Standard Project Report 2016
WFP directly and indirectly cooperated with a range of other United Nations organizations and humanitarian stakeholders in DPRK. WFP continued to co-chair the food security and agriculture sector working group with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization( FAO), and the nutrition sector working Group with the United Nations Children ' s Fund( UNICEF).
In disaster risk reduction, WFP cooperated with FAO, the United Nations Development Programme( UNDP), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation( SDC), and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies( IFRC). WFP also participated in an advisory group to ensure coordination in disaster risk reduction. The World Health Organization( WHO) and UNICEF’ s work in vaccinations also complemented WFP’ s operations.
WFP conducted frequent bilateral and multilateral programme discussions and consultations with international organizations including Save the Children, Concern Worldwide, SDC, and IFRC. WFP staff frequently participated in workshops organised by other humanitarian stakeholders, which contributed to mutual capacity development and information sharing. These partnerships provide value for WFP operations as good nutrition is also impacted by other factors such as drinking water, health and hygiene.
Under an existing agreement, WFP continued to collaborate with UNICEF and UNDP on information and communications technology( ICT) service provision and support.
During field visits, WFP teams met with women’ s groups and pregnant and lactating women. These meetings offered important opportunities for information sharing on households ' food security and nutritional situation. Qualitative discussions with beneficiaries, as well as officials and employees at children ' s institutions which receive WFP rations, are important in helping WFP understand the results of its activities and can also add to the effectiveness of its programmes. For example, field monitors reported that they were often able to correct beneficiaries’ improper storage of WFP food rations during their field visits, therefore helping to prevent food from being wasted.
Performance Monitoring
WFP has the broadest monitoring reach of any humanitarian agency operating in DPRK, working under an agreement with the Government of“ no access, no assistance”. The country office implemented a robust process monitoring system and produced weekly and monthly internal monitoring reports, as well as quarterly reports which are publicly available. Every effort was made to ensure data collected was as accurate as possible. However, like other humanitarian stakeholders, WFP faced restrictions in collecting certain monitoring information in DPRK.
The country office collected performance monitoring data through regular field visits to beneficiary households, children ' s institutions, public distribution centres and WFP-supported local food production factories. These meetings with beneficiaries and county officials offered opportunities for field monitors to collect not only quantitative data, but also qualitative information through interviews and observations. These meetings provided vital insights into how beneficiaries perceived WFP operations, as needed capacity development and awareness raising( such as on the importance of nutrition), and also allowed WFP to build trust with those it serves.
As PRRO 200532 drew to a close, WFP conducted an internal end of project review which included an evaluation of monitoring and evaluation practices. Based on recommendations from the review, lessons learned and monitoring requirements demanded by the new programme, WFP streamlined and updated its monitoring processes. For example, WFP introduced focus group discussions during monitoring trips to food for disaster risk reduction( FDRR) project sites. This new initiative allows WFP to collect data on cross-cutting gender and protection indicators. Focus group discussions were held once during the implementation of FDRR projects in 2016. During the pre-assessment, checks were conducted to determine if project sites met the project requirements. The pre-assessment excluded beneficiaries and therefore no focus group discussions were conducted. Focus group discussions took place during the mid-term assessment when beneficiaries had started their construction work and tree planting. Lastly, the final assessment will confirm the results achieved by the project after it is finished. Since the time between the mid-term assessment and the end of the project is usually short, it does not allow for additional focus group discussions, explaining why the country office has collected baseline data but no end values in 2016 for cross-cutting indicators on gender and protection.
WFP has improved the objectivity of household visit selection by installing randomisation software on monitors’ data collection tablets. Previously, the households to be visited were negotiated with county officials, a process which field monitors reported was possibly subject to selection bias. Questionnaires which field monitors use to collect information from beneficiaries were also streamlined, with extraneous questions removed and others clarified. A gender component was also added.
Korea, Democratic People ' s Republic of( KP) 15 Single Country PRRO- 200907