Standard Project Report 2016
theft, gender-based violence and other criminal activity, as well as various forms of discrimination arising out of the existing male-dominated cultural context of the country. WFP therefore focused on supporting single women without their family members and other groups identified as being socioeconomically vulnerable with the complete food ration of rice, pulses, vegetable oil, salt and specialized nutritious food( Super Cereal). In 2016, WFP also changed the frequency of post distribution monitoring from annually to monthly in order to capture any negative effects that the needs-based approach may have had on the households that received the reduced rations.
Moreover, a number of controls were set in place to collect feedback and resolve complaints in order to further ensure the safety and well-being of the remaining refugee population and vulnerable groups. These included random monitoring of the food basket at the food basket monitoring centres to check the food commodities and identify irregularities during distribution. This was carried out by WFP ' s partner Association of Medical Doctors of Asia. Wherever discrepancies were identified, beneficiaries were issued with a coupon indicating that they were to receive additional food quantities or return any excess commodities. These incidences were reported to WFP’ s staff during their monitoring visits. The respective distributing officials of each of the sectors in the camp, as well as the camp secretary, were notified of the need for corrections and follow-up. Food basket monitors maintained daily records and shared updates with representatives of WFP, Lutheran World Federation and Camp Management Committees in bi-monthly camp-level coordination meetings.
The results of the year-end post distribution monitoring( November 2016) showed that all beneficiaries were safely able to collect their rations and travel between their homes and distribution sites. There were no indications given by the beneficiaries of any incidences of bribery or coercion related to the food distribution. A beneficiary feedback mechanism instituted by partners encouraged beneficiaries to share any concerns with elected members of the camp management committees, staff and cooperating partners or WFP staff members who visited the camps on a weekly basis. The complaint boxes in the camps established by Lutheran World Federation were particularly useful for beneficiaries to give feedback related to food distribution and other project activities. Priority was given to vulnerable beneficiaries— pregnant and lactating women, elderly and disabled persons— at the food distribution counters so that these groups did not have to spend a long time waiting to collect their rations. WFP staff monitored and reported any protection concerns every month and brought key issues in the camps to the attention of managers for action.
WFP also kept the camp population updated on major changes in the assistance or breaks in the supply chain of food items. WFP informed them through unit-level meetings conducted for all WFP programmes, regular coordination meetings at the camp level, and through posting on information bulletins. The unit-level meetings provided an opportunity for direct and two-way communication between the beneficiaries and WFP programme staff to clarify issues and understand the perceptions of the people. This was important in the context of the launch of the needs-based approach where WFP and partners held many extra information sessions and distributed informative leaflets throughout the camps to make all refugee families fully aware in advance of the impending ration reduction.
Despite these rigorous measures to create awareness, the year-end post distribution monitoring data analysis indicated a slightly reduced result on the " proportion of people informed about the programme " in comparison with the baseline. This was a result of some respondents who indicated negative answers to the sub-question on awareness— whether they knew what they would receive— which forms a part of this composite indicator. Such answers may have been generated because in some households, the post distribution monitoring interview had been conducted with other family members who had less knowledge of their family ' s entitlement. These family members may have provided answers in the absence of heads of households or those who regularly attended unit-level meetings and information sessions. There is also the possibility that although the respondents knew about their entitlement, they still had some confusion or doubt as to what they would receive and answered in the negative. Learning from this finding, WFP will explore possibilities of expanding the information outreach so that the full refugee population has access to information on the programme and any changes that take place so as to avoid clear confusion and misunderstandings.
Visibility
Visibility
During 2016, WFP and partners hosted several high level visits to the refugee camps, including visits by the Ambassadors of the United States of America( US), Germany, and the Deputy Ambassador of Canada. These visits were followed by the visit of the Deputy Regional Coordinator of the US Embassy. The visits helped provide donor countries with first-hand updates on the activities of WFP and partners in the refugee camps. Similarly, separate visits or briefings were also organised for representatives of the Government of Nepal as well as for representatives of the US Embassy and the US Agency for International Development( USAID) and US Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.
Nepal, State of( NP) 25 Single Country PRRO- 200787