UPDATE ON WFP DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 002643

SIPDIS


FROM THE US MISSION TO THE UN AGENCIES IN ROME

USAID FOR DCHA/AA WINTER DCHA/FFP LANDIS AND CRUMBLY
STATE IO/EDA FOR BEHREND AND KOTOK

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID ADRC WFP
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON WFP DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION

REF: (A) ROME 001135, (B) 03 ROME 000198 (C) 02 ROME 005511

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SUMMARY
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1. THE FIELD PHASE OF THE JOINT EVALUATION OF THE UN WORLD
FOOD PROGRAM'S (WFP) ENABLING DEVELOPMENT POLICY (EDP) IS
NEARLY COMPLETE. THE NEXT AND FINAL PHASE OF THE
EVALUATION IS TO BE CONCLUDED IN DECEMBER 2004. DESPITE
PROGRESS TO DATE ON THE EVALUATION ITSELF, AS WELL AS
MISSION EFFORTS TO HIGHLIGHT THE FINANCIAL STRAIN UNDER
WHICH THE EVALUATION IS BEING CONDUCTED (REFTEL A),THE US
HAS YET TO FULFILL ITS FINANCIAL OBLIGATION. END SUMMARY.

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FIELD STUDY PHASE NEARLY COMPLETED
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2. THE EVALUATION IS CURRENTLY IN ITS SECOND OR FIELD
PHASE. THIS PHASE, WHICH BEGAN IN MARCH 2004, IS SCHEDULED
TO CONCLUDE IN JULY 2004.


3. THE CORE ACTIVITY OF THE EVALUATION IS TO TAKE PLACE
DURING THIS 5-MONTH PERIOD AND INVOLVES COUNTRY STUDIES IN
THE FOLLOWING SEVEN COUNTRIES: ETHIOPIA, MALI AND
MOZAMBIQUE IN AFRICA; BANGLADESH AND PAKISTAN IN ASIA; AND
BOLIVIA AND HONDURAS IN LATIN AMERICA.


4. THE INITIAL FULL COUNTRY STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN
ETHIOPIA IN MARCH AND APRIL. THE EXPERIENCES,
METHODOLOGIES AND OVERALL EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE GATHERED IN
ETHIOPIA WERE THEN PRESENTED AND DISCUSSED AT A WORKSHOP OF
COUNTRY TEAM LEADERS FROM THE REMAINING SIX COUNTRIES.
THIS WORKSHOP WAS HELD IN ROME, ITALY, APRIL 27-28, AND WAS
DESIGNED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE REMAINING COUNTRY TEAMS
WOULD FOLLOW A COMMON APPROACH AND WORK TOWARDS COMPARABLE
RESULTS.


5. EACH OF THE REMAINING DRAFT COUNTRY REPORTS WILL BE
SUBMITTED TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE SEVEN DONOR NATIONS
THAT MAKE UP THE EVALUATION'S STEERING COMMITTEE, WHICH
INCLUDES THE US, BY THE END OF THIS MONTH. IN MID-
SEPTEMBER, A TECHNICAL MEETING WILL BE HELD AT WFP'S ROME
HEADQUARTERS ALONG WITH A BRIEFING FOR REPRESENTATIVES OF
THE 36 MEMBER STATES THAT COMPRISE THE WFP EXECUTIVE BOARD.

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FINAL PHASE - SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2004
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6. THE FINAL PHASE OF THE EVALUATION, THE SYNTHESIS PHASE,
WILL COVER THE 4-MONTH PERIOD FROM SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2004.
IT WILL BE DURING THIS CONCLUSIVE PHASE THAT THE PREVIOUS
TWO PHASES' FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS WILL BE USED TO PRODUCE
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.


7. EVALUATORS ANTICIPATE THAT A CONSOLIDATED DRAFT OF THE
SYNTHESIS REPORT COULD BE AVAILABLE BY THE SECOND HALF OF
NOVEMBER. IF THIS IS THE CASE, A WORKSHOP COULD BE
SCHEDULE FOR SOMETIME IN EARLY DECEMBER TO DISCUSS THE
DRAFT WITH A BROADER AUDIENCE, WHICH COULD INCLUDE: KEY
STAKEHOLDERS, RESEARCHERS AND SPECIALISTS ON FOOD AID IN
DEVELOPMENT.


8. THE FINAL REPORT WILL BE COMPLETE AND READY FOR
DISTRIBUTION BY THE END OF 2004.

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WFP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AT A CROSSROADS - WHY THIS
EVALUATION IS TIMELY
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9. HISTORICALLY, THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN A STRONG
SUPPORTER OF WFP'S DEVELOPMENT PORTFOLIO, HAVING
CONTRIBUTED U.S. DOLLARS (USD) $903.24 MILLION OVER THE
DECADE 1993-2002. BUT OVERALL DONOR SUPPORT FOR WFP'S
DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES HAS ERODED. A PARTIAL SNAPSHOT OF
WFP DEVELOPMENT FUNDING OVER THE PAST DECADE IS AS FOLLOWS:
1993, USD $661.5 MILLION; 1996, USD $404.9 MILLION; 1999,
USD $267.6 MILLION; AND 2002, USD $203 MILLION.


10. THIS REVIEW (THE FIRST INDEPENDENT EVALUATION OF WFP
SINCE 1994) IS ANALYZING BOTH THE STATUS OF WFP PROGRESS
RELATED TO ENGAGING HOST COUNTRY GOVERNMENTS AND
INSTITUTIONS IN THE PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION AND MANAGEMENT
OF ITS DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTIONS AND THE DEGREE TO WHICH
WFP AND ITS UN SISTER AGENCIES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
EFFECTIVELY LINK TOGETHER FOOD AID AND FOOD SECURITY
STRATEGIES.

ROME 00002643 002 OF 002

THE US PAYMENT, BUT TO
DATE, HAS NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL. PAYMENT NEEDS TO BE MADE TO
THE FOLLOWING ACCOUNT: BUNDESKASSE TRIER - AUBENSTELLE
BONN, EINZELPLAN 23, LANDESZENTRALBANK BONN, UNITED STATES:
1112 3003 2949.

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COMMENT FROM AMBASSADOR HALL
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12. ROGER AND LAUREN: WHEN I CAME TO ROME IN SEPTEMBER
2002, THERE WAS CARPING AMONG A NUMBER OF PERMANENT
REPRESENTATIONS AS TO U.S. TARDINESS (ARREARS) IN MEETING
ITS FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS TO FAO. WITH WONDERFUL SUPPORT
FROM IO, WE HAVE MANAGED TO MAKE THIS GRUMBLING A THING OF
THE PAST. ON THE WFP EVALUATION, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MORRIS
WAS QUITE KEEN FROM DAY ONE THAT THE U.S. PLAY AN IMPORTANT
ROLE, AND WE AGREED. GIVEN THE RELATIVELY MODEST AMOUNT OF
FUNDING REQUESTED, A TIMELY INPUT FROM USAID WOULD NOW
ENABLE OUR OECD PARTNERS AND US TO BRING THE EVALUATION TO
A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION ON SCHEDULE. I UNDERSTAND THAT ALL
THE OTHER OECD DONORS HAVE ALREADY PAID THEIR
CONTRIBUTIONS. REGARDS, TONY.
HALL

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2004ROME02643 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED