WFP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific - 2016 SPRs RBB 2016 SPRs by project type | Page 706

Standard Project Report 2016
Operational Partnerships
WFP partners in PNG had light operational capacity on the ground, particularly regarding operations outside of Port
Moresby and those regarding food security in general. WFP worked with partners through the Food Security
Cluster, which was established with FAO in January 2016. FAO itself was present in the country with a two-person
team, and its activities were limited to institutional capacity building with the Department of Agriculture and Livestock
and coordination of the Food Security Cluster. Other Food Security Cluster partners had limited scope—World
Vision International was active in several parts of the country with agricultural/value chain training, while CARE
International and Oxfam conducted a joint agricultural recovery programme in three provinces. Expertise in logistics
among these agencies was particularly lacking, and costs were prohibitively expensive to reach the more remote
areas of the country. WFP also worked with the academic institutions operating in the area including researchers
from the Australian National University and with private sector partners to conduct food security analysis and
mapping.
WFP partners agreed that the activation of a formal logistics cluster was not required. Instead, WFP and logistics
partners functioned as an informal logistics sector, and logistics information was exchanged among partners as
required. Logistics partners included UN agencies, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT),
and private sector organisations that were interested in providing resources to the response. WFP
shared information on logistics corridors, aviation mapping, and technical guidance with these partners.
WFP believes that there was sufficient capacity among UN and other agencies as well as the Government of PNG
to work towards SDGs. However, there is much room to improve on the emergency preparedness and response
capacities of partners, as the response to El Niño drought in 2016 proved that there were gaps in technical
expertise and interagency coordination.
Results/Outcomes
Although WFP did not have a physical presence in PNG prior to this IR-PREP, WFP successfully met its
preparedness goals within a relatively short, two-month project span. WFP provided technical guidance in logistics
and food security and strengthened the readiness and capacity of humanitarian partners and the Government of
PNG to respond to an impending drought emergency. WFP also delivered on its promise of supporting the
Government of PNG’s national assessment, engaging itself in interagency coordination mechanisms and sharing
developments with government and non-government stakeholders through the DMT.
WFP provided guidance for the creation of the Food Security Cluster and logistics sector as platforms to improve
information sharing among partners, to enhance monitoring and to build overall capacity. WFP helped guide chair
agencies with Terms of Reference, a strategic summary, roles and responsibilities, presence mapping and priority
actions for 2016.
Once these interagency fora were in place, WFP loaned its mapping expertise to partners—a move that was critical
to analyse the impact of the drought on the national food security situation. Prior to WFP involvement in the country,
baseline data on food security needs and logistics corridor scenarios in case of an operational scale-up
were noticeably lacking. WFP carried out an mVAM assessment, for which WFP corroborated previous reports and
databases and through which WFP acquired new insight on the food security of the worst-affected areas. WFP
shared the VAM results with government and non-government partners through the DMT and Food Security
Cluster. WFP supplemented the VAM results with specialised mapping of drought areas and a subsequent
operational overview of the response. Information was also triangulated through the Cluster with international
partners, research teams from the Australian National University, Geoscience Australia, and DFAT to provide
comprehensive updated drought information and drought mapping.
Although logistics coordination was operational and WFP provided ongoing logistics support and operational
information to the relevant humanitarian agencies, the Logistics Cluster was never formally activated, but instead
functioned as a 'sector'. This more informal approach allowed WFP to spend less time on formal logistics meetings
and instead focus precious time on logistics mapping and other operational priorities that would then be shared with
partners. The number of WFP staff on the ground was limited, necessitating more involvement in the field and away
from Port Moresby, where logistics partner agencies were primarily based. Through the sector, WFP worked with
authorities at the provincial level to identify logistics corridors for food delivery. The sector also conducted an
aviation assessment which identified air service providers, capacity, and areas of operation. By 29 February 2016,
WFP and partners had mapped existing humanitarian actors, access constraints, logistics corridors, and gaps in the
humanitarian response for decision-makers in preparation for an emergency operation.
Papua New Guinea, Independant State of (PG)
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