Overall, the evaluation found that the quality of WFP’s strategy for support to social protection was high and in line with international thinking, as well as WFP normative frameworks. WFP made notable contributions to social protection, although the consolidation and sustainability of results are still a work in progress. WFP is now widely viewed as a key actor in the social protection sector and its support and partnership is increasingly sought, thanks to well-recognized comparative advantages in operational capacities and field presence, particularly in fragile and conflict settings, food security analysis, nutrition and disaster risk management expertise.
The evaluation made four recommendations in relation to clarifying the criteria used to prioritize areas and intervention modalities; further developing the skills of WFP’s social protection workforce and facilitating greater sharing of knowledge, experience and lessons across offices; deepening strategic partnerships with international financial institutions and other United Nations entities; and strengthening the results-based management of WFP’s support for social protection.