POLICY EVALUATION measuring results, sharing lessons sharing measuring results, WFP’s 2012 Nutrition Policy: A Policy Evaluation Evaluation Report October 2015 Prepared by Mokoro Limited: Stephen Lister, Stephanie Allan, Jane Keylock, Kate Sadler, Tamsin Walters. Commissioned by the WFP Office of Evaluation Report number: OEV/2014/22 Acknowledgements The evaluation team is very grateful to all interviewees and informants, with special thanks to CO staff from the desk study countries, and to Serena Succhi (OEV) for excellent research support throughout the exercise. The evaluation team also gratefully acknowledges additional assistance provided by Anne Bush, Lidia Calvo, Mirella Mokbel Genequand, Fran Girling, Philip Lister, and Leah Richardson, as well as collaboration from the team evaluating the REACH initiative (led by Muriel Visser). The team has also received valuable advice and comments on drafts from our quality support panel – Alistair Hallam, Bjorn Ljungqvist and Stephen Turner. Responsibility for the report remains entirely with the evaluation team. Disclaimer The opinions expressed are those of the evaluation team, and do not necessarily reflect those of the World Food Programme. Responsibility for the opinions expressed in this report rests solely with the authors. Publication of this document does not imply endorsement by WFP of the opinions expressed. The designations employed and the presentation of material in the maps do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of WFP concerning the legal or constitutional status of any country, territory or sea area, or concerning the delimitation of frontiers. Evaluation Management Evaluation Manager (OEV) Diane Prioux de Baudimont Evaluation Assistant Serena Succhi Policy Evaluations Coordinator (OEV) Anne-Claire Luzot Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................ i 1. Introduction .................................................................................. 1 1.1 Evaluation Features .................................................................................... 1 1.2 Context ........................................................................................................ 2 1.3 WFP’s Nutrition Policy and Its Implementation ....................................... 4 2. Evaluation Findings ..................................................................... 10 2.1 Quality of the Nutrition Policy ................................................................. 10 2.2 Initial Policy Results ................................................................................. 16 2.3 Factors Explaining the Initial Results ...................................................... 42 3. Conclusions and Recommendations ............................................. 49 3.1 Overall Assessment ................................................................................... 49 3.2 Recommendations .................................................................................... 51 Annexes ................................................................................................ 58 Annex A Terms of Reference ............................................................................. 58 Annex B Methodology ....................................................................................... 74 Annex C List of People Consulted ..................................................................... 82 Annex D Reconstructed Theory of Change for the WFP Nutrition Policy ....... 87 Annex E Evaluation Matrix ............................................................................... 96 Annex F Chronology ........................................................................................ 108 Annex G Proposed thresholds/triggers for WFP nutrition-specific interventions ..................................................................................................... 114 Annex H Data on Nutrition at WFP ................................................................. 116 Annex I The Nutrition Capacity Strengthening Plan (NCSP)........................ 134 Annex J The Evidence Base for the Nutrition Policy ...................................... 140 Annex K Summary Findings from the Country Desk Studies ........................ 155 Annex L Results of the e-Survey ...................................................................... 161 Annex M Review of WFP’s Nutrition Guidance.............................................. 192 Annex N Nutrition Programming Case Studies .............................................. 196 Annex O Summary Findings on the Theory of Change Assumptions ............203 Annex P Mapping of Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations ............ 210 Annex Q Bibliography ..................................................................................... 213 Acronyms ........................................................................................... 225 List of Boxes Box 1 Definitions of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions .......... 4 Box 2 Sphere Standards for the Right to Adequate Food ........................................ 15 Box 3 C&V programmes and the Nutrition Policy ................................................... 28 Box 4 Supporting Local Production of Nutritious Foods ........................................ 31 Box I1 Proposed funding for Nutrition Policy Implementation ............................. 134 Box J1 WFP draft internal guidance for engaging in operational research in nutrition ........................................................................................................ 153 List of Figures Figure 1 Nutrition Policy Framework Diagram........................................................... 6 Figure 2 WFP’s Nutrition Partnerships envisaged in the Policy ................................. 8 Figure 3 Internal perceptions of the importance of the nutrition policy’s five focus areas ............................................................................................................. 18 Figure 4 Perceptions on the role and efficacy of M&E with regards to WFP’s nutrition interventions ................................................................................ 24 Figure 5 Perceived changes in WFP’s nutrition specific and nutrition sensitive programming over the last three years ....................................................... 26 Figure 6 Total MT of food and Specialized Nutritious Foods procured by year, 2010–2014 ................................................................................................... 29 Figure 7 SNF procurement (MT), by type of food, 2010–2014 ................................ 29 Figure 8 SNF and FBF procurement (US$), disaggregated by type of food, 2010– 2014 .............................................................................................................. 30 Figure 9 Actual Beneficiaries (children under five) for Nutrition Policy pillars 1–3, 2010–2013. .................................................................................................. 33 Figure 10 Actual Beneficiaries as a Percentage of Planned, for NutritionPolicy pillars 1-3, 2010 – 2014 .......................................................................................... 34 Figure 11 Nutrition-specific Operations targeting children under 5 and PLW, by type of operation (2010 - 2014) ........................................................................... 35 Figure 12 Actual Beneficiaries (children under five and PLW) for all nutrition specific interventions, by operation type, 2010–2014 ............................................. 35 Figure 13 Change in the quality of understanding & collaboration with UNICEF, FAO and WHO on nutrition over the last 3 years ............................................... 40 Figure 14 Staff perceptions of WFP’s comparative advantages in nutrition programming in emergencies ...................................................................... 41 Figure 15 Staff perceptions of WFP’s comparative advantages in nutrition programming in non-emergency contexts .................................................. 42 Figure 16 Principal challenges to improving the nutrition outcomes associated with WFP programmes ........................................................................................ 43 Figure 17 Staff perceptions of WFP’s future nutrition agenda ................................... 47 Figure D1 Reconstructed Theory of Change ................................................................ 89 Figure H1 Number of nutrition operations targeting children under 5, by pillar of the nutrition policy (1-3), 2010-2014 ...............................................................118 Figure H2 Nutrition Operations targeting children under 5 and PLW, by type of operation (2010–2014) .............................................................................. 119 Figure H3 Actual Beneficiaries (children under five) by Nutrition Policy pillar, for pillars 1-3, 2010 – 2014 ............................................................................. 120 Figure H4 Actual Beneficiaries as a Percentage of Planned, for Nutrition Policy pillars 1-3, 2010 – 2014 ......................................................................................... 121 Figure H5 Beneficiaries (children under five and PLW) for all nutrition specific interventions, by operation type, 2010–2014 ........................................... 122 Figure