WFP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific - 2016 SPRs RBB 2016 SPRs by project type | Page 22

Standard Project Report 2016
qualitative and quantitative tools were made based on monthly action plans and monitoring findings from previous
months to ensure necessary corrective actions were taken. The plans highlighted monitoring objectives, activities
and field sites to be visited during the month, and were agreed upon with the heads of sub-offices. Monitoring
findings and suggested corrective actions were circulated within the sub-offices and the country office and shared
with cooperating partners.
The monitoring and evaluation unit in the country office maintains an online database in order to collect programme
implementation data from sub-offices and cooperating partners. Corporate systems, the Country Office Tool for
Managing (programme operations) Effectively (COMET) and the Standard Project Reports Intelligent Next
Generation (SPRING), were used to systematically record and monitor programme implementation against the
‘programme of work’ established at the beginning of the year. Tablet-based solutions are increasingly being
introduced for real-time monitoring.
Under the Improving Maternal and Child Nutrition (IMCN) programme, the treatment of moderate acute malnutrition
(MAM) programme was assessed on a quarterly basis using the beneficiary register data on recovery, defaulting,
non-response and death rates. The addition of indicators on MAM and pregnant and lactating women (PLW) in the
Government’s National Management Information System (N-MIS) greatly improved data availability and
accountability. Annual nutritional status surveys were conducted by partner non-governmental organizations
(NGOs).
WFP undertook annual stakeholder workshops for capacity strengthening projects to assess changes in the
National Capacity Index. For school feeding capacity assessments, the Systems Approach for Better Education
Results (SABER) was introduced. The country office coordinated an independent and decentralised evaluation for
the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) McGovern Dole supported school feeding programme, which
has both direct implementation and capacity development components.
For the Enhancing Resilience to Natural Disasters and the Effects of Climate Change (ER) programme, the
Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) also conducted periodic implementation monitoring, and LGED
senior staff from Dhaka participated in field visits to assess project quality. Donors that visited shared their field
mission findings, which were taken into consideration when forming action points to address project implementation
issues. WFP commenced a study of the ‘Saemaul Zero Hunger Community Project’ to assess the project outcomes.
The International Food Policy Research Institute conducted a baseline and endline study on the ER+ h ouseholds to
determine the added value of the ‘cash grant for investment’ component in the third year. Partnerships were
formulated with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the International Organization for Migration (IOM),
and Solidarités International for behaviour change communication sessions under the Enhancing Food Security
programme.
WFP assisted the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and the Department of Women Affairs in developing and
implementing a joint monitoring plan for Vulnerable Group Development (VGD). WFP assisted the Department of
Women Affairs in organizing joint visits and the findings of the joint monitoring exercise were used to adapt to the
VGD programme where necessary. The Investment Component of VGD (ICVGD) used the VGD monitoring
checklists with minor modifications. Apart from regular monitoring by the Department of Women Affairs and
NGO partners, WFP and the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs conducted joint monitoring on a regular basis
and fine-tuned interventions accordingly. The Ministry and WFP are working together on improving and modernising
the monitoring framework and system for VGD and ICVGD.
A formative evaluation conducted in April 2016 among the first 2,000 participants of ICVGD, confirmed that most of
the women were successfully generating revenue with their income-generating activities and that the targeting
process had been effective and transparent. Furthermore, a baseline survey was completed by Helen Keller
International for 6,000 ICVGD women, to be followed by an endline survey after this project cycle has ended.
Results/Outcomes
Component 1: Improving maternal and child nutrition (IMCN)
Strategic Objective 4: Reduce undernutrition and break the intergenerational cycle of hunger.
Outcome: Reduced undernutrition, including micronutrient deficiencies among children aged 6-59 months,
pregnant and lactating women, and school-aged children.
The total number of beneficiaries reached in 2016 was much lower than planned due to the omission in the ninth
budget revision of an adjustment of planned nutrition figures for 2016 to reflect an updated geographical focus.
Moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) treatment programmes in Satkhira and Kurigram were closed early in June and
October 2016, respectively, in light of funding limitations. The programme in Satkhira was transferred to the
Bangladesh, People's Republic of (BD)
19
Country Programme - 200243