In the QAP project, the Government and WFP have ... - ILO

GOVERNMENT OF MALAWI

DEPARTMENT OF RELIEF AND REHABILITATION AFFAIRS

AND

WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME

TECHNICAL REVIEW-CUM- APPRAISAL

ENHANCED FOOD SECURITY THROUGH TARGETED FOOD FOR WORK PROJECT (MLW5782)

AND

RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE REHABILITATION AND DEVELOPMENT

THROUGH TARGETED FOOD FOR WORK PROJECT

LILONGWE, SEPTEMBER 1999.

2

Preface This report is a product of almost three weeks of work of a review-appraisal mission. The team was composed of: Gladys Chimpokosera Desk Officer, Food for Work, DRRA. Lilongwe. Els Kockens Regional Adviser, WFP, Maputo, Mozambique. Kenton Kayira National Programme Officer, WFP, Lilongwe. Abdelgadir Mussalam QAP M & E Officer, UNV, WFP, Lilongwe. Marit De Langaas ILO Consultant, Oslo, Norway. Tseggai Elias ILO Consultant, Nairobi, Kenya. The views expressed and the judgements made are purely the teams own. They do not in any way represent those of the organizations or institutions the individual members come from. It is our sincere hope that the contents of this report are critical and useful observations, and that they constitute a good basis for the future project.

Review-Appraisal of the Food for Work Project in Malawi

3

Acknowledgements The review-cum-appraisal mission would like to acknowledge with gratitude all those who in one way or another contributed to our understanding of the tasks assigned to us. Special thanks go to the DRRA represented by Mr. W. Gidala, WFP Lilongwe office represented by Mr. W.W. Banmbuh for their kind, co-operation, guidance, support and unreserved assistance. We also wish to thank all the Government officials and members of national and international agencies and institutions we have consulted at national, district and community levels for giving us their time and attention for the discussions and all the information they willingly provided.


1

ACRONYMS ACDI Agricultural Cooperatives Development International ADMARC Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation ASIST Advisory Support, Information Services and Training DEC District Executive Committee DRIMP District Roads Improvement and Maintenance Programme DRRA Department of Relief and Rehabilitation Affairs FFW Food For Work ILO International Labour Organization INGO Indigenous Non Government Organization (Association) ITSH Internal Transport Storage and handling LTSH Land Transport Storage and Handling MASAF Malawi Social Action Fund MK Malawi Kwacha Mt Metric ton NFI Non Food Item NGO Non Government Organization PIU Project Implementation Unit QAP Quick Action Project TLU Transport Logistics Unit UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNV United Nations Volunteer VAM Vulnerability Assessment Mapping VARBAU Village Access Road and Bridge Unit WFP World Food Programme


2

Table of Contents Page Preface 2 Acknowledgements 3 Acronyms 4

1.0 Executive Summary 5 2.0 Project Concept and Design 8

2.1 Project Context 8 2.2 Decentralized Planning Structures for Food For Work 9 2.3 Project Design 10 2.4 Methodology of review-cum-appraisal 10

3.0 3.0 Project Implementation 11 3.1 Targeting of Areas and Workers 11 3.2 Selection of Activities 12 3.3 Quality of Work and Technical Support 14

3.3.1 Capacity building 15 3.4 Worknorms 16 3.5 Food and Cash allocations 17 3.6 Project Management 18

3.6.1 Implementation through NGOs 19 3.6.2 Implementation through Community Based

Organizations 20 3.6.3 Transitional Period Measures 20

3.7 Food management and logistics 21 3.8 Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting 22 3.9 Project Support 24

3.9.1Centralized funding system 24 3.9.2 Decentralized funding system 24 3.9.3 Technical assistance 25

4.0 4.0 Project Results 26 4.1 Perception of Food Aid 26 4.2 Efficiency 26 4.3 Outputs and Objectives 28 4.4 Effectiveness 28

4.4.1 Benefits: Food 29 4.4.2 Assets 29 4.4.3 Ownership of Assets 29 4.4.4 Effects on Agricultural Production and

Household Income. 30 4.4.5 Household Food Security 31 4.4.6 Empowerment in decision-making and

labour saving. 31 4.5 Environmental concerns 31 4.6 Operation and Maintenance of Assets 31 4.7 Sustainability 32

5.0 5.0 The Way Forward 32 5.1 The New WFP Approach to FFW 32

5.1.1 Project Management 32 5.1.2 Targeting 33

5.2 Concept and Design Proposals 33 5.3 Planning Process 33 5.4 Improvement of Technical Support 35 5.5 Securing Operation and Maintenance of Assets. 36

ANNEX I Terms of Reference


3

II Mission Itinerary III List of persons met IV List of documents consulted.


4

Executive Summary 1 Project Summary As a result of drought and crop failures many of Malawi’s small and marginal farmers are becoming steadily poorer and progressively more at risk of becoming food insecure. The Emergency Operations (EMOP) of 1995-96 has ”demonstrated” that Food for Work (FFW) can help to mitigate food insecurity through short-term employment opportunities with food as a wage component or incentive for self-help activities. At the same time EMOP showed that such an operation could produce outputs capable of reducing the longer-term food insecurity of the rural poor. Vulnerable women were known to be eager to participate in such activities, which can employ a high percentage of women headed households and also generate longer-term development benefits. In this Quick Action Project (QAP), FFW was the mode of operation where a total of 35,000 beneficiaries (of whom 70% women) were to participate in and be long-term beneficiaries from the assets thus created. Targeting was to be through the Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (VAM) system. WFP would implement the project through the Department of Relief and Rehabilitation Affairs (DRRA) in collaboration with donors and other UN initiatives. A large proportion of the Malawi rural poor (60%) is unable to meet their daily minimum nutritional requirements. Land pressure on smallholder sector (half hectare and less) combined with poor policies, the immediate negative impact of liberalisation, and bouts of drought were to blame. Among the most vulnerable groups women were seen as carrying the heaviest burden of the responsibility for household food. FFW, targeted primarily at the needs of women, would therefore provide for food for vulnerable households. The project selection would consider only community-based assets and specifically emphasise those that would ultimately assist the target beneficiaries to become more food self-sufficient. 1.2 The Review-Appraisal Mission A mission is fielded with a dual intention. Firstly, the mission is to technically review the “Food for Work” project as was implemented. Secondly, the mission was to advise on the implementation modalities of the follow up “Food for Assets” project. The team consisted of the FFW Desk Officer from the Department of Relief and Rehabilitation Affairs (DRRA), the WFP Regional Adviser, the WFP Programme Officer, and the WFP UNV and two International Labour Organization (ILO) consultants, The team had briefings and held consultations with the different partners at central level for some three days and familiarized themselves with the whole project design, operations and environment. The team then proceeded to the field for a period of about twelve days visiting five out of the eight districts where the FFW projects are operational. The field visits included briefings and discussions with relevant district officials, actual site visits to sample project sites (18 in all) and structured discussions with groups of target beneficiary communities. The team had five days to summarize their findings, hold final consultations with all the stakeholders at central level and make their final recommendations. 1.3 Mission’s Findings and Recommendations 1.3.1 General The original plan for project outputs was foreseen in two categories: the so-called Public Works Schemes (32%) and Community Based Schemes (68%); and Employment Based Safety Net activities to be prepared (50 “off-the-shelf” micro-projects). Under each of these outputs a number of more specific and quantified works activities were proposed. Work norms and requirements were also stipulated. A strategy for national, district and community level implementation was stipulated in detail. The findings of the mission are that the original plans and strategies have, to some extent not been strictly followed.


5

1.3.2 Project results The targeting of districts was based on VAM methodology and indicators while self-targeting was used for determining beneficiary selection. On the ground, activities were identified using ‘bottom up’ selection process of community initiated types of projects have been the dominant ones. The other types of non-road interventions, including irrigation, forestry, water, Soil and water conservation activities do not seem to have featured as prominently as the project document implies. This is, the mission has concluded, primarily because the choice of activities was very much guided by the idea that food was available for roads. Actors in support of other activities at national and district levels were hardly involved. When it comes to quality and performance, the mission finds it varied. Where there was indeed capacity at district level to plan and supervise implementation, the quality was better, while where there was inadequate or deficient capacity the quality left a lot to be desired. The communities’ effort was spent and the assets are in place. Discrepancy in quality or performance has been mainly due to lack of capacity or competence on the side of planners and supervisors. Some monitoring and reporting procedures are in place but they are more directed to food logistics rather than qualitative progress of work. There is also a complete absence of technical monitoring, evaluation and reporting. The project has therefore no mechanism for following up and addressing technical problems. The logistics of food seems to have worked relatively well to a large extent. A number of local officials and beneficiary communities complained that there were delays that sometimes disrupted the works. Food being a sensitive commodity and communities having worked for it, the mission noted such delays with concern. A more in depth review of the food logistics is scheduled to take place before the new project is formulated. The relevance of FFW in the Malawi context is also very evident. Food deficit being an oft-recurring phenomenon, and some districts and areas being chronically susceptible to it, provisions of supplementary food becomes a necessity for survival. Government wishes to move away from the provision of free food distribution, unless as an immediate response in disaster situations. FFW activities respond very favourably to such a situation. Food for assets creation poses more challenges in terms of quality and maintenance of outputs. FFW as a means to achieve infrastructure improvements and community assets has not been tried in the same manner before with WFP resources. The procedure of direct delivery of food to the sites for immediate distribution and the manner in which the distribution was managed, without any major shortages at field level was a major achievement. There have been some ‘teething’ problems. These have to do with cumbersome, slow and expensive Non-food-items (NFI) procurement procedures used: both centralized (WFP) and decentralized (district). On the whole, the mission has found the implementation of the pilot exercise relatively efficient. At local level, this has been, to a great extent, due to the presence of committed FFW coordinators, engaged by the DRRA in each of the eight districts. In terms of outputs and objectives, the project was to have generated a total of 2.8 million person days of employment on public and community based works. This, as of June 1999, has been under-achieved by approximately 1.601million person days (60% achievement). The under-achievement is partly associated with the slow take off of FFW scheme in the Country, lack of capacity for planning and implementation of labour based technologies and limited number of public works schemes being implemented with food aid as the only incentive or wage for the beneficiaries. Looking at only the quantitative physical achievements, though, the project seems to have done rather well. Comparing actual physical estimates to the planned figures: the project has actually done very well in roads (90%); rather well in small-scale irrigation (75%); less well in


6

afforestation (50%); rather poorly in dams, soil and water conservation (10%); and very poorly in shallow wells (2%). Whilst the activities themselves may therefore indicate, volume-wise, a reasonably good level of output achievement as per the project document; the types of activity and the quality of assets thereby produced (mostly roads) are not always directly contributing to the objectives of the project, particularly that of reducing the work load of women. A total of 66 microprojects (Dedza 6, Salima 10, Nsanje5, Chikwawa 3, Karonga 10, Chitipa 10, Mangochi 14, Lilongwe 7) were appraised and set on shelf pending funding for NFI and food. The mission found that the project was effective in satisfying a basic food need of a large number of the rural poor households. As an additional bonus, communities got for their own use assets that are prioritized, planned and implemented by their efforts. Female-headed households may not have been as favoured in terms of benefits as anticipated. More than 200 micro projects were processed using the newly established local level planning procedure. This was therefore a very direct means of assisting the hungry but also one way of consolidating the newly decentralized system of planning practices and procedure. It was at the same time a cost-effective way of providing direct benefits and access. In respect of sustainability and maintenance, almost all the projects implemented were community-based, small scale, and applying simple locally adaptable technology. The specific activities were initiated, prioritized, designed in collaboration with and ultimately undertaken to benefit the target beneficiaries themselves. While the implementing communities directly benefited from the food, and stand to benefit from them in future. Less notion of ownership and thus maintenance was found in the two cases of roads involving various (22 and 14) villages.. On the whole, though, if the projects implemented were appropriately selected and implemented, there could not have been any better recipe for subsequent maintenance ultimately sustainability. Maintenance issues have not been properly addressed -neither by district staff, nor by the communities. This is probably because from the very start, ownership of the assets was not clear to the participants in the schemes. There are practically no maintenance arrangements in place. The continued operation of the assets is therefore not adequately secured. 1.3.3 Mission observations The mission, during the field visits encounter with the target beneficiaries, got the clear impression that self-targeting confirmed the participation of needy households in the needy districts. Most of the workforce (around 60%) were women. The project did not systematically track the participation of female heads of households. Many of the participants in the FFW, especially the women, actually expressed the preference of food to cash as an incentive for their inputs. Most of the works implementation was undertaken during the season of serious shortages of food at household level. Many beneficiaries claimed that the work was physically very demanding and they feel that the food they got (2.5 kg for a four-hour-work day) did not fully compensate the effort they put in. This claim is, nevertheless, always to be expected. Most of the communities had worked on roads and when asked why they prioritized roads answered that access to health centres, markets, and main roads were the main motivations. The ration in monetary terms is valued at MK 17.5 based on the current (Sept 99) ADMARC selling price. This is much higher than half of the official minimum wage rate of MK 15.9. (eight-hour day) established by the Ministry of Labour, but lower than the actually applied rates in the district, e.g. DRIMP 25.2 kwacha/day for unskilled labour.. Taking into account the established work norms and productivity levels of labour-based practices, the mission finds the issued food ration to be fair and comparatively reasonable. On the whole communities did not seem to see FFW as drudgery. The overwhelming majority of the FFW micro-projects were community based village-access type roads. There are a series of technical deficiencies that the mission has observed, and are dealt with in detail in the main body of the report. These deficiencies are in relation to the design


7

and dimensions used, the drainage systems installed, the quality control upheld and the maintenance system proposed. Work norms have been used more for estimating food requirements rather than work planning and programming for which they were primarily intended. On the whole a large quantity (close to 140) of small roads have been rehabilitated or constructed to standards varying from poor to very good. The few other micro project activities of afforestation, irrigation, soil &water conservation and shallow wells have also been performed to varied standards, mainly depending on how much technical assistance was made available. In terms of institutional arrangements of the project, the actual implementation at project level seems to have worked well. The micro-projects were processed through the decentralized system of planning. They were implemented following the organizational procedures set at that level. The local institutions that harboured the micro projects had given the attention and support that was available. The FFW Coordinators appointed by the DRRA have done a very commendable planning and coordination job. At central level, though, the mission has noted some lack of cooperation and coordination between partners. Although this does not seem to have negatively affected actual implementation works on site, institutional commitments made at macro level seem not to have materialized. The monitoring and coordination roles of the management support, especially on the technical side are found to be very weak. 1.4 The new approach There is a novel approach that WFP wishes to introduce in the next phase of the FFW project. In the previous project the emphasis was on short-term food security, and the assets were created more as a bonus. In the new approach assets are placed at the centre stage and food aid serves to enable communities which lack food in their households to engage in community infrastructure works that improve their food security. There is, therefore, a shift of policy from the earlier ‘relief orientation’ to the present ‘development orientation’. This has implication for the project design, the technical requirements and institutional arrangements for implementation. In terms of design, the new “Rural Infrastructure Project” will emphasize community development outputs that will contribute to a new set of development oriented objectives, with the emphasis put on the assets to be created and their characteristics. Such outputs will not only need to be expressed in detailed verifiable quantities, but the technical parameters, design specifications, and required inputs must be articulated in greater detail. Updated geographic targeting criteria on food shortfalls following the 1999 VAM Report need to be produced in order to advise managers on the new project targeting criteria. Implementation of new micro-projects will require a more detailed technical appraisal and implementation planning. The selection process shall also be subject to more stringent technical and purpose scrutiny. This implies a rigorous planning, more cost-effective procurement procedures, a more stringent and frequent level of supervision and more effective monitoring of activities. The mission, therefore, recommends that the project sticks to the current districts focusing on those VAM-identified districts, but ones where decentralization has taken root and where decentralized technical and financial capacity exists. The mission also feels that all the resources necessary for implementation including the tools, funds and other inputs should be secured and planned for prior to the start of any implementation. The implications for institutional arrangements are that the new project has a highlighted development objective and is therefore to be planned and implemented in a development environment. The most appropriate and best equipped set up for housing the development-oriented FFW projects that is the decentralized district based planning mechanism. The project would be most effectively implemented if it was attached to the organ of government that is mandated and competent to deal with local level development planning; the Ministry of Local


8

Government and Rural Development. The mission recommends that the stakeholders at macro level seriously consider this proposal. In line with the concept and spirit of decentralized planning, the mission recommends that the district authorities be given the resource planning limits and full responsibilities for allocation of such resources at their level, both food and non-food inputs. This principle will be applied as and when the financial decentralization capacity is established in the districts. The implication of this being that the district development plans, wherever they exist, shall guide the FFA priorities and plans, and that the final approval of individual schemes is to rest with district authorities. The mission recommends that the new programme focus on upgrading the capacity and skills of district staff in technical and management issues of rural infrastructure works. This should include targeted training courses, preferably on site. Maintenance and operation of created assets ought to be addressed already at the planning stage of activities. This concern could be included as one of the criteria for micro-project selection and approval. The commitments of the partners in each project in respect of maintenance and operations should be defined and articulated in community agreements and contracts. Food aid is not to be used for maintenance. It is important to improve monitoring and reporting and assure that it is synchronized and strictly following the system and procedures established for the decentralized system of planning and implementation at district level. Micro-projects that include all non-road activities, tend to more readily address the qualitative project targets - that of enabling the vulnerable groups become more food self-reliant. Clearly roads are a convenient way of achieving the quantitative targets, hence attractive for both donors and beneficiaries. The new project should, nevertheless, take a closer look at and place more emphasis (if not resources) on other non-road activities including small-scale irrigation, forestry, water and soil conservation, and shallow well construction with the aim of responding to especially women’s needs. 2.0 Project Concept and Design 2.1 Project Context Malawi’s food security problem is daunting and highly associated with high population growth and growing pressure on both agricultural and forestry resources. The erratic rainfall pattern received in most parts of the country has more often reduced the smallholder food and cash crop production and ultimately their consumption levels. The Food for Work concept was developed as social security programme aimed at building productive assets for economic empowerment and poverty reduction among the poor food insecure households. The 1993 Situation Analysis of Poverty found that 60 percent of the country’s rural based population and 65 percent of the urban population live below the national poverty line of US$40 per annum. Malawi is further ranked as one of the ten poorest countries at per capita GNP of US$170 (World Bank Report 1997) and the third poorest in the Southern Africa Development community (SADC). Under five mortality is estimated at 219 per 1000 live births in 1998 and about 65 percent of the country’s population lack access to safe water and adequate health services. The Government Poverty Alleviation Programme launched in 1995 established targeted social safety net interventions including Food for Work as a policy priority for easing suffering of the very poor smallholders whose production and consumption levels are significantly reduced due to natural disasters like droughts, floods and/or pest infestation. With the successful introduction


9

of Food for Work under the 1995/96 drought emergency operation (EMOP 5639), the Government wanted to continue with the implementation of targeted Food for Work within the development context thereby further strengthening linkages from relief to development continuum. Rural women especially female headed households are seriously at risk of household food shortages partly because of the limited landholdings many having less than 0.5ha and partly because of the labour constraint for farming which have constricted their productive capacity, take home yield and crop income. The poorest FHH run out of food in August barely three months after harvest of rainfed crop. This grossly reduces their dietary intake to one meal a day and later, the poorest category, having many days can pass without getting a hard meal. This level of household food deprivation is the main cause of stunting and wasting which affects about 65 percent of the total child population in Malawi. The principal strategy utilized by rural women is to access food through casual employment in agriculture, a practice known as ganyu. The ganyu scheme has proved exploitative with below average wage compared to the work done. But also, the asset created through the ganyu scheme benefits the landlord who hires ganyu labour normally a well off farmer compared to the ganyu seekers. A rapid rural appraisal undertaken by WFP in early 1996 has confirmed that women consider FFW to be more desirable option to ganyu. FFW has improved household food consumption in the immediate term whilst laying foundation for long term productive assets. Women especially FHH prefer activities that would reduce their labour burdens and create productive community assets. 2.2 Decentralised planning structure for Food for Work The Pilot Food for Work (FFW) utilised the decentralised planning, project implementation and financial management structure at district level. The decentralised structure has been introduced in the six Local Impact Areas (LIA) of the UNDP 5th country programme. The planning structure has now been extended to all districts supported by the UNDP 6th Country Programme. Three of the eight FFW districts (Mangochi, Nsanje and Dedza) are part of the first LIAs. The key decentralised institutions utilised by the Pilot FFW project include the following. The District Development Committee (DDC) is a political body composed of members of parliament, traditional authorities, NGOs and private individuals representing specific areas in the district. The DDC is the approval body of all FFW proposals during the pilot scheme and will be maintained under the district assembly structure. In the pilot scheme, the DDC allocate resources to FFW projects in 3 CDF funded districts. The Area Development Committee (ADC) is a body of local leaders in the traditional Authority (TA) areas that meet regularly to review plans coming from the communities- often from the village development committees for submission to DDC/DEC. There is usually an ADC for each of the traditional authorities in a district - on average six to seven per district. The ADC prioritises development action plans from the Village Development Committee. The Village development Committee (VDC) is a village level development committee that oversees development action in the community. Expertise for developing action plans will always come from the extension workers located in the village. The VDC normally comprises of a number of villages under one Group Village headman. The VDC is the unit that identifies the development needs and submits a list of development options required for the community. Future planning should emphasise building capacity of VDCs in needs assessment, planning, maintenance, food management and reporting. The District Executive Committee (DEC) is a technical committee comprised of heads of district line ministries that assist the DDC to make technical decisions in the different sectors. The DEC reviews action plans, makes field appraisals, feasibility studies and makes cost estimates for


10

activities. DEC submits recommendations for approval to DDC. The DEC will further be trained on the appraisal methodology; technical, social and economic feasibility assessment and budgeting for labour based schemes. The District Development Fund (DDF) was set by Government to support the implementation of the District Focus for Development Programme. The District Development Officer manages it with assistance from an accounting unit. The Food for Asset NFIs funds and food allocation will be decentralised to DDF. A community Project Committee (PC) is established in each micro-project. The pilot FFW had equal number of men and women in the Project Committee. The project committee oversees the implementation of the FFW projects and supervises the activities including setting productivity worknorms following training by line ministry. The District Project Implementation (PIT) team is established at district level within the DEC to provide backstopping of the FFW projects. The key technical officer leads the PIT from the line ministry. 2.3 Project design The 39th session of the Executive Board approved the QAP Project entitled Enhanced Food Security through Targeted Food for Work on 13 December 1996. The QAP project was designed as a protracted recovery operation, while at the same time aiming at development outputs. In doing so, WFP provided a total of 6900 Mt. of maize, which includes ITSH and Direct Operational Costs, budgeted at some US$ 2.026 mill. The Government’s contribution in terms of administrative and technical management was estimated at US$ 1.3 mill. The project was to reach a total of 35.000 beneficiaries, of whom 70 percent were expected to be women. The VAM methodology was used to be for the project’s geographical targeting. The project’s objectives, expected outputs and activities as they appear in the Project Summary of August 1996 are as follows: The achievements of objectives and outputs are discussed in chapter Long-term objective • Sustained improvements to the food security of female-headed households.

Immediate objectives

Improved short-term food security through the creation of employment opportunities for the

food insecure, most of whom are women. Improved accessibility through the rehabilitation of rural roads and footpaths. Increased productivity by improving the smallholder resource base, through agro-forestry;

the construction-rehabilitation of earth dams; water harvesting infrastructures and micro-irrigation facilities.

Reductions in the work load by women, including bringing domestic water closer to the users.

Improved emergency-disaster preparedness through the identification of a reserve of projects, which could be activated as employment-based safety nets.

Outputs and activities (Planned)

Public works schemes 400 km of rural district roads rehabilitated.


11

Community-based schemes 160 km of village access roads-footpaths rehabilitated. 500 shallow wells constructed. 400 ha of micro-irrigation schemes developed. 200 km of soil bunds established. 250 km of fanyu juu terraces established. 60 earth dams constructed. 400 ha of fuelwood and agro-forestry plantation established. Employment-based safety net 50 «off-the-shelf» public works and community-based schemes prepared.

2.4 Methodology of review-cum-appraisal The team had briefings and held consultations with the different partners at central level for some three days and familiarized themselves with the whole project design, operations and environment. The team then proceeded to the field for a period of about twelve days visiting five out of the eight districts where the FFW projects are operational. The field visits included briefings and discussions with relevant district officials, actual site visits to sample project sites (18 in all) and structured discussions with groups of target beneficiary communities. The team had five days to summarize their findings, hold final consultations with all the stakeholders at central level and make their recommendations. The structured interviews in the field covered beneficiaries’ views on issues such as geographical and beneficiary targeting, selection of activities, implementation procedures and timing, food and work management, quality of food and implementation support, benefits, maintenance arrangements. The structured interviews with district officials and NGOs covered the same issues as well as those relating to institutional capacity: DFFWC job description and function in District structure, sensitisation/advocacy on food aid, financial arrangements, technical capacity of district, inter-sectoral co-ordination, planning and programming of food and non-food items, technical assistance and training, monitoring and reporting. Technical information was collected in the field through interviews with key informants, such as project committee members, district and NGO extension agents, etc. Issues covered included the planning, implementation organization and reporting methodology. Technical observations and assessment were made on the actual implemented assets to examine their quality and performance. Maintenance and subsequent operations were also investigated. 3.0 Project Implementation 3.1 Targeting of areas and workers The 8 districts (43 EPAs) were selected on the basis of the 1996 VAM report on food insecurity combined with the highest incidences of FHH. The VAM data on food availability show that in 1998 22 EPAs and in 1999 14 EPAs were actually food deficits. In 1998 a total of 9 EPAs and in 1999 some 21 EPAs were also targeted for the EMOP free food distributions to household with malnourished children under 5. The village or group headmen mobilized workers house by house. They did not have or apply beneficiary selection criteria. Participants stated that they decided themselves to join (self-targeting) because they needed food. Those who did not believe that food would be forthcoming followed at a later stage. The PC ensured registration of workers and their


12

attendance upon completion of daily tasks. Only a few PCs had to close registration understanding the technical manual’s instruction that more than 200 workers is not manageable. NGO CADECOM and one TA in Lilongwe only applied rotation of workers on a fortnightly basis. The self targeting practice was confirmed by excluded villagers, who stated that they were not interested in the road construction, had their own access to water, and had no interest in the food basket. However, some female headed households stated that the working hours interfered with pressing activities and barred them from participation. Although they were interested in the water supply, they did not have access to the water at the moment, merely due to social pressure from the workers. The mission did not collect socio-economic profiles of participant households. The mission noted that there are some participants, particularly in Lilongwe who are traditional tobacco growers. These are, by local socio-economic standards, not regarded as the very poor population group. The mission noted that female headed households did participate in the work and were simply looked at as workers , they should be a priority focus in the selection of the project activities by the VDCs so that they obtain direct longer term benefits. The mission noted that beneficiary figures in the QAP control sheet retained the planning figures of the project submissions. DFFWCs need to provide the numbers on actual beneficiaries against those planned numbers. COPRs need to be reviewed and corrected. The planning figures derived from project proposal show that 18797 – 57% of the 32871 participants are women (of which 2227 i.e. 12% are FHH). However, the workers registers held at community level did not show much recording of FHH. The figures require review. E.g. In Dedza district the planning figures show a majority men, while the actual labour registration records show a majority women. There was no registration of FHH. This shows that while there was not much difference between the total number of actual and planned participants, there were 28% more women than planned. Women were in total 61% of the workers. In Chikwawa, the totals were also hardly differing between the planning and actual figures. There are significant drops of women and men in some projects. Participants did not give specific reasons/ decisions taken about attendance of women or men at household level: rather they explained that husbands and wives alternate. The attendance records do not show such detail. Perhaps instead of a tick, F or M could be entered in the register to differentiate. 3.2 Selection of activities Mechanisms The following mechanisms for selection of activities were followed, both in the districts designated as Local Impact Areas (LIA) where decentralized planning is practised since 1995, and in the district, which introduced the decentralized system this year with the rest of the country. Meetings of the VDCs were called to select the FFW activities. Proposals were reviewed by the ADC with the support of the Area Executive committee members in Dedza they ensured a spread of activities and thus benefits over the communities in the district. The ADC submitted a prioritised list to DEC for appraisal. The DEC established the Project Implementation Team (PIT), composed of sector specific extension agents and DFFWC, which carried out desk and later field appraisals. The PIT makes an inventory and determines the food and non-food items


13

requirements and prepare the budget using the WFP manual as a reference. DEC submits their recommendation to DDC on the technical, socio-economic feasibility and environmental concerns. The DDC reviews the project proposals against district priorities and capacity to support the community. None of the DDCs had a problem with any of the FFW proposals for approval. They were very happy with the timely food aid support in the lean season. The approval process has gone up to national level including WFP and DRRA, after district has already decided on them. Project committees were selected upon approval of the projects . Community members in a VDC meeting put forward names for potential PC members and voted. Group village headmen called for the PC meeting in cases where more than one village was involved. Supervisors were assigned for each group of 20 workers and in other cases the supervisors divided the group of workers among them as convenient that day. The criteria for their selection was not very clear: based on “experience”. PC members are also supervisors. The workers organise the working groups themselves. The PC is responsible for the implementation of the projects. WFP insisted of equal participation of men and women in the project committees and equal representation seems to have been implemented in this pilot phase. Interviews with men in Dedza, Lilongwe and the NGO Emanuel International in Zomba indicated that the PC functions are temporal and limited with the life span of the project. Hence the maintenance of the asset created by FFW is referred back to the VDC. The project committees have 50% female members and in one case 65% was female. Priorities The choice of activities was very much guided by the idea that food is available for roads. ILO/WFP technical assessments of institutional support capacity in the past concentrated on roads and forestry activities as the most feasible activities because QAP was introducing FFW for the first time in most of the communities. Although the immediate objective in the QAP document prioritise interventions with the potential to mitigate future disasters, there was no explicit promotion of activities to improve communities’ ability to absorb the disasters impact with minimum damage or disruptive effect. All communities stated that the assets created were their priority. Groups of women interviewed mentioned water as another priority in many communities, while the groups of men came up with soil conservation as their priority. There is no complementary support for e.g. fuel saving stoves, other labour saving and empowering activities such as adult education. The project would promote the inclusion of women in the VDCs. But the project concentrated its efforts on the gender equally in the PCs. Few of the female interviewees were present at VDCs meetings. The nature and level of women’s participation in the VDCs when activities are chosen, is not very clear. In Dedza, the process of selection of new VDCs with 50% women representation just started under the leadership of the DDO.

Summary of activities implemented through FFW:

Activities Project Target Planned Communities

Actual achieved

1. District and village access roads (400 + 160 560 km 776 km 676 km 2. Micro-irrigation schemes 400 hac. 774 hac. 312 hac. 3. Soil/water conservation – (marker ridges and

vertiver grass planting 200 km 28.5 hac. 28.5 hac

4. Earth Dams 60 dams 6 dams 5 dams 5. Fuel wood and agro-forestry plantation 400 hac. 305 hac 190 hac 6. Shallow wells 500 wells 7 wells 7 wells


14

In terms of outputs and objectives, the project was to have generated a total of 2.8 million person days of employment on public and community based works. This, as of June 1999, has been under-achieved by approximately 1.601million person days (60% achievement). The under-achievement is partly associated with the slow take off of FFW scheme in the Country, lack of capacity for planning and implementation of labour based technologies and limited number of public works schemes being implemented with food aid as the only incentive or wage for the beneficiaries. Major weaknesses existed for the catchment soil and conservation works, community dams and small scale irrigation. Extremely few shallow wells were sunk during the project lifetime. The limited number of these schemes is also associated lack of effective orientation and sensitization on the appropriate development proposals that can be supported with Food for Work. This resulted into most communities requesting for roads as opposed to other forms of FFW interventions. Looking at only the quantitative physical achievements, though, the project seems to have done rather well. Comparing actual physical estimates to the planned figures: the project has actually done very well in roads (90%); rather well in small-scale irrigation (75%); less well in afforestation (50%); rather poorly in dams, soil and water conservation (10%); and very poorly in shallow wells (2%). Whilst the activities themselves may therefore indicate, volume-wise, a reasonably good level of output achievement as per the project document; the types of activity and the quality of assets thereby produced (mostly roads) are not always directly contributing to the objectives of the project, particularly that of reducing the work load of women. A total of 66 microprojects (Dedza 6, Salima 10, Nsanje5, Chikwawa 3, Karonga 10, Chitipa 10, Mangochi 14, Lilongwe 7) were appraised and set on shelf pending funding for NFI and food. 3.3 Quality of work and technical support General The DEC, composed of decentralized staff from line ministries, is responsible for providing technical support to the various schemes. The responsibilities include support in planning, design, implementation and maintenance. The DEC also approves the project proposals. The types of projects implemented are in the sectors of Works, irrigation, forestry, water, and soil and water conservation. Findings The review-appraisal mission visited and observed the works quality in a few selected schemes covering roads (11), irrigation (2), soil conservation (2), water supply (1), and afforestation (2). The mission found that a) the project plan with technical specifications was adequate and b) the quality of work implemented varied from scheme to scheme depending on the level of technical support provided. The general impression is that the quality of work is not optimal. In the road schemes, it was apparent that too little attention was paid to the drainage system. Mitre drains were often missing. There is no standard road width and specification used. There were even major variations within the same road. The mission observed sections of village access roads that were 4 up to 7 m wide. The irrigation schemes, soil and water conservation works and in some cases even the afforestation schemes visited also showed clear signs of non-professional performance. The sites were not properly identified, the structures were not adequately laid out, the long term environmental and technical feasibility that assure the sustainability of the schemes were not adequately taken care of. From discussions with district staff and participants it appeared that the district officers responsible for the respective schemes had not been on site regularly i.e. (once or twice a month). The district officers reported that lack of transport and/or fuel made it difficult to visit the


15

schemes as often as they ought to do. The findings indicate that there is a need to improve not only the supervision but also the planning, design and monitoring of the schemes. As concerns the availability of technical staff, the District Administration usually have one qualified officer (technician) within each sector i.e. works, forestry and water, also some assistants in some sectors. There are several rural infrastructure development projects and maintenance activities going on that are under the responsibility of the districts, and for which the technical staff are responsible. Particularly in the road sector, the QAP project has to compete with other projects such as MASAF and the regular maintenance works for the attention and support of the road officer. The mission found that the road officers tend to give higher priority to the MASAF public works (and other externally supported projects) than to the FFW schemes. The irrigation sector activities seem to suffer most from lack of technical support. There were no senior irrigation officers available at any of the meetings or site visits that the mission undertook. The mission was made to understand that there is a general lack of competence in irrigation in the country. It is clear that this would be even more so at the district level. It is obvious that the capacity of the District Administrations to plan and follow up the various activities within their respective districts is limited. There is, therefore, a need to strengthen the skills on how to plan and implement rural infrastructure micro-projects.

3.3.1 Capacity building In co-ordination with DRRA and the DFFWCs, WFP organised a two-day training for the project committee members/supervisors in 7 out of the 8 districts. The training was on quality of work (how and why), project planning and management, attendance and distribution record keeping, community participation, Food for Assets, gender awareness (to ensure gender-balanced participation). The training included a field visit to an example of a FFW project. WFP started developing a training manual for these events. The line ministry staff at the district facilitated the technical subjects. Regretfully only 2 members by the Project Committee could be invited due to budgetary limitations. The participants also recommended to train VDCs or ADC members (village headmen) representing a more permanent structure than the PC considering e.g. the maintenance issues. In the case where they were invited full participation may not have materialized but their exposure was useful The training sessions started in Lilongwe in June 1998 and finished in August 1999. A total of 175 PC members were trained of which 50% was female. One training session per district was organized at a cost of USD 900 on average, financed from the DFID donation for operational cost. The PC members/supervisors appreciated the training offered and recommended to standardize the training at the start of the projects and cover all PC members. The invitation to sector line ministries staff that did not have FFW yet was welcomed because it provided staff and supervisors with new ideas. Training should also be continuous and training of trainers is required to do that. WFP provided training on participatory monitoring and evaluation to their staff as well as other UN agencies. The training was funded by the Norwegian Supported Quality Improvement Fund. WFP also provided a workshop on the implications of the refined WFP policy orientation towards Food for Assets. DCs and DFFWC from the 8 districts attended. They reviewed ongoing projects against the new policy guidelines. WFP staff feels that there is need for capacity building in participatory planning, asset maintenance initiative and community contracting arrangements, in order to safeguard the use of assets for the longer term.


16

3.4 Work norms General In the QAP project, the Government and WFP have agreed on a payment system based on performance rather than attendance. For this purpose, the FFW schemes are to be organized as task work. Participants are to work a maximum four hours per day. In the task work system, the worker gets one day’s wage for a-priority quantified (set) volume of work. Each worker is given a task to complete and he/she is free to leave the site once the task is completed. The intention of this system is that the worker can finish his/her work earlier, not that he/she can earn more. Task work is effective when the workers have to attend to other activities such as farming and household activities. Findings As part of the support to the QAP project, the ILO/ASIST programme carried out an advisory mission in October 1997 with the purpose of establishing work norms for the FFW schemes. As far as roads are concerned, the recommended productivity rates for this project are based on the experience from the DRIMP and the VARBAU programmes in Malawi. The consultant used experiences from similar projects in other countries for other sectors. The field manuals that provide the technical standards for work and tools existing in the sector specific ministries in Malawi should be collected and 1) used to update the FFW manual and 2) be given out in the Districts to relevant staff. They are often free copies produced by development projects. The productivity rates recommended for the QAP project take into account that a workday is limited to four hours and also that beneficiaries on FFW schemes may not have prior experience. Compared to task rates used in similar projects, the rates of the QAP project are actually on the low side. Day work, i.e. work based on daily attendance, was observed in some schemes. It was learnt that the work organization to a large extent was left to committee members most of whom are not familiar with this manner of organizing the work. There was therefore no synchronised system of compiling quantified and qualified records to build up to a clear picture on the actual level of progress of the works in the field. The Malawi FFW Manual contains the task rates to be used in the various types of work. In most cases the task work system was used, but it was not clear whether tasks were allocated in accordance with this Manual and the plans set out in the attachments to the Memorandum of Understanding with the community. In the schemes visited, the DFFWC and PC did not refer to the detailed work plans in the MOU, showing the rate stipulated for the individual task. Nor were the actual achieved rates recorded.

The mission was told that task rates were equal for men and women. Women took generally longer to complete their task than men. Men finish their task within four hours, but not all women managed to do the same. In a few cases participants complained about too heavy tasks in culvert and bridgework, but no task figures were made available to the mission. In conclusion, the findings indicate that work norms were used primarily for estimating the food requirements in the schemes rather than work planning and programming, and the quality of monitoring and reporting on site is generally very weak, and in the case of physical achievements non-existent. The table below shows the average workers days compared to the outputs of the various schemes of the project, as reported in the WFP Country Office Project Report Activity Worker inputs Road rehabilitation 2001 wd per km Forestry 1493 wd per ha


17

Soil and water conservation 2000 wd per km Small scale irrigation 799 wd per ha Shallow wells 1000 wd per well Earth dams 6500 wd per dam An interim assessment of road schemes in Mangochi district supported by ACDI found the achieved productivity norms to be close the planned norms. In comparison with rates used in other countries they are rather low. 3.5 Food and cash allocations General The Project Summary of the QAP project envisages that payment in food will take two forms: i) as a component in the wage offered to those engaged on public works, principally work on roads of broad public utility, and ii) as an incentive to those engaged in community-based work. With regard to public works, WFP-ILO guidelines require that food payment should be combined with a cash component equivalent to at least fifty percent of the minimum wage established for this type of work. As of 1996 the average daily earnings for an eight hour day on public works should comprise a cash component of MK 3.75, which was half of the minimum wage (April 1996) and a food ration of 2.5 kg of maize worth MK 9.75 at April 1996 ADMARC selling price. The possible ration for public works scheme would therefore be 50% cash and 50% food which would have been equivalent to K8.63 at the 1996 maize price and wage rates and K16.70 at the 1999 price and Government minimum wage rate. This added up to MK 13.50 much higher than the daily wage of MK 7.50 (1996) but lower than the 1998 and 1999 Government minimum wage of K15.90. On community-based work schemes, the average daily earnings was stipulated to be 2.5 kg of maize for a four-hour day. Findings It should be noted that the budget of the Project Summary has an allocation of US$ 240.000 for cash wages. The project had initially planned to undertake public works activities to rehabilitate district roads allocating at least 32% of the resources with the World Bank MASAF support for Non Food Items and cash. Food aid need assessments were conducted in a number of MASAF public works schemes in Mchinji, Machinga, Mulanje, Ntcheu and Mangochi districts by WFP and MASAF. The communities contacted especially women groups were very positive of the using food as part of the wage in the public works schemes. However, the debate in Government on which institution should be the implementing partner for the Food for Work Project, could not be easily concluded between the Department of District and Local Government Administration and the DRRA for a period of 15 months. There was virtually no operational agreement signed between WFP, the World Bank and Government that would have given way for the combination of cash and food wage remuneration in the public works scheme. The World Bank MASAF public works schemes were therefore implemented with cash wage of K10.50 per person day being the full remuneration of unit person day of 4 hours in 1998 and 1999. Nonetheless, there are a number of designated district roads (described as public works), which were rehabilitated following community request. The designated roads normally referred to as DRIMP roads constituted about 22% of the total road network rehabilitated through Food for Work. Local Government owns these district roads. The maintenance of such roads therefore is a mandatory function of the local council through “DRIMP” office. The community prioritised the roads because of most of the district roads which did not benefit from the exclusive MASAF 1 programme were in state of deterioration. Some of the designated roads visited by the mission were last repaired by DRIMP in 1988 and had fallen into disuse. They were proposed for


18

rehabilitation because they acted as main feeder roads to a number of public amenities, which serve the targeted communities. Such public facilities included access to schools, mission health centres and government hospitals, ADMACR markets and local produce markets. In case of the ACDI road network of 72 km, the participants prioritised roads to facilitate the transportation of tobacco and maize to ADMARC markets. A food for work road designation system was developed for the ACDI access roads. Within the QAP project, some 140 schemes out of the total of 210 are road works. In the case of roads, it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between public works and community-based works as a road does not have a clearly defined group of users. The mission found that some rural district roads had been rehabilitated, which are usually regarded as public works. Nevertheless, the workers received food payment only. The current average value of the food basket this year (2.5 kg maize/day) in ADMARC was K17.50 for 4 hours work. The official daily wage is K15.90 for 8 hours/day and in the districts around K26/day is paid for unskilled labour. Compared to the minimum wage, the mission finds the food ration of 2.5 kg of maize equivalent to MK 17.50 to be reasonable.

The food cost is USD 1443120 (6400Mt maize @USD 192 (average regional purchase cost) =USD 1228800 with USD 214300 transport, storage , handling and fumigation cost). The current value of K17.50, 2.5 kg maize to the beneficiaries in the local market compares today unfavourably to the 0.56 USD= K24.00 cost of 2.5 kg maize to WFP and Government to delivering the basket. The interim assessment of ACDI activities found FFW wages converted to current market prices to be higher than the MASAF wage. During the lean season (October to March) FFW became more competitive employment than ganyu or MASAF. The FFW contributed 40% of the cereal requirements of a 10 member household and about 67% of a 5 to 6 member household. The food basket for QAP was 2.5 kg white maize/day instead of the 2.5 kg maize, 0.25 kg of pulses and 0.025 kg of salt distributed during the Emergency Operation, because the value of the food in relation to the minimum wage was used as a reference. Alternative commodities were reviewed: Cassava is used only along the lake. Sorghum and millet were formerly staples in the drier south, but are now mainly used for beer brewing. These commodities were also not considered of high value. 3.6 Project management The start of the QAP was delayed by 15 months due to problems in defining the co-ordination/execution roles and responsibility among institutions at the national level. The project started in April 1998 and will end 31 December 1999. Responsibilities for the project were divided as follows; NEC had the responsibility for policy, monitoring and channelling of the funding; DRRA co-ordinated the project at district level as well as with technical ministries and ensured administration of funds from UNDP; and Local Government monitoring planning and implementation at field level. The latter function is a permanent mandate, while the functions of NEC are shifting way from any specific programme functions to policies. Local Government notes that there have been many players entering with resources for the QAP projects at district level coming from e.g. DRRA, WFP and UNCDF. This situation diminished accountability and ownership of the QAP activities. The new project should have one clear line of accountability for food, capital funds and operational cost. The signing of operational agreements on food for assets activities with District Assemblies are a future possibility once the assemblies are elected after May 2000. Before that date agreements are to be signed with Local Government. In the absence of a food aid and food for


19

assets policy in Malawi, the use of food aid in development activities need to be discussed and agreed by all stakeholders. The DFFWCs are temporary personnel placed by DRRA in the districts. Their operational cost is financed from the Sustainable Livelihood programme funded by UNDP. The funding was experimental and for the duration of the QAP. With the finishing of QAP the UNDP support would phase out and a more structural position for DFFWC would need to be identified. The assembly has not yet allocated the disaster management functions within its structure. DRRA does not yet know its position within the district administration. The National Disaster Plan is not yet integrated into the decentralization framework. The DFFWC plan, appraise and monitor food for work activities. They programme, administer and monitor food commodities deliveries and are the liaison with DRRA and WFP. Their jobs go beyond co-ordination. They implement the food aided infrastructure activities together with the sector specific extension agents. All District Commissioners and personnel appreciated the DFFWCs. The additional tasks would have been difficult to absorb by the existing team. The DDO/DC handles FFW activities in the districts where the DDFFWC post is not filled. If FFW programme in Malawi is to be made more developmental oriented, some institutional rearrangements are required. Food–for-Asset need to be brought into the regular development planning process and administration. The DRRA should co-ordinate the Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation Safety Nets scheme under the Country Programme. Under the Safety Net Scheme, Food for Work as a short term safety net scheme for disaster mitigation can be administered by DRRA. Further to that, DRRA would undertake Disaster preparedness functions like identifying off the shelf FFW projects, which can be, activated as short term employment schemes for disaster mitigation. The Ministry of Local Government and district administration should co-ordinate the Food for Asset programme, which will build in the long term development approach for community assets for economic empowerment and poverty reduction of the poor households. 3.6.1 Implementation through NGOs NGOs are usually already on location implementing community based relief, rehabilitation or development activities of their own, before the food for work activity is in the picture. They are therefore not in the area because of FFW. They are actually being prudent and using FFW as a means to partly achieve their purpose. This situation creates for both the FFW Project and the NGO concerned, a good opportunity for reaching mutual targets and goals and is therefore in principle a good opportunity to exploit. The obvious advantage the NGOs have is their physical presence in the area that affords them access to data, information and a working rapport vis-à-vis the communities. This is the niche that FFW cannot afford to miss. There is in place an institutional framework that lends itself to quick and rather easy implementation and that seems to respond positively to the mode of operation that is foreseen for FFW micro-projects. WFP has been working with INTERAIDE, PROSCARP, ACDI, CADECOM, ELDP. This is seen by the mission as being a very positive resource that FFW projects should continue to tap. The mission was not able to visit more than one road project implemented by an NGO. It is therefore unable to conclude if the workmanship is qualitatively better than other similar projects implemented through the de-centralized district system. Notwithstanding, from the discussions the mission held with managers of such NGO implemented projects and the documentation the mission managed to get hold of, it was possible to conclude the following. There was more attention paid from decision makers and technicians; there was, therefore, better information base, better overview and control, and closer supervision. It can therefore be assumed that there is potential for better planning, more efficient implementation, a more technically sound output and even better chances of operation and sustainability of the assets produced.


20

There are, nevertheless, two areas of concern that NGO implementation poses. One is that the NGO are not only physically there and therefore are in a strong position to enforce their particular priorities and biases, but there are usually other non-FFW activities and interests that may guide their decisions and thereby compromise the FFW principles. The other is that all of the NGO admitted the need for having the heavy administrative costs covered from other sources. The NGOs mentioned figures of about 5-20% of the cost of food is required to cover all the non-food inputs necessary to implement the project within their areas of operation. Two of the NGOs the mission met (Salvation Army and World Vision) had found such costs prohibitive and were unwilling to participate in FFW in future if such costs were not provided together with the accompanying food aid. Hence, such provisions have to be sought or only NGOs that can cover their own administrative cost can be considered suitable for such Collaboration. 3.6.2 Implementation through Community Based Organisations The mission has only visited the activities of one Indigenous NGO and it is therefore difficult, from such a one-off situation make any general conclusions. What can be said about the one visited is that the project selection was appropriate, the design and implementation planning needed better professional inputs, the implementation was relatively well done, and tangible benefits are already accrued by participants and many people in the area are trying to emulate the exercise. The project is located in a remote and difficult area, but “success” is mainly attributed to the efforts of one devoted and self-trained technician who acts as a leader in the community. So, indeed Indigenous NGOs can successfully be utilized for implementation of FFW projects, but the unreserved drive and energy of such a competent leader is not something that can be expected to be available in other areas. The experience is therefore not deemed replicable, and consideration of such working partners can be given only on a case by case basis, and only after establishing the organizational and technical competence that are demonstrably secured by the Indigenous NGOs in question. 3.6.3 Transitional period measures The QAP project comes to an end 30 September 1999. It is expected that it will take some time before a new project is designed and approved. In the meanwhile, it is proposed that the following measures are taken: • The possibility of extending the services of the District FFW Co-ordinators, within the current

arrangements of attachment to DRRA and UNDP funding, up to the start of the new project should be explored.

• The prospects of operational funds from other agencies should be further examined. • The ILO-ASIST programme should be approached in order to start identifying district level

training needs and mobilizing resources for future technical assistance in labour based methods.

• The Pilot Food for Work project is given a three months extension in time to facilitate distribution of the 1200 Mt. of food aid outstanding in some districts and prepare appropriate infrastructure maintenance plan with the communities.

3.7 Food management and logistics General The project document states that food will be delivered and stored in the three established Extended Delivery Points (EDPs) at Lilongwe, Limbe and Liwonde . Based on monthly food allocation plans drawn up by PIU, the TLU will arrange for delivery to project sites. District FFW


21

co-ordinators located within the Office of the District Commissioner and assisted by distribution clerks would carry out monthly distributions to beneficiaries. Findings Of the total 6900 MT available 6801 Mt. will have been dispatched by 31 December 1999. WFP Lilongwe contracted transporters, which delivered from the 3 EDPs directly to communities. Transport was reported to be problematic in the southern districts because transporters originate from Lilongwe to pick up food in EDP Blantyre for the villages. The DFFWC and PC committee members distributed food in accordance with the total daily task rates completed. In Dedza, the total tonnage allocated for the achievement was divided over the participants according to the person days worked. Therefore, the average food entitlement per day varied. Weighing scales are used during food distribution. In the labour registers of daily attendance the totals for workdays and maize distributed are not filled. Some communities used separate note books. The provision of large (expensive) labour registers should be reviewed. In two Food for Work micro-projects in Dedza district, and one FFW project in Salima districts and other districts, some bags of rotten food was found. Such reports were received from about 10% of the total communities served by the FFW micro-projects and had received consignment procured from the Transglobe Commodity Suppliers. Only two communities knew that food could then be returned. The district staff is not aware of the return/condemnation of spoiled food procedure. The project faced a total of 12.5.mt losses due to procurement from local supplier as early as 1997 from a questionable quality of stocks. The food was partly recovered by the EDPs through reconditioning process. The recovered stock was distributed to Food for Woirk beneficiaries in Karonga and Chitipa. Following certification of the spoiled commodity by the local health Inspectors and the Bureau of Standards, WFP organized the disposal of the commodities in line with the WFP rules and regulations. Two communities found sand in the bags, One community had a shortage of 37 bags due to underweight which reduced a 50 kg bag to 20kg of maize. WFP logistics unit arranged the replacement of the stock to the communities in its subsequent deliveries. However such losses have been charged to the transporters as required. Food “payments” are made when specific outputs are reached. These proposed measurement of outputs included remittances based on quarterly achievement plan or rather based on one –third of the achieved plan. The mission did not find the actual records of the outputs agreed upon for each payment at the level of communities. It was noted that the records on food payments were maintained by the District Food for Work Co-ordinator. There does not seem to be any synchronizing of such outputs between projects in a district to facilitate food deliveries. Food was late in arrival by 2 or more weeks in many cases. Several DFFWCs stated that they understood problems to be related to transport breakdowns. PC members do not like to feel the pressure from workers, without having any means to speed up the process. DFFCWs request food some 5 to maximum 10 days in advance. 3.8 Monitoring, evaluation and reporting General According to the Project Summary of the QAP project, the following plan was established for the monitoring and evaluation of the project. • The PIU, located within DRRA, has the overall responsibility for the implementation of the

monitoring and evaluation system which consists of the following elements.


22

• Monitoring of quantity and quality of the physical assets. • Routine commodity tracking by the TLU with the guidance of the UNV Logistics Specialist. • Monitoring the progress towards meeting project objectives using the following indicators: i)

reduced dependency on ganyu employment combined with increases in the number of meals eaten by households members during the hungry season; ii) increased traffic on roads in and out of project areas; iii) increased agricultural production for people participating in the project; iv) reduced travel distances for women to access domestic water; and v) reduced need to distribute free relief food in project areas during times of increased household food insecurity.

• Beneficiary contact monitoring to produce information on beneficiaries’ reactions to the

project and on the effects of project activities on the beneficiaries. • A management review - combined with an appraisal of the potential expansion of FFW

activities - would be undertaken after the first year of the project. • The project would also undertake a number of other special studies as part of the monitoring

and evaluation system. These will include: i) a study of women’s time-labour within the project areas and the impact of FFW; ii) a study of community participation and ownership of community-based schemes; iii) a gender-based analysis of access to the benefits of the different assets established through the project; and iv) a study of the traffic on the roads created and how the benefits affect men and women, including food marketing and distribution.

• Study tours were to be arranged to allow district officials the opportunity to visit other districts

to review project progress and to see different approaches and implementation models. • The monitoring and reporting procedures were to be as follows: • The District FFW Co-ordinators carry out routine monitoring of the FFW schemes. The

project has developed a standard monitoring and reporting system, which is in use in the eight districts. The District FFW Co-ordinators submit quarterly report to DRRA with a copy to WFP on technical and management issues. In some Districts the District Commissioner endorses the reports. DRRA prepares project implementation reports and quarterly progress reports.

• The WFP field staff provide quarterly reports to the WFP Country Office who in turn compiles

Country Office reports, FFW annual reports and FFW donor reports. Findings The PIU monitoring and reporting capacity was weak at the beginning of the project. It was not before in the second year of project operation that a PIU desk officer responsible for the project was appointed. The mission found the following monitoring and reporting arrangements: DRRA has assigned a desk officer for FFW and a District Food for Work Co-ordinator to each district. WFP assigned a national officer, one assistant in each region (in the districts Lilongwe, Blantyre and Karonga) and retained the UNV originally planned to work with Government within WFP Lilongwe for monitoring and reporting and logistics. DRRA, the counterpart, could not accommodate the UNVs in their office premises. The Department was going through a period of retrenchment due to recent phase out of emergency operations. DRRA did expect the UNVs to work for them from the WFP premises.


23

At district level monitoring and reporting is co-ordinated between the DDO and the DFFC. The DEC has Project Implementation Teams (PITs) for all projects. DFFWCs are active DEC members and acts on behalf of the DEC. They monitor technical aspects of the projects and report back to DEC when there are problems. The DFFWC also verifies the productivity with the Project Committees and processes the food request/release/delivery forms. This task was taken over from the WFP assistants after complaints about delays by WFP in approval of food requests. The DFFWC and WFP have the planned outputs, by specific tasks in the original food request, which is attached with the DEC appraisal form and technical standards to the MOU. The food requests are not checked against these planned outputs. At the national level monitoring is not co-ordinated between WFP and DRRA. Both do their part of the food administration. WFP plans its monitoring visits on a monthly basis. In 1999 WFP programme assistant staff in Lilongwe, Blantyre and Karonga spent on average 2 weeks per month in the field. The DRRA Desk Officer only went out when specific occasions required her presence. The DRRA did not develop or implement a systematic monitoring plan because of the erratic remittances in funding and their preoccupation with flood emergencies. WFP designed monthly standard reports for the DFFWCs. The content was agreed upon with WFP/DRRA/FFWCs. The DFFWCs are not submitting those reports on a regular basis. Therefore DRRA could not report to WFP. The DFFWCs prefer reporting on a quarterly basis. The budgeting of DRRA is also on a quarterly basis and is based on new work plans, which are to be presented with the reports. The DRRA organized quarterly meetings, which took place in 1998, but not in 1999 due to delays in remittances of UNDP funds through NEC. The meetings were found to be productive and helped to understand the project purpose and procedures. Forms and reporting procedures should in future be defined with the counterpart, which will be the District Assembly. Reports to DRRA and WFP are to be previously endorsed by the DC. This did not seem to be the situation in all districts. DRRA was not aware of formats and the need to prepare QPRs and PIRs. They deliver an annual report. WFP uses the food delivery forms to enter the data on food distributions in a control sheet. Due to the limitations in those forms, the control sheet does not show proportional progress in unit of outputs against food deliveries, nor fluctuations in beneficiary numbers. The COPRs have been reflecting ”prorated” progress in physical outputs meaning “period specific progress”, rather than cumulative. Cumulative progress on physical progress needs to be reflected. The last COPR is up to Dec. The distribution report summaries from April are available . The monitoring indicators mentioned in the project document were not systematically used during Beneficiary Contact monitoring by WFP. The reduced need for distributing free food during the lean season was unmeasurable. The impact studies have not been undertaken according to the plan. An assessment of the ACDI-supported activities has, however, been carried out. It is unfortunate that the impact studies have not been undertaken as they would have given important guidance in formulating the next phase of the project.

3.9 Project Support The Government did not have its own operational funds at district level for FFW activities. Funding was obtained through active local resource mobilization from the Malawi Country office and generous responses from within the UN system and local donors.


24

UNDP and DFID provided operational funds for the Local Impact Areas and the other districts for a total of USD 25,963 and USD 56,100 respectively. UNCDF and WFP with the help of a Swedish grant for Non Food Items provided funding for the capital cost for a total of USD 440,000. The DRRA and WFP agreed that the project should build on the self help spirit and ask communities to contribute tools. Based on this understanding, the NFI requests were developed and forwarded to WFP for the 5 districts funded fm the Swedish funds/funded by the UNCDF and to Local Government. Dedza reported that the UNCDF funds came forward in parts (of the 2.5 million budgeted in the DDF, only 1.1 million was received). This inhibited the implementation of a number of projects (i.e. 15 projects were appraised, but there were funds for only 9 projects). The equipment provided by the project were kept by the chairperson. This procedure was endorsed by all communities visited by the mission. In 2 out of 5 cases workers used their own tools. In one case their own tools were too weak for roads works. Women found tools too heavy although they still used them. They preferred lighter ones. Cement and rings were not delivered in good order in time. Once the project is completed, WFP will ensure that the tools are left with the community to be used for maintenance of the infrastructures. The NGO CADECOM mobilized funds for NFI from their own donor partners. CADECOM still has USD 130,000, which donors gave for roads construction and that without food resources cannot be utilised . CADECOM can therefore not close its books on this phase of support in QAP. It is proposed that WFP should provide the food aid during the extension period in order to enable CADECOM undertake the FFW rehabilitation activities. 3.9.1 Centralised Funding system. WFP received funds from the Swedish Government for NFI. WFP released a tender for supply of NFIs, which was contested by the local hardware suppliers. Five hardware shops were selected and offered the contracts to supply NFI to Food for Work projects upon receipt of requests from the District. Five districts i.e. Chitipa, Lilongwe, Salima, Mangochi and Chikwawa benefited from this fund. The major problem was that most hardware shops did not have the commodities in stock when required. This delayed the supply of commodities to the micro-projects. There were also problems in identifying transporters to move materials from the supply point to the project sites. Delays of 3-4months were experienced due to suppliers failure to get the commodities in the volume required by the FFW projects. Further delays of at least 3-5 weeks were caused by the transporters not picking the commodities at the required time. 3.9. 2 Decentralised funding mechanism Three districts, Dedza, Nsanje and Karonga benefited from the decentralised funding mechanisms from the UNCDF funds channelled through the District Development Funds (DDF). The UNCDF released $130,000, which was split between three districts. The remittance of funds to Karonga was delayed by 8 months, because the financial system to manage the fund was not yet in place. Karonga had not yet benefited from the district planning system under the UNDP 5th Country Programme. In case of Dedza and Nsanje, CDF funds were remitted in April - 4 months after the project was launched. The procedures used in procuring NFI is as follows: • The technical Officer from the key line ministry prepares a bill of quantity for the micro-

projects. • The tender committee reviews the NFI request from the micro-project and prepare the

tender documents for publication. • The tender is advertised locally at district level and later released in the local press. • The tender is selected in accordance to the rules and regulations governing the tender.


25

• A contract is issued to the suppliers. • The DDF finances the procurements of NFI and transportation cost to the micro-projects. The decentralised system also had problems especially in meeting the operational cost of the activities. The CDF funds were only to meet the cost of materials for the FFW micro-projects. The districts did not integrate their FFW operational costs in the district administrative budgets prepared for funding from Local Governance. The DFFWC did not know the procedures about accessing operational funds from DDO at the beginning of the project. This restricted their capacity for project appraisal and undertaking all administrative functions associated with procurement of the NFIs. 3.9.3 Technical assistance: The ILO/ASIST provided technical assistance in the formulation and preparation of the QAP FFW project in September 1997. The ILO also supported the review cum appraisal exercise by assigning two consultants for a total of USD 22000 by the UNDP - Special Programme Support . UNDP indicated that such funds will not be available in the near future. ILO/ASIST and WFP will have to collaborate in resourcing funds for future Technical Assistance from donors and existing grants to WFP The areas in which assistance is needed are : • Specification of technical standards and bill of quantities for the new Food for Assets

activities. • Community agreements – contracts to ensure participatory and sustainable arrangements

for maintenance The ILO/ASIST regional office in Harare will take up the recommendations of the review-cum -appraisal with Government and WFP once agreement about the future Food for Work project has been reached. Further collaboration can also be explored within the UNDAF framework e.g. with UNICEF on water and sanitation. UNDP would consider continued although limited support within the sustainable livelihood project. The interest of donors in WFP supported activities was apparent in good attendance of the debriefing session. Perspectives for future donor contributions are to be developed through co-ordination and regular information sharing. The WB, EU and NORAD are funding specific areas with public works. World Bank, USAID and EU fund soil conservation activities. NORAD and World Bank fund water programmes, etc. A great deal of participatory planning methods have been imparted to district level planning structures in Malawi. Capacity assessment for future targeting districts needs to be undertaken in order to set training priorities and identify type of technical assistance required 4.0 Project Results 4.1 Perception of food aid Food for Work is relatively new in Malawi. The first NGO experiences in FFW date from 1994. In 1995 donors rejected the dependency syndrome caused by free handouts and embarked on the concept of FFW. Under these arrangements free food distribution would only be applied in times of severe drought affecting the entire population. The Cabinet of Malawi was briefed on the efforts to use Food for Work and the results of active sensitization at the DDC level by the Commissioner for Relief and Rehabilitation Affairs. The government changed its policy in line with the thinking of donors and adopted a FFW policy starting from the 1995/96 season.


26

However donors failed to provide the resources for the projects that had been submitted for the period suggested. Various NGOs (ELDP and World Vision Malawi) and government officials (Lilongwe) stated that they confuse communities if the same organization supports both self help and food aided activities. They find that food aid handled by a different organization avoids problems of confusion. Also officials in Local Government and Rural Development are noting that there is need for harmonization of food, cash and self help. NEC mentioned the need to address issues such as having to avoid that FFW replaces productive labour, and should concentrate on activities that cannot be done by the communities themselves. The first step to be taken is to develop a specific food aid policy. The national Food Security Steering Committee and Local Government are the most likely interested parties in developing such a precondition for use of food aid as a resource by the assemblies. This issue is relevant when defining targeting criteria i.e. focusing on food deficit areas only for the use of food aid. There is need for cross references with criteria for use of cash aid in employment programmes. The concept of self help is defined by practice and division of responsibilities for instance construction of school blocks. The communities are clear that they have to mold bricks and build the school as a precondition for any teacher and other resource allocation. Most of the communities visited did not show signs of confusion regarding food aid or self help: e.g. participants claimed they would maintain the roads because they needed them. Others had started their own forestry activities and if food would be forthcoming they could continue, if not they would wait for a season in which they could spare the time and work without food themselves. The new DFFWC in Chikwawa did report on many difficulties. He took over after a one year vacancy of the post. Many communities understood that they were working on a time basis in an employment programme. These difficulties seemed to have been due to poor introduction of the FFW programme at community level. 4.2. Efficiency As this project has been a first time experience (a pilot phase) where many planning mechanisms were not tried out earlier it is to be expected that there was some level of experimentation and finding out by trial and error. Not only was food being given out for the first time as an incentive for works done on community activities, but also the whole operational and institutional organization was being tested out for this type of project implementation, also for the first time. It is also the case that the programme is supporting the implementation of a very large number (close to 200) of rather small projects which makes planning for, backstopping and monitoring a daunting task. There were therefore bound to be initial planning and operational hick ups and hitches that would contribute to inefficiencies. This is a nationally executed project. The Department of Relief and Rehabilitation Affairs (DRRA) has been the responsible government body for implementation. The district level is the one at which the particular proposed projects are appraised, prioritized and approved; where the technical support for implementation is sourced and where co-ordination with other activities and monitoring is conducted. The mission found, to a great extent, the Co-ordinators (FFW-C) placed by the DRRA to be of the right calibre, competent and very committed. In many respects they seemed to be a “right-hand” person of the District Commissioners (DC) and commanded respect and support of their colleagues in the District Executive Committee (DEC). They have coped very well with their duties and have become rather indispensable to the smooth implementation of FFW activities. The mission recommends that future DFFWC have a background in a technical field in order to


27

increase attention to quality of work and maintenance monitoring. Another concern is the ‘regularisation’ of their engagement so that they do not move to other jobs when offered more permanent posts, and the logistic support of transport and allowances necessary for facilitating their work. Some misunderstandings on the amount of food that should be given against quantities of work to be performed have been noted. This was to a great extent related to the wrong concept that the number of days people have shown up for work was the criteria, rather than their performance (productivity). So, although the misunderstandings have ultimately been cleared, it is essential that the potential and actual recruits (beneficiaries) for FFW get it clear from the start that the basis for food remuneration (amounts of food to be given out) is actually the completed ‘task rates’ not the days of ‘attendance’. The mission felt that there is room for improvement in the procedures used to procure and supply non-food items that are essential for the implementation of projects. This is especially relevant in the provision of tools & equipment used by communities; building materials such as culvert rings, cement, timber and nails, and funds for paying skilled manpower to perform special tasks. The mission has noted that the centralized mode of procurement of these kinds of goods and services has been very inefficient and very expensive. The most obvious and extreme case of inappropriateness of the centralized, and technically unsound, procurement and delivery system has been that of culvert rings. All the rings required for all the FFW activities were ordered at one location in Blantyre. They were produced centrally in the same location and they were trucked from this same location to respective sites throughout the country. Many were broken down or chipped and damaged, many that the mission inspected were of inferior quality and all at an exorbitant unit price. The mission found that the technical competence and experience, in many cases even the culvert moulds exist at former DRIMP offices around the country; and that actually such rings can be produced at district level, sometimes even on site, at reasonable estimated costs (currently MK 700-1000 per 600mm diameter ring). Production of such rings at district or sub-district level locations for usage within the area would reduce the possibility of breakage, facilitate quick and timely delivery, make the supplier more responsive to complaints by users on quality, and drastically reduce the costs. In the cases where all the inputs can be made available on or in the vicinity of the site, the culvert rings may ideally be manufactured on site. This will have the added advantage of exposure to or even transfer of technology to local artisans and villagers. The mission has concluded that culvert rings can be produced in locations nearest to the work sites where they are to be used. There is a need to mandate the District Works officer supervises the production and ensures that DRIMP standards are strictly adhered to in terms of quality control. The mission feels that the same applies to the purchase of building materials such as cement, timber, nails; and inputs. If the qualities and quantities of items are available in local centres and markets, as indeed is the case in many locations visited by the mission, procurement should be done in locations as near to the site as possible. This assures timely and appropriate delivery, but also reduces the costs. The implication of this procurement procedure is that proper instructions be given to appropriate officers on quotations, procurements, deliveries and reporting. The overall management of the FFW has been structurally fragmented, i.e. policy, monitoring and funding mechanisms through NEC; DRRA overseeing the project management, and Local Government monitoring planning and implementation at field level. The roles of the different implementing partners at macro level need to be better defined, better co-ordinated and an appropriate transparent monitored system established. Basic management tools such as work programmes, target settings, and definitions of responsibilities and full communication with field staff need to be better established as work norms. 4.3 Outputs and objectives


28

The number of schemes implemented amounts to 210, out of which some 140 are road schemes and some 40 afforestation schemes. The remainder schemes consist of small-scale irrigation, soil and water conservation, dams and shallow wells. No schemes have been implemented as public works schemes as envisaged, although some rural district roads have been rehabilitated with food aid. It is clear that the scheme profile has turned out to be very different from the planned profile. It was found that the proposals put forward by the communities to a large extent have been guided by the perception that food is available for road works. This highlights the importance of thoroughly sensitizing the communities on the concept and purpose of the FFW projects. The actual number of workdays generated (as of May 99 ) totals 1.601 million, out of which only roads and afforestation account for 812,000 and 162,000 workdays respectively. While the planned number of beneficiaries was 35,000, the actual number is 32,871. Women make up 57% (including FHH 12%), and men 43%. In forestry, the output is relatively low. A total of 190 ha. of land have been planted, with various tree species, which is 40 percent of the planned output. Also in soil and water conservation, the actual output is below the target. About 28 ha of land have been conserved, making up 9 percent of the target. Achievements compared to targets in earth dams and shallow well are minimal. In irrigation, apart from a few small schemes that are completed, three schemes in Karonga district totalling 772 ha are under implementation. The objective of reducing the workload by women is hardly met. There has been few water supply activities and no complementary support for labour saving activities such as, fuel saving stoves, grinding mills etc. 4.4. Effectiveness This has been a pilot project. It has set out to serve the dual purpose on the one hand feeding people and on the other producing assets that would benefit target beneficiaries. The project activities have indeed fed people and have produced assets. This can be considered as a positive result. The question is more on whether the people fed were the targeted beneficiaries and whether the assets created were directly benefiting them. The findings of the mission are that while in quantitative terms the project activities were effective, the qualitative indicators from the socio-economic findings are that the project was not as effective in assuring that the benefits were actually directed and effectively accrued by the target beneficiaries. 4.4.1 Benefits Food The pilot Food for Work project provided employment to over 32,871 food insecure households and it created productive community assets. As of date total of 1,601,000 employment days were created which enabled more poor female headed households to access food aid. The food was not delivered in critical times only. The planned timing of activities e.g. in Dedza varied from starting in May up to December 1998 and from October 1998 to March 1999. CADECOM implemented their activities from July to December 1998. In Salima the vast majority of afforestation projects were planned for February - June1999. An earlier group of projects functioned between November 1998 and March 1999. The communities visited by the mission in 5 districts worked maximum for 6 months ( one community having 2 consecutive activities from Nov-Jan and then from March to May) and minimum 3 months. There are no systematic records in the office on the duration of the actual implementation of the activities serve for the records in the labour employment registers maintained by the project committee members.


29

Participants stated to the mission that food lasted a family of 7 or 8 people for about two weeks. Beneficiary contact monitoring during the lean season of 1998 report a sustenance of the feeding habits (meal frequency maintained at 2 to 3 meals a day as opposed to one meal a day common during that season)among the interviewed households. Several communities stated that the basket was not fair for the work they were doing in relation to the opportunity cost of activities elsewhere, but they worked because the road would bring longer term benefits 4.4.2. Assets The immediate impact of roads on the targeted poor is assessed as being marginal. Although the communities get a sense of having access to services, especially health related; very few people have motorized or non-motorized vehicles, or have any access to them. As a result there are very few vehicles, some bicycles, some oxcarts and the occasional motor vehicle, using the roads. The impact of roads is therefore not necessarily a practical or direct one but seems to be rather psychological and social in nature. However, the actual workers did not use the roads frequently other than by foot. Females interviewed did not usually own bicycles or oxcarts In Lilongwe, men beneficiaries were the users of bicycles. Beneficiaries did rent oxcarts in some cases. Men benefited from the saved time in marketing. Women could not say what that saved time was now used for. An ACDI supported schemes found that the motorized traffic frequency on the improved roads varied between 14.5 and 50 per week. The average bicycle frequency per day varied between 14 and 50. There was hardly any transport by oxcart. In case of Chinyamula to Bembeke road and Chitowe -Diamphwe roads like other road network rehabilitated through FFW, the roads have facilitated access to semi-urban areas with over 30%higher prices for leaf vegetables compared to the farmgate prices. 4.4.3 Ownership of assets The village access roads are regarded as community asset. Maintenance is, therefore, expected to be undertaken by the VDC. In case of the designated roads the understanding is that government owns and therefore should maintain them. The community did not own the roads developed through Food for Work. None of the communities had discussed or established maintenance arrangements. Only a few communities stated that they were not going to maintain the road because they did not have the means. With the exception of one community, where the DFFWC collected the tools for new projects, the communities had and expected the tools to remain with the headman for maintenance activities. In Mangochi the workers are owners of the gardens on which they carry out soil and water conservation works Likewise the ownership of plots and asset in the small scale irrigation schemes remain an issue for discussion. The Santhe project, the plots have not been demarcated to households. However the communities perceive the development as a community asset. The Karonga irrigation schemes has two categories of participants. The work benefiting and the asset benefiting. The scheme benefits a few people with plots on the scheme. More emphasis should be put towards getting the asset-benefiting group take responsibility for maintenance of the infrastructure. There is no household owned afforestation campaign undertaken in any of the project sites visited. The tree resources are therefore community resources. Rights to assets is reserved under the TA through the Government co-management plan. The rules and regulations for forestry use are not yet set. Women assumed that the chief would continue granting access according to need. DFOs/DFFWCs need to search for/be provided with relevant successful


30

initiatives in social forestry activities in Malawi and elsewhere and with participatory approaches to water supplies that include development and training in operation and maintenance of the assets. Participants stated that in roads the technical know how obtained was not of direct use, only in future roads projects, but there would not be opportunities for such activities other than maintenance. By comparison, forestry activities were being replicated by the community (awaiting a new FFA project approval). The ACDI scheme established a tool loan scheme for maintenance activities. 4.4.4 Effects on Agricultural production and households incomes. Household interviews with smallholder farmers especially men key informants in FFW micro-projects in Mangochi and Chikwawa districts revealed that crop production has been enhanced through soil and water conservation schemes. Farmers who received 10kg of “Starter pack” inputs but also used contour lines and marker ridges had their production increase to 258kg of maize in 1999 from 0.25kg. The 1998 production prior to adopting soil and water conservation technology was 187kg. On the other hand households who received starter pack but did not use soil and water conservation works produced about 220 kg from about 0.25kg. This variation in yield as a result of soil and water conservation may not appear significant for the year 1998/99 because of the good rainfall distribution patterns received in most parts of the country. Field appraisal to assess the effectiveness of soil and water conservation and forestry activities as environmental rehabilitation programme has not been undertaken. The benefits of soil erosion control and in-situ retention of run off water are likely to be significant after three years after setting soil conservation works. Similarly there is evidence of increase production among the MAWO community based activities in Chikwawa district where a second crop was ready for harvesting from the small scale irrigation whilst in other schemes , three cropping season have been realised with registered beneficiaries being directly benefiting from the asset as well as the work. Under MAWO project, a total of 10 cattle and 6 goats were procured from the proceeds of irrigated crop. The efficiency of the water conveyance system is no longer realised and therefore needs for urgent backstopping by the Department of Irrigation. 4.4.5 Household food security Food for Work provided food to poor, low-income households. There are potential gains in household food security following the increase in cropping seasons from Small-Scale Irrigation developments. This allows households to access food through household production and/or sales of irrigated crops. In case of soil and water conservation projects in Mangochi district, the increase in maize production reduced the lean season by 1 - 2 months. 4.4.6. Empowerment in decision making and labour saving The project made great efforts to desegregate the monitoring data on beneficiaries by gender and emphasized the commitments to women in training at the level of project committee members, staff and the District commissioners and DFFWC. The mission could not qualify the participation of women in PC decision making, but many women PC members presented the mission with the essential information on organization and achievements of work. Most were literate. Labour saving effects might be longer term when ownership and use of forestry resources is determined.


31

The mission therefore concluded that while roads have less benefits to the target beneficiaries, non-road micro projects, where people are mostly working on their own pieces of land, were clearly having a very direct and positive impact on the participants. 4.5 Environmental Concerns Roads can have a rather negative impact on the physical environment when drainage systems are not adequately planned and appropriately executed. This is especially the case in mountainous areas and areas with torrential or heavy rainfall. The mission has noted that the lack of adequate ditches and lack of frequent enough properly directed mitre drains as being a weakness that needs to be addressed. Afforestation activities by their nature are environment enhancing, but here again the mission feels that the selection of location of such projects (e.g. the use of susceptible slopes, marginal lands, in place of flat and cultivable land etc.); that of choice of the appropriate types of plants should be done under directions given by competent professionals. Small-scale–irrigation schemes did also not seem to have much of a negative impact on the environment. On the contrary when done in combination with water and soil conservation they tended to actually enhance the environment. Water and soil conservation schemes are also very environmentally friendly. There was good initial attempt to introduce a technically sound layout. The mission noted that, for example marker ridges were not done consistently following the contour in the whole terrain. Some areas were left to the farmers to lay out and were done erroneously. This can lead to serious erosions and gully formation when directed in the wrong way (with the natural flow of water instead of against it). 4.6 Operations and Maintenance of Food for Work Assets General The questions of operation and maintenance are closely linked to issues such as ownership of created assets, land ownership where assets are created, and usage of created assets. The ILO advisory mission of October 1997 discusses possible arrangements in the various sectors in order to maintain and protect the assets created. Findings According to the project implementation plan, NFI in the form of hand tools used in the FFW schemes are to be maintained by the District. A tool bank has been established from where beneficiaries can borrow tools for maintenance work. A few NGOs -ACDI and MAWO- have made use of the tool bank to some extent. It was found that maintenance of created assets has not been properly addressed. In the schemes visited during the review-appraisal mission, there were no maintenance arrangements in place 4.7 Sustainability Within the realm of sustainability, there is a need to distinguish between the food that is distributed among the worker/beneficiaries and assets that are created. Food is a resource made available for the short term need in order to create longer term community assets. Assets created by FFW, on the other hand can be sustainable or non-sustainable. The mission’s observations are that this depends mainly on the question of ownership and capacity at local level. Where the target beneficiaries feel they use and control the assets to their direct benefit there is a clear notion of ownership and therefore more secure sense of sustainability. Where the asset is used and controlled by everybody and the ownership is more public or ambivalent, sustainability cannot be ascertained.


32

One of the means of checking such a phenomenon is by observing the degree to which an attempt is made by communities to continue operating and/or maintaining the asset. As regards monitoring and reporting of site activities, the ILO mission report of October 1997 provides some useful guidelines. This is attached as ANNEX 6 to this report for easy reference. 5.0 The Way forward 5.1 The New WFP Approach to FFW Following the New WFP enabling development policy and the consequent implications, the mission makes the following proposals in respect of formulation of the new project. • There is a novel approach that WFP wishes to introduce in the next phase of the FFW

project. Whilst earlier the emphasis was on food security and assets were created more as a bonus; in the new approach assets are placed at the centre stage, and food aid in the new project serves to enable communities that lack food in their households, to engage in community infrastructure works that improve their food security. There is, therefore, a shift of policy from the earlier ‘relief orientation’ to the present ‘development orientation’. This has implication for the project design, the technical requirements and institutional arrangements for implementation.

5.1.1 Project Management

• A transition from ‘relief’ orientation to ‘development orientation’ has institutional implications.

At present, DRRA has not a formal position within the District Administrations. The new project needs to be located within a department with responsibility for development in the District Administration. The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development would be the most appropriate parent department for the project.

• The functions of the District FFW Co-ordinators are crucial for the project implementation.

Up to now, they have been temporary personnel placed in the District by DRRA. In the new project, they should have an employment arrangement with the District Assembly Structure.

• The project operational agreements should be signed with the ministry of Local Government

and District Administration. When the District Assembly has been established and the councillors appointed the FFW operational agreement have to be made with the District Assemblies.

• NFI funds and food aid allotment should be decentralised to the DDF. The DDC will have an

upper ceiling figure for planning and approval of FFW schemes. Land Transport Storage and Handling costs will be contracted by WFP from designated EDPs.

• The capacity for needs assessment, planning of development activities and maintenance of

assets should be developed at the VDC level through a well structure participatory planning framework, gender awareness training, project management training and food distribution procedures.

5.1.2 Targeting The Project Implementation Unit (PIU) and WFP should decide on districts/EPAs that are

food insecure, number of communities per EPA, considering average food need by project and total NFI budget available.


33

• There is room for improvements within the existing eight districts. With a move from relief to development, it makes sense to target the existing districts only and upgrade their capacities and skills in rural infrastructure works. In this respect, one should also take into account the monitoring capacity at the central level.

5.2 Concept and design proposal The new Food for Assets project will need to be developed with the counterpart that can support the development objectives within the decentralization process and structure. The selection of activities in the new project should be based on the District Development Plans. Where District Development Plans do not provide guidance, sector specific strategies and plans from line ministries might be useful. Criteria for selecting activities should include community ownership and maintenance arrangements as preconditions. Road works should only be selected if the road is critical to the community’s food security of the households attracted by the type of work. In line with the concept and spirit of decentralized planning, the mission recommends that the district authorities be given the resource planning limits and full responsibilities for allocation of such resources at their level, both food and non-food inputs. The implication of this being that the final approval of individual schemes rests with district authorities. 5.3 Planning Process 1. Both new and continuing districts should receive the review-cum-appraisal report for

their comments and follow up actions. 2. Discussion with the host department in Government on the planning and design of the

future Country Programme basic activity should be started as soon as the review-cum-appraisal findings and recommendations are agreed with Government.

A food aid policy with the National Food Security Committee defining the role of food

aid as a development resource and harmonizing self help, cash and food aid. The Country Programme Advisory Committee to facilitate the policy formulation process through the National Economic Council

3. Discussion with the Ministry of Local Government on

The start of a food for assets project with the District Assemblies latest by January 2000 through Local Government (given the current legal limitations of the Assemblies as signatories until later in the year 2000)

The Food for Assets project will assist food deficit communities as and when they put

forward feasible requests to gain and/or preserve food security related assets that are of direct benefit to women.

Food aid is available for those communities that can not engage in self help activities

due to lack of food resources.

Within the proposed participatory framework, it is not possible to specify in advance the exact activities, beneficiaries, inputs and outputs. For planning purposes, however, sets of activities can be identified in accordance with the objectives stated above in order to come up with an indicative planning figure for each set of activities.

The planning figures need to be based on assessments by districts and

decentralised line agencies on the potential absorption capacity of communities that


34

• have a pattern of food deficiency and;

• plan to develop or preserve assets owned by those food insecure households who will work for the food;

• can count with technical support from the district technical extension services.

• Have established the decentralized planning and financial system. The final allocation of resources will depend on the level of interest and absorption capacity of communities, counterparts, partners and the WFP country and sub-offices in planning, implementation, monitoring and food management over the two year life of the project. The next phase of the project should focus on upgrading the existing capacities of the Districts. It is believed that much could be achieved by conducting short-term «on-the-job»-oriented training courses for the technical staff on technical and management aspects of rural infrastructure works. The training courses need to target supervisors and foremen in the various sectors and also the FFW co-ordinators. There exist training materials in rural infrastructure works that can be used for this purpose. An assessment of training needs of the target groups should be carried out prior to the training. The consultants recommend that the ILO-ASIST programme be approached to help conducting the training needs assessment and setting up training courses. To the extent possible, special arrangements should be made with technical bodies at the central level for support when considered necessary. It will still be important to run FFW training workshops for project committee members in order to make them better understand how to organise and carry out the work. So far, the training has targeted only two committee members from each community. In the future, it is recommended that all committee members be trained so as to improve the communities’ skills. The Malawi FFW Manual and the training manual for committee members need to be revised so as to reflect the concept of the new project. Maintenance and operation aspects have to be looked into when planning the schemes. Proposals that do not include proper and adequate maintenance plans and asset operation arrangements should be rejected. 5.4 Improvement of technical support a) At District Level As a way of improving the technical capacity at district level the mission recommends that the possibilities of attaching more professional technical staff to the District Administrations, especially in infrastructure related sectors of works, soil and water conservation and irrigation should be explored. The situation could also be improved by providing short-term technical training courses to District staff so as to improve their competence and consequently the quality of work. In this respect the possibility of linking with other programmes, collaborating with other activities operating at the same level and taking advantage of or using existing sectoral training and capacity building programmes should be investigated. The districts have got resources and progammes geared to capacity building that the project may be able to tap from. There exist


35

training materials and competence to set up training programmes in rural infrastructure works that can be used for such purposes within the ILO. They can also be approached to assist. As regards the logistic support to the District staff, the mission believes that this can be solved, to some extent, by improving the co-ordination of resource allocation to the Districts. b) At Central level Whilst it is clear that the support to micro-projects is inadequate, such competence at central level is also not in place to guide, assist and technically monitor FFW activities. With over 200 ‘technical’ projects spread over a handful districts, it is clear FFW requires the services of at least one technical officer (Technical Co-ordinator) at central level. Such a person is essential for assuring that sound technical procedures are established and followed within the FFW project. The FFW Technical Co-ordinator should have general technical knowledge and should preferably have a varied, multi-sectoral exposure. In this regard the mission recommends a civil or agricultural engineer, with solid field experience, willing to explore and learn new methods and techniques but also competent in planning and co-ordination. The tasks of such a co-ordinator shall include: the revision of the field guides and manuals to include simple technical instructions on design standards, norms and practices that should be followed; formats for the detailed planning, programming of works; forms for actual implementation inputs and production data including attendance and production levels achieved, works progress and problems encountered; and guidelines and recommendations on general cross-cutting issues such as gender, environment, seasonality of works and other concerns that impact on technical performance. 5.5 Securing operation and maintenance of assets Operation and maintenance concerns should be addressed already at the initial planning stage of the scheme. These include maintenance requirements, maintenance plan, technical support, tools and materials and identify the Area Executive Committee in order to provide extension support. It is recommended to make operation and maintenance arrangements a requirement for the approval of a scheme. Only schemes, which include such arrangements, should be approved. Community-based schemes such as dams, water supply and soil conservation, with a direct benefit to the participants/beneficiaries are more likely to be maintained than for example a road. Such schemes should therefore be given higher priority than what they have been given so far.


36

ANNEX 4 List of documents consulted Project Summary of Enhanced Food Security through Targeted Food for Work, August 1996. WFP Donor Report 1998. WFP Country Office Project Report no. 02. WFP Project Control Sheet. ILO Advisory Mission Report, Bjørn Johannessen, October 1997. Interim Assessment of Namwera Agricultural Cooperatives Development International Rural Infrastructure Food for Work Micro-Projects, 1999. A Guide on Food for Assets, Working Document, WFP-ILO, June 1999.


In the QAP project, the Government and WFP have ... - ILO

Documents