WFP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific - 2016 SPRs RBB 2016 SPRs by project type | Page 746

Standard Project Report 2016
WFP conducted independent monitoring of the programme, including post-distribution monitoring (PDM)
through beneficiary contact monitoring at camp locations and at households using electronic tablets for efficiency
and accuracy. The distribution of assistance was monitored through both quantitative and qualitative data collection
methods. As part of its responsibilities in this operation, government officials of the Ministry of National Policies and
Economic Affairs and staff seconded by the Ministry of Agriculture participated in joint monitoring with WFP.
Quantitative indicators were derived from the distribution reports and monitoring reports submitted by the
Government, and were compared against the quantitative and qualitative data collected by WFP’s monitoring
staff. Gender disaggregated data were collected, where possible.
Efforts were made to ensure gender-sensitive monitoring, with half of the beneficiary verification and 60 percent of
the project monitoring conducted by female staff. A gender-sensitive complaint and feedback mechanism for
beneficiaries was set-up through the installation of a toll-free number at the WFP country office, which was
managed by a trained female staff member.
Results/Outcomes
Strategic Objective: Save lives and protect livelihoods in emergencies (SO1)
Outcome: Stabilised or improved food consumption over assistance period for targeted households and/or
individuals
Activity: Food assistance intervention through cash-based transfers
The USD 2.3 million EMOP aimed to reach 40,000 beneficiaries, or approximately 10,000 households based on an
expected average family size of four members. With the limited financial resources received (58 percent of
requirements), WFP reached 22,950 people (57 percent of the target) from 75 percent of the planned households.
This was a result of the fact that actual family sizes were smaller than expected, especially in urban areas—a
lesson learned from the operation that will be considered in future project planning. The remaining 25 percent of
planned households were assisted primarily by the Government.
Efforts to encourage the registration of female family members as the recipients of cash-based transfers resulted in
two thirds of the recipients of assistance being women. Since the disaggregated age and gender breakdown of
beneficiaries was not provided by partners, the demographic breakdown of beneficiaries reached was derived
from the latest national population census from the Department of Census and Statistics.
It should be noted that WFP had no pre-existing assistance programmes in the more urban flood-affected and rural
landslide-affected areas before the disaster. As this was a sudden onset disaster and short-term response
operation, there was insufficient time to gather baseline data on household food consumption scores (FCS).
However, based on post-distribution monitoring (PDM), beneficiaries indicated that WFP’s cash-based transfer
assistance contributed positively to ensure their food needs were met. Cash-based transfers received by affected
households were used to purchase necessary food items to meet their basic nutrient requirements. The proportion
of household expenditure on food commodities was reported at 52 percent, slightly higher than the national average
of 50 percent. The result shows more than 90 percent of the assisted beneficiaries had adequate food consumption,
while only three percent reported borderline food consumption levels. There was no significant difference identified
in food consumption levels between households headed by men and women.
The PDM revealed that 31 percent of the assisted population resorted to negative coping strategies. The
average Coping Strategy Index (CSI), which measures behavioural responses to food insecurity that people used to
manage household food shortages, was reported as 6.18, indicating an acceptable level. The proportion of
households headed by women who were using highly negative coping strategies (12 percent) was higher
compared to that of households headed by men (9 percent). Monitoring results found that livelihood recovery took
more time among households headed by women as compared to those headed by men.
Through the use of cash-based transfers, WFP was able to draw attention to the broader possibility of including
vulnerable people in the country’s social protection system for emergency assistance. The project was conducted
with the perspective that providing cash in emergencies is not only part of the humanitarian response, but also an
element of the social protection plan.
As a follow-up activity intended to develop the Government’s capacity, after the completion of EMOP response, a
two-day lessons learned workshop was held in November 2016 at the Ministry of Disaster Management, which was
attended by 68 participants from various government institutions, the World Bank, United Nations (UN) agencies,
and international and local non-governmental organizations (NGO). The workshop reviewed the Government and
WFP's joint emergency programme activities; identified best practices; and took stock of achievements, challenges,
and areas of potential improvements for future collaboration for support and assistance, including in the area of the
Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of (LK)
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Single Country EMOP - 200990