on food security and nutrition early warning and analysis of assessment findings. Joint assessments with FAO: In 2016, WFP conducted joint crop and food security assessments with FAO in Central African Republic, Haiti, Madagascar, Myanmar, South Sudan and Syria to determine the magnitude of the food security crisis in these countries. Mobile food security monitoring in L3s: WFP uses mobile food security monitoring (mvam) in all current L3 emergencies. mvam allows WFP to conduct surveys remotely using call centers, SMS and interactive voice response in conflict settings where systematic data collection is difficult, timely and expensive. The information collected includes food consumption, coping strategies, and market prices. It is made available as a global public good through OCHA s Humanitarian Data Exchange platform. 6. PARTICIPATION REVOLUTION IS WFP HOLDING ITSELF ACCOUNTABLE TO AFFECTED POPULATIONS? New Strategy on Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP): WFP s vision for AAP outlined in the new strategy is that by 2018, all people served by WFP are able to hold the organization to account for hunger results and for addressing their needs in a manner that reflects their views and preferences. WFP will continue to raise awareness on AAP among staff and partners, aiming to enhance inter-agency collaboration and coordination. WFP is also piloting programmatic and technological innovations for AAP and integrating AAP in WFP s corporate monitoring and evaluation frameworks. Haiti - ensuring AAP in the Hurricane Mathew response: In Haiti, as part of the response to Hurricane Mathew, WFP deployed, through the NRC roster, a protection and AAP advisor. WFP Advocacy Framework 4

5 The advisor works with the Country Office on improving information provision and setting up a sustainable complaints and feedback mechanism that can be expanded to long-term programmes beyond the hurricane response. WFP coordinates this effort with UNICEF, OCHA, NGOs and the Government to maximize efficiency and better use of resources. Iraq - consultations throughout the project cycle: WFP Iraq implements a pilot project of unrestricted cash to respond to food security needs. As part of the project, WFP applies several forms of two-way communication methods to engage with the affected communities before and after project implementation. The participants who have been consulted prior to implementation are engaged again to provide feedback on how the cash transfers have changed the way they are purchasing and using food, whether unrestricted cash assistance has changed their level of dignity and safety, and the impact of the project on social dynamics at the household and community level. 7. FLEXIBLE AND MULTI-YEAR FUNDING HOW IS WFP FACILITATING MORE FLEXIBLE AND PREDICATABLE FUNDING? The Immediate Response Account (IRA): The IRA is WFP s life-saving funding facility. It allows WFP to provide rapid injections of resources to address life-threatening situations where no contributions are available or forecast. The IRA is replenished with donor contributions and through the revolving of project allocations. Strategic Partnership Agreements (SPAs): WFP promotes SPAs with donors to allow for predictable and flexible funding around a set of jointly agreed longer-term objectives. WFP currently has SPAs with 12 donors. Donor visibility: WFP reports and recognizes flexible contributions in various ways, including the WFP s use of multilateral funding report. Operational Example Country Strategic Plans: Country Strategic Plans, which cover a time period up to five years, contain the outcomes, outputs and activities that WFP will achieve, thus providing a better basis for donors to provide resources over multi-year periods. IRA funding for Yemen: More than half of Yemen s population is slipping into hunger at crisis or emergency levels, and seven million people are severely food insecure. Despite limited direct donor contributions, WFP has been able to feed six million people in Yemen every two months thanks to crucial IRA funding totaling US$ 20 million. 8. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS IS WFP HARMONIZING AND SIMPLIFYING REPORTING REQUIREMENTS? Harmonization of partnership processes: WFP is working with UNHCR and UNICEF to simplify and harmonize partner selection, reporting, and agreement processes, standards and templates. OCHA are also now engaged in this work. Successful delivery will be WFP Advocacy Framework 5

6 welcomed by NGO partners, who have advocated strongly for a more streamlined approach to partnership by UN agencies. It will also facilitate UN partnerships with local and national responders, by reducing complexity, and highlighting opportunities for capacity strengthening. Seeking a joint approach to simplified reporting: WFP participates in the Simplified and Harmonized Reporting initiative led by ICVA, Norway and Germany. WFP will use the 2016 Standard Project Report (SPR) process to pilot a harmonized template for donor reporting proposed by this group. 9. HUMANITARIAN-DEVELOPMENT NEXUS HOW IS WFP LEVERAGING THE HUMANITARIAN-DEVELOPMENT NEXUS? WFP Strategic Plan : The Strategic Plan integrates emergency preparedness and response actions with development planning at country level. WFP will save lives in ways that contribute to collective outcomes over the longer term, working collaboratively in multistakeholder partnerships across institutional boundaries. Humanitarian Development Action Group: WFP has partnered with New York University s Center for International Cooperation UNDP, OCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF and the World Bank to develop a think piece entitled, After the World Humanitarian Summit: Better Humanitarian- Development Cooperation for Sustainable Results on the Ground. Operational Example WFP conducts joint resilience programming with FAO. Recent examples include Sudan, Niger and Madagascar, where WFP and FAO have fielded a joint seed protection programme. Country Strategic Plans: The Country Strategic Plan approach ensures that WFP s crisis response supports recovery and long-term development, and that development activities are informed by an understanding of risk and protect vulnerable people from crises. Country Strategic Plans will be rolled-out in , with the first wave of Executive Board approval expected in February Starting 01 January 2018, all Country Offices will be implementing the new programmatic framework, including through transitional arrangements. Uganda: Durable solutions for refugee and host communities: Uganda is one of three UNHCR and WFP self-reliance pilots together with Chad and South Sudan. In 2014, UNHCR and WFP launched a new programme to enable refugee farmers to engage in the local agricultural economy. Having received land for cultivation by the host government, refugees are trained in post-harvest handling and storage equipment together with farmers from the host community. Based on the lessons in Uganda, UNHCR and WFP has launched a Joint Strategy for Enhancing Self-Reliance in Food Security and Nutrition in Protracted Refugee Situations. Partnership & Advocacy Coordination Division (PGC) Find more WFP advocacy material at: WFP Advocacy Framework 6