The evaluation was commissioned by the independent Office of Evaluation to provide evaluative evidence for accountability and learning to inform the design of the next WFP Country Strategic Plan (CSP) in Bangladesh.
Conducted between October 2019 and September 2020, the evaluation assessed WFP’s strategic positioning and role and the extent to which WFP has made the strategic shift expected by the CSP; WFP’s contributions to strategic outcomes; efficiency; factors that explain WFP performance; and the appropriateness of the Level 3 response to the Rohingya crisis.
The evaluation concluded that:
- WFP was effective in responding to the expansion of needs in the country, although the shift to the Level 3 response contributed to a disruption in the strategic direction of the CSP.
- Despite best efforts, there are clear challenges to WFP’s ability to make an organizational shift to institutional capacity strengthening. Elements including staff expertise, flexible funding, broader engagement with government would need adjustment to achieve successful institutional capacity strengthening.
- Clearer linkages between CSP activities and outcomes would enable WFP to fully capture its contribution to progress on the various SDGs. Operational focus on cross-cutting areas (gender, protection, inclusion) requires more effort to mainstream across all outcomes.
- WFP has effective, fast response mechanisms in place and is well placed to continue in its trusted role, while supporting and strengthening national development programmes to mitigate the long-term impact of disasters on vulnerable groups.
- For the next CSP, WFP may need to reprioritize to engage strategically in national nutrition-sensitive social safety nets.
