APPENDIX 7:  SCOPE OF WORK

DRAFT SCOPE OF WORK

For a Comparative Analysis of

Food Aid Targeting in East Africa

Background

Food aid is provided by the United States Agency for International Development in emergencies to

meet the objective of ensuring that the "critical food needs of targeted groups are met" (Office of

Food For Peace  Strategic Objective  #1).  In East Africa, food aid is regularly distributed to protect

the food security of populations who have been identified as being vulnerable by host country

governments, the World Food Program, NGOs, FEWS and others. Approaches to assessing

vulnerability primarily focus on the identification of areas and/or groups requiring emergency food

assistance. Careful analysis and planning is required to translate this and other useful information

into the design of interventions, especially targeted interventions which maximize the benefit of

food aid interventions while minimizing their cost.   Two of the elements which are necessary for

"improved targeting of food aid to the most vulnerable populations" (Office of Food For Peace 

Intermediate Result #1) are the selection of the appropriate commodity for the "target" group and

the determination of a highly cost effective mechanism for the delivery of the food aid required.

Emergency interventions in East Africa appear to have certain underlying characteristics:

First, targeting of emergency food aid at all levels most frequently relies on administrative targeting

mechanisms and most emergency food aid is distributed free of charge. There has been limited

experience with targeting emergency food aid through non administrative mechanisms such as

food for work or emergency school feeding programs and even less experience with using other

self targeting mechanisms or market forces.

Second, partially because of the limited scale and large annual variations in food aid programs in

East Africa, relatively little investment has been made in the establishment a  relief infrastructure. 

Emergency situations are handled in an 

ad hoc

 fashion and little quality data is available to

analyze vulnerability or relief needs.  The attention of both governments and donors is often

diverted when a crisis eases   only to require a refocusing when the next crisis hits in a few years

time.  The amount of time necessary to re establish procedures, reconstitute committees and

rehire staff often results in delayed responses to crisis situations on the part of governments,

international organizations, donors and NGOs.  A lack of continuity in data collection and analysis

means that the criteria for assessing needs are often haphazard and inconsistent.

It is also worth noting that not only are administrative targeting and the provision of free food

among the most expensive types of food aid programs, but the success of these programs is

highly dependant upon careful contingency and response planning.

Choice of Countries

Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda engaged in emergency relief in 1997   first for the drought that

continued into the beginning of the year and later for the floods that hit the region in the last

quarter.  In the case of both crises, the often heard criticism was repeated:  responses were too

little, too late, or both.  At the national level, significant quantities of food aid were distributed but it

is clear that it did not reach many of the most seriously affected areas in adequate quantities to

have a significant impact on food insecurity. This underscores the importance of identifying where

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