This strategic evaluation assessed the relevance, appropriateness and effectiveness of WFP’s approaches to targeting and prioritization for food and nutrition assistance in a time of rising needs and shrinking resources, covering the period from January 2019 to May 2025.
WFP invested substantially in developing its normative framework for targeting and prioritization, which is largely fit for purpose. The framework is fragmented, however, with gaps in relation to resilience activities and limited strategic direction on how to prioritize assistance under pressure. Global and regional support capacity facilitated implementation of the framework but is declining as a result of major funding gaps and consequent workforce reductions.
Recommendations:
- Support country offices in prioritization decisions by providing a clearer articulation of WFP’s strategic focus and positioning to strengthen their targeting and prioritization rationales.
- Uphold targeting and prioritization standards by making guidance and tools more accessible, enforcing compliance with minimum standards, and safeguarding capacity.
- Support country offices in adopting more transparent, more agile and more cost-effective targeting and prioritization approaches.
- Strengthen the interoperability of WFP’s own data systems and common data systems or data sharing with other humanitarian agencies for targeting and prioritization.