UN Joint Programme on Support for North West Bangladesh Floods (WASH, Food Security and Nutrition)

Transcription

1 UN Joint Programme on Support for North West Bangladesh Floods (WASH, Food Security and Nutrition) Final Report Programme Period: 1 October 2016 to 31 March 2017 Reporting Period: 1 October 2016 to 31 March 2017 Contributing donor: Activities: Area of intervention: United Kingdom Government, Department for International Development (DFID) This programme includes targeted activities in the field of WASH, Food security and Nutrition. 1. Kurigram District (Austomir char, Chilmari, Noyerhat & Ramna union of Chilmari upazila, Kurigram municipal, Mogolbasha, Panchgachi, Ghogadaho, & Vogdanga union of Kurigram Sadar upazila and Fulbari, Naodanga union of Fulbari upazila) 2. Gaibandah District (Arendabari, Uria, Udakhali, Phulchari union of Fulchari Upazila) 3. Jamalpur District (Chinaduli, Sapdhari, Noapara, Belgacha & Kulkandi union of Islampur and Char Aomkhawa, Bahadurabad, Chikajani, & Chukaibari union of Dewanganj) 4. Sirajganj District (Belkuchi sadar & Bordhul union of Belkuchi upazila and Omarpur & Ghorjan union of Chowhali upazila) 1

2 RESULTS FRAMEWORK Expected Results (Outcomes & outputs) Indicators (with baselines & indicative timeframe) Responsible Achievement Outcome 1 (WASH): 150,000 people (30,000 households) in the most affected communities of Jamalpur, Kurigram, Sirajgong and Gaibanda have access to flood resilient WASH services by February 2017 Indicators: # people in affected communities with access to safe drinking water, improved sanitation facilities; and reached with hygiene materials. Output new/rehab safe water options and 60 ponds cleaning and repairing for 22,500 people in most affected communities of Jamalpur, Kurigram, Sirajgong and Gaibanda Revised Output new/rehab safe water options for 16,250 people in most affected communities of Jamalpur,Kurigram, Sirajgong and Gaibandha Output 1.2 2,520 Emergency resilient latrines constructed for 17,000 people in most affected communities of Jamalpur, Kurigram, Sirajgong and Gaibanda - # of new safe water options prepared; (BL-0; Target 390) # of people having access to safe drinking water sources; (BL-0; Target 22,500) # of Water treatment plant deployed (BL 0, T 2) Revised Indicator # of new safe water options prepared; (BL-0; Target 325) # of people having access to safe drinking water sources; (BL-0; Target 16,250 # of emergency latrines constructed. (BL-0; Target 2,520) - # of people having access to improved sanitary latrine (BL-0; Target 17,000) UNICEF, DPHE/LGI/ NGOs33 UNICEF, NGOs/ DPHE 18,506 affected people in four districts have access to safe drinking water sources through provision of 325 flood resilient tube wells. The cleaning and repairing of 60 ponds initially planned was dropped based on the field level assessment conducted and agreement with all relevant stakeholders. It was noted that the rehabilitation of the ponds was no longer useful at the time of project execution. Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) through its district offices constructed the water points using government contracting procedures and processes. The water points, which each serves ten households, were constructed in high platform structures to ensure resilience to floods. Household prioritization and selection was based on three main criteria: presence of children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in the household, WFP beneficiary card holder households, and households with adolescent girls. Field implementing agencies together with Local Government representatives and with support from UNICEF officials prepared a socio-economic assessment and the initial list of water option sites which was submitted to DPHE for verification and approval. DPHE officials visited all the proposed sites and conducted technical feasibility which together with the socio-economic assessment informed the construction of the water points. Water User Groups were formed and empowered for effective operation and maintenance of the water points. 17,640 people in the four affected districts have access to improved household latrines through the construction of 2,520 flood resilient improved single pit latrines. Latrines were constructed with the slab above the maximum flood level to prevent flooding and groundwater contamination by faecal matters in future disasters. The needs of people living with disability and elderly people were taken into consideration in the design and construction of the latrines in the affected areas. The district wise distribution of emergency latrines is as follows: Kurigram: A total of 650 emergency resilience latrines for 650 households and 260 specially designed latrines for people with different needs (elderly, child and disability) in 260 households 2

3 Gaibandha: A total of 250 emergency resilience latrines for 250 households and 100 specially designed latrines for people with different needs (elderly, child and disability) in 100 households Sirajgonj: A total of 500 emergency latrines for 500 households and 200 specially designed latrines for people with different needs (elderly, child and disability) in 200 households Jamalpur: A total of 400 emergency latrines for 400 households and 160 specially designed latrines for people with different needs (elderly, child and disability) in 160 households Output ,000 people reached through WASH hygiene materials and personal hygiene practice session in the most affected communities of Jamalpur, Kurigram, Sirajgong and Gaibanda # of WASH hygiene session conducted (BL-0; Target 1,560) UNICEF, LGI/NGOs Picture 1: latrines designed for people with disability A total of 106,160 people (female 79,618 and male 26,542) were reached with WASH messages for improved hygiene practices through 1,566 hygiene sessions in the most affected communities. Particularly, information conveyed was around the effective use and maintenance of WASH facilities in the communities and the impact of WASH interventions on children and women s health. In addition, 540 WASH hygiene kits were distributed to 2,748 people. This activity is part of the life-saving interventions to ensure effective hygiene practices and prevent disease outbreaks. The hygiene kits also supported the beneficiaries with some basic items to allow them to live relatively comfortably and with dignity (especially women and children) in difficult emergency situations. 3

4 Activities Output safe water options for 16,250 people in most affected communities of Jamalpur, Kurigram, Sirajgong and Gaibanda Output 1.2 2,520 Emergency resilient latrines constructed for 17,000 people in most affected communities of Activity Deploy Water Treatment Plant for immediate provision of safe drinking water Activity New/Rehabilitation of damaged water points including platforms Activity Pond Cleaning & Repairing Activity Construction of Emergency resilience improved household latrines The activity was removed due to the need to adjust the project budget as funds were lost as a result of fluctuations in exchange rates. The purpose of this activity was to provide temporary sources of drinking water pending the construction of tube wells. According to the field level assessment, the deployment of water treatment plants was no longer useful at the time of project execution. Hence, its removal did not affect the overall programme results. The construction of the water points was done by the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) as part of the efforts to enhance the capacity of government institutions for effective WASH humanitarian response; and to ensure effective operation and maintenance of the water points after the project. A total of 18,506 people in the four affected districts were provided with new safe water sources through the construction of 325 tube wells. The district wise distribution of tube wells is as follows: SL Response District Target (# of Planned Water Options) Achieved (# of Water Options # of Population reached 1 Kurigram ,750 2 Sirajganj ,246 3 Jamalpur ,250 4 Gaibandha ,260 Total ,506 Related to Activity the initial plan for the rehabilitation of ponds in the four affected districts was dropped due to the need to adjust the project budget as funds were lost as a result of fluctuations in exchange rates and based on the field assessment and agreement with all relevant stakeholders. A total of 17,640 most affected people in the four programme districts have access to improved latrines through the construction of 2,520 flood resilient household latrines, out of which 720 were designed to meet the needs of people living with disability and elderly people in the affected communities. A total of 2,654 households in the programme areas benefitted from this intervention with a focus on the most vulnerable households selected based on the agreed selection eligibility criteria (i.e., WFP 4

5 Jamalpur, Kurigram, Sirajgong and Gaibanda Activity Construct Latrine for people with different needs (Elderly, Child, People living with disability ) Picture 2: flood resilient latrines beneficiary card holder households and households with children with SAM or headed by a female). Most of the beneficiaries are female headed family groups as well as households with disabled family members. The district wise distribution of emergency latrines (without special design) is as follows: Kurigram: A total of 650 emergency resilience latrines for 650 households Gaibandha: A total of 250 emergency resilience latrines for 250 households Sirajgonj: A total of 500 emergency latrines for 500 households Jamalpur: A total of 400 emergency latrines for 400 households These emergency latrines were constructed to be flood resilient using reinforced concrete rings, slab, corrugated iron sheets, bamboo pillars and wood. The benefitting households were encouraged to grow grass and small plants around the latrines to prevent erosion and flooding. To ensure equitable access to improved latrines by the affected population, latrines were designed and constructed to meet the requirements of people with different needs (elderly, people living with disability and children) in the affected communities. A total of 720 specially designed latrines were constructed to meet the specific needs of 720 people including elderly, children and people living with disability. The district wise distribution of emergency latrines for people with different needs (Elderly, Child, Disability) is as follows: Kurigram: 260 latrines in 260 households for people with different needs (elderly, child and Disability) Gaibandha: 100 latrines in 100 households for people with different needs (elderly, child and disable) Sirajgonj: 200 latrines in 200 households for people with different needs (elderly, child and disable) 5

6 Activity Provide 330 private bathing cubicles for women Jamalpur: 160 latrines in 160 households for people with different needs A total of 330 private bathing cubicles for women were constructed for 1,674 households in most affected communities of Jamalpur, Kurigram, Sirajgonj and Gaibandha. These bathing Cubicles benefit 4,580 women and adolescent girls to have more private space for comfortable bathing and washing. The district wise distribution of bathing cubicles is as follows: Kurigram: A total of 155 private bathing cubicles for 775 households. Gaibandha: A total of 55 bathing cubicles for 55 households. Sirajgonj: A total of 110 private bathing cubicles (Belkuchi: 98 and Chawhali: 12) for 335 households. Jamalpur: A total of 100 private bathing cubicles for 509 households. Picture 3: Bathing cubicle Output ,000 people reached through WASH hygiene materials and personal hygiene practice session in the most affected Activity Provision of conditional CASH to implementing partners for local procurement of WASH hygiene kits to be distributed to affected households. 540 WASH hygiene kits consisting of 20 items were distributed to 2,748 people affected by the flood. A conditional cash transfer mechanism was adopted for the procurement of the hygiene kits by transferring the funds to the Implementing NGO to procure the kits locally. This arrangement facilitated prompt delivery of the hygiene kits to the affected population without compromising the quality and at greater cost effectiveness. 6

7 communities of Jamalpur, Kurigram, Sirajgong and Gaibanda Activity WASH in Emergency Hygiene Promotion Session The WASH Hygiene kits consist of: 1) Aluminium kolsi-1; 2) Jug with lead-1; 3) Mug-1; 4) Mosquito Net-1; 5) Plastic Bodna-1; 6) Belcha-1; 7) Brash (latrine)-1; 8) Detergent 500gm-2 Packets; 9) Bathing soap-2; 10) Laundry soap-2; 11) Sandal-1 Pair (small); 12) Sandal-1 Pair (big); 13) Sanitary cloth-2; 14) Gamsa-1; 15) Datol-1, Botol 100 ml; 16) Cotton-1 Packet; 17) Comb-1; 18) Nail cuter-1; 19) Bleaching powder 1 Kg; and 20) Printing Bag. The district wise distribution of WASH Hygiene kits is as follows: Kurigram: A total of 195 WASH Hygiene Kits were distributed to 195 households in Chilmari and Kurigram Sadar Upazila Gaibandha: A total of 75 WASH Hygiene kits were distributed to 75 households in Fulchari Upazila Sirajgonj: A total of 150 WASH hygiene kits distributed to 150 households in Belkuchi and Chawhali upazilas. Jamalpur: A total of 120 WASH hygiene kits distributed to 120 households in Islampur upazila. For dissemination of WASH messages, a total of 1,566 hygiene sessions were conducted in the most affected communities of Jamalpur, Kurigram, Sirajgonj and Gaibandha over five months. A total of 106,160 people in the affected districts benefitted from these messages. The district wise distribution of WASH Hygiene sessions is as follows: SL Districts # of Hygiene Sessions # of People reached # of Women Participants 1 Kurigram ,826 28,369 2 Gaibandha ,255 11,441 3 Sirajganj ,505 22,878 4 Jamalpur ,574 16,930 TOTAL 1, ,160 79,618 The table below lists some of the broad hygiene messages that are delivered in emergency response, together with their priority ranking based on relevance to ensure survival. It is always more efficient to focus on a few key-messages to address key unhygienic practices, rather than on providing a lot of information to beneficiaries that will later on be hard to remember. 7

8 Safe hygiene behaviours Handwashing Safe water collection, transport, storage and retrieval Safe excreta disposal WASH diseases and diarrhoea treatment Safe menstrual hygiene, Safe laundry Body hygiene Hygiene Messages Washing both hands with soap or ash: after using latrines, cleaning/handling children faeces, before handling or eating food or water. Using appropriate and clean containers with lids to collect, transport, and consume drinking and cooking water. Advantages and importance of using latrines compared to open defecation (security, privacy, flies, smell, health, etc) Safe use and maintenance of latrines (household / communal), using sandals, water and soap/ash inside or nearby the latrines, importance of water-seal/lid, cleaning/disinfecting regularly. Disposing of children faeces safely WASH related diseases (different type, transmission, faecal-oral route, prevention) Why does menstruation happens and how to manage it safely (using clean napkins or cotton cloths, safe washing, drying and storing) Importance and advantages of body hygiene (body, nails, teeth, hair) Priority messages (1=high priority 3=low priority)

9 Outcome 2 (Food Security): 8,500 extremely poor households (42,500 people) in Jamalpur, Kurigram, Sirajganj and Gaibandha will reach an acceptable food consumption score by the end of the intervention. Indicators: a) Percentage of targeted households/population that received the food assistance package; b) Percentage of cash transferred vs. targeted. Output 2.1 Targeted households received a monthly unconditional cash transfer of 4,000 BDT for a 3 -month period Number of households who received three cash transfers Total amount of cash in USD transferred to targeted beneficiaries (disaggregated by sex) WFP Partner I/NGOs and 100% of the targeted households received cash transfers as per plan. WFP completed the distribution of unconditional cash transfers to the targeted 8,500 households during November 2016 to January 2017 involving a total of 34,681 people in four districts affected most by the flood (Jamalpur, Kurigram, Sirajganj and Gaibandha). During planning, it was estimated that 8,500 households would comprise a total of 42,500 people (5 members per household) but in reality it was less. 100% of cash was transferred to the targeted households as per plan. Each household received a total of BDT 12,000 as planned over three rounds of monthly distributions (each received USD 153 equivalent). WFP and its cooperating partners (CPs) conducted a significant number of post distribution monitoring visits that revealed that the beneficiaries used a significant portion of the cash for purchasing food items, while making expenditures for other items such as productive assets (e.g. goat, sheep, duck and poultry to increase their economic resilience), house repairs, medicines, and children s education. Based on the analysis of baseline and end line data, significant improvements in household food security was evident, with 90% of the households achieving an acceptable food consumption score after the receipt of 3 rd round of cash transfers (which was 19% before cash distributions were made). The below table 1 shows detail: Food Consumption Score (Acceptable>42, Borderline>28 and <=42, Poor<=28) Timeline Acceptable Borderline Poor Grand Total Baseline 19% 60% 21% 100% After 1 st round distribution 76% 22% 2% 100% After 2 nd round distribution 86% 13% 1% 100% After 3 rd round distribution (End line) 90% 9% 1% 100% 1 The food security indicator used as the Household Food Consumption Score, a food security indicator used to measure changes in the quality and quantity of people s diet. It was calculated by the WFP country office M&E team based on data collection by its Rangpur & Sirajganj Sub-Office. 9

10 Activities Output 2.1 Targeted 8,500 households received a monthly unconditional cash transfer of 4,000 BDT for a 3 -month period Activity Completion of field level agreements Activity NGO staff orientation on project expectations, beneficiary selection criteria and process Activity Targeting (geographical/households) Post distribution results 2 also indicate a gradual change in dietary diversity patterns, with an increase in protein intake after each distribution of cash. Significant changes were also observed in dairy consumption which is a very important source of nutrients for children, and pregnant and lactating women. The Household Dietary Diversity Score 3 (HDDS), as measured by Terre des Hommes Foundation (Tdh) in Kurigram also registered gradual improvement, with a value of 5.7 after the final distribution of cash, which was 5.1 after the first round of cash distribution. Based on capacity and performance in previous emergency response initiatives, NGOs/INGOs were selected from WFP s existing NGO partners/stand-by NGO partners. Tdh was engaged for Kurigram, Gana Unnayan Kendra (GUK) for Gaibandha, National Development Programme (NDP) for Sirajganj and, Eco-Social Development Organization (ESDO) for Jamalpur districts. Field level agreements (FLAs) with these NGOs were completed and signed on 13 October Following the signing of the FLAs, the cooperating partner NGOs mobilised the required number of staff by 16 October WFP Rangpur and Sirajganj Sub-Offices organised orientation sessions for the NGO staff, briefing them on the UN Joint Programme, its objectives and components, geographical targeting, implementation modalities, target beneficiaries, beneficiary selection criteria and selection process, and roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders. The orientation sessions were organised in Sirajganj, Jamalpur, Gaibandha and Kurigram during 16 to 23 October UNICEF also participated in the orientation sessions in Sirajganj and Gaibandha. In consultation with local administrations geographical targeting was defined and the focus was on the most affected areas ( pockets of needs ) Priority was given to the most vulnerable geographical areas (upazilas/unions) where there was no significant response/assistance provided by other humanitarian agencies. WFP together with UNICEF organized Upazila Disaster Management Committee (UzDMC) meetings in the targeted upazilas to prioritize/identify the most affected unions. The outcome of the meetings was as follows: 2 Post- Distribution Monitoring by Tdh in Kurigram. 3 Household Dietary Diversity is an indicator defined as the number of unique foods consumed by household members over a given period. 10

11 Activity Mobilize and sensitize local administrations and communities about the project and beneficiaries selection process/criteria Kurigram district: The most affected eight unions 4 under Chilmari and Kurigram Sadar upazilas. Gaibandha district: The most affected four unions 5 under Fulchari upazila. Sirajganj district: The most affected four unions 6 under Belkuchi and Chouhali upazilas. Jamalpur district: The most affected nine unions 7 under Islampur and Dewanganj upazilas. WFP and its cooperating partners NGOs/INGOs (CPs) organized Union Disaster Management Committee meetings and prioritized the severely flood affected wards/villages. A total of 181 wards were prioritized out of 225 in 25 unions based on the severity. Subsequently, the CPs conducted community consultation meetings in each of the prioritized wards of a union to identify the most affected and vulnerable households. In the consultation meeting, community people were briefed about the selection process and criteria, and the beneficiary entitlements and feedback about the most affected and vulnerable households were received and recorded. Following the community consultations and subsequent feedback, a total of 28,057 flood affected poor households were enlisted for further verifications and household visits. Based on household visits and filtering via the selection criteria, 8,500 households were identified for the unconditional cash transfer support. WFP closely monitored the consultation process and participated in the majority of the community sessions. The targeted households and/or their communities were benefited from an integrated multi-sectoral programme of WASH, food security and nutrition. WFP implemented the unconditional cash transfer for food security for extremely vulnerable households while UNICEF implemented Nutrition and WASH projects. Both the agencies coordinated with respect to targeting the households and their communities and integration of the benefits for the targeted households and their communities. WFP together with UNICEF conducted joint meetings with the Deputy Commissioners of all targeted districts and briefed them about the DFID funded UN Joint Programme, for the support to NW flood Following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between WFP and UNICEF on 25 September 2016, the meetings with the Deputy Commissioners were conducted during 9-12 October Austomir Char, Nayarhat, Chilmari and Ramna unions under Chilmari upazila, and Ghogadaha, Bhogdanga, Panchgachi and Mogolbasha unions under Kurigram sadar upazila 5 Erendabari, Urea, Fulchari and Udakhali unions under Fulcahari upazila 6 Ghorjan and Omarpur under Chouhali upazila, and Bordhul and Belkuchi Sadar under Belkuchi upazila 7 Char Aomkhaoa, Chukaibari, Bahadurabad and Chikajani under Dewanganj upazila, and Sapdhori, Belgacha, Chinaduli, Kulkandi and Noarpara under Islampur upazila 11

12 Activity Beneficiaries selection, verification, registration and monitoring of the process Upazila Administrations of the seven targeted upazilas under the four districts were also briefed about the UN Joint Programme from 9-16 October In the meetings, the unions were prioritized based on severity of flood and vulnerability. UNICEF and WFP participated in the meetings. WFP together with its cooperating partners conducted several activities for sensitizing communities about the project and the sharing of selection criteria, mobilizing communities, selecting beneficiaries, preparing cash distribution plans, organising cash distributions, and conducting household visits for verification. Households were selected based on prescribed selection criteria and priority was given to households having family members with disabilities, children (under the age of five) and elderly as well as women-headed households. The following criteria was used to identify the beneficiary households: Selection Criteria: Inclusion Criteria: Households that met at least four out of six criteria detailed below were eligible for the Unconditional Cash Transfer. Households who met all criteria were given priority in the selection process. (Obligatory criteria) Households which were severely affected/ displaced by the floods ( severely affected means those households who had damaged houses, had lost most of their productive assets and were under water for a long period); Households with no income earning member; Households dependent on casual labour; Households dependent on casual labour performed by a woman/women; Households with a high number of dependents (i.e. children, elderly or people with disabilities); Households with no land or with only a homestead. Exclusion Criteria: Better off households with productive land and/or assets; (i.e. more than 20 decimals of land); Households that had a regular source of income; Households that had received or are listed for similar support by a NGO/INGOs or UN agencies 12

13 Selection process: WFP Sub-Offices together with UNICEF Field Offices met the District and Upazila Administrations and briefed them on the response activities, household entitlements, household selection criteria and the selection procedures. WFP Sub-Offices organized orientation sessions for the staff of cooperating partner NGOs to brief them on household selection and distribution arrangements prior to the selection of households. Under the guidance of WFP Sub-Offices, a number of community consultation meetings at union and ward levels were organised with participation of people from different walks of life, including potential beneficiaries (men and women from affected areas including elderly and disabled). Based on these consultations, a preliminary list of eligible households was prepared. All the listed households were surveyed by the cooperating partners following a prescribed checklist. Local administrations and representatives were also involved in the consultations. The objectives of the assistance as well as who and how to target the beneficiaries was explained. Signboards, banners, festoons, and hotline numbers were displayed. Unconditional Cash Transfers/entitlements of targeted households were explained and also displayed at different public locations. Donor visibility was ensured in all the signboards, banners, and festoons etc. The data of all surveyed households of the preliminary list was entered into the database. Following data verification/analysis, a proposed final list was prepared. WFP Sub-Offices visited the households as per the proposed final list on a random basis (11-12%), and provided feedback. The cooperating partners adjusted the list accordingly. The feedback included mainly the revision of data errors, better off households, duplication of households, overlapping with other support initiatives, etc. Subsequent to WFP s clearance and further certification by the respective union chairman, the cooperating partner NGOs submitted the households list to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and the Upazila Chairman for their review and endorsement. Upon endorsement of the household list at the upazila level, the enlisted households were eligible for cash transfer. Entitlement cards were issued to the respective beneficiary households which included basic information on the targeted households, entitlements, and a hotline number for registering any issues encountered. 13

14 Activity Cash transfer to the targeted households Following the Union Disaster Management Committee (UDMC) meetings, the staff of the cooperating partner NGOs conducted 233 community consultation meetings in 25 unions and prepared a list of 28,057 flood affected poor households as potential beneficiaries. WFP Rangpur and Sirajganj Sub-Offices guided the NGO staff to organize and conduct the community consultation meetings and also participated in the majority of the meetings. After enlistment of the potential beneficiary households, NGO staff conducted a household survey with a prescribed checklist to verify the eligibility of the households against the set selection criteria. Starting from the last week of October 2016, NGO teams completed the survey for all 28,057 households by the second week of November All the data of the surveyed households were entered into a database for screening against the selection and prioritization criteria. Through the digital screening process, final lists with a total of 8,500 households were prepared and submitted to WFP Sub-Offices for verification and clearance. Upon receipt of the lists of beneficiary households, WFP conducted physical verification of more than 10% of the households on a sample basis to check and ensure the accuracy of the selection against the prescribed criteria. UNICEF participated in this verification process. After making necessary corrections in a few cases, the beneficiary lists were finalized. The final lists were certified by the respective union Disaster Management Committee (UDMC) and subsequently placed to the upazila Disaster Management Committees (UzDMC) for approval. All the above processes were closely monitored and facilitated by the WFP Sub- Offices. The transfer of the unconditional cash was made via cash in hand (direct cash distribution) considering the emergency needs of the targeted households. The first round of cash transfer started on 17 November and was completed by 5 December The second round cash transfer took place during the week of December 2016 and third round from Jan All 8,500 households received BDT 12,000 in three transfers (BDT 4,000 in each transfer), a sum of BDT 102,000,000 (USD 1,301,851). An entitlement card was issued to each beneficiary household with basic information of the household, including the national ID number of the nominated senior woman, and the information regarding entitlements. Donor visibility was ensured in all related documents, including the entitlement cards. 14

15 Activity Monitoring (during & post distribution) On behalf of the affected households, the senior female member received the cash. All women of the targeted households received the cash themselves either at the distribution points or directly at the household if the enlisted women could not come to the distribution point due to disability/sickness. There was one exception for a household with no female member in Kurigram district. Distribution points were selected in consultation with the local administration/community leaders and targeted households, considering the security and location of the beneficiaries. Administrations provided police protection at each distribution point. Arrangements were made so that the beneficiaries could collect cash at an early hour and return home safely before dark. Cash was distributed in presence of the relevant government officials (e.g., UNO, PIO), and representatives such as Upazila Chairman, Union Chairman and members of the parliament. WFP staff were present in all distributions. WFP carried out intensive output and process monitoring for the activities using prescribed checklists during and after the distributions. WFP Rangpur and Sirajganj Sub-Office team made regular site visits to monitor the ongoing implementation of the activities, the teams documented the observations and regularly reviewed and discussed the findings of the monitoring visits in the Sub-Office, based on which follow up actions as relevant were taken. In addition, NGO senior staff and M&E team conducted monitoring of the field activities including beneficiary selection, distribution of cash and post-distribution data collection. WFP Country Office provided necessary support, while the Head of Field Operations carried out the oversee functions of the whole process. WFP conducted monitoring at different stages; during selection, cash transfer/distribution, and post-distribution at field level. Data collection for the baseline survey was made as guided by WFP s M&E Unit. A total of 250 households were randomly selected for baseline and post distribution monitoring. Post distribution monitoring was conducted after seven days of every distribution. A set of questionnaires/checklists were used for all types of monitoring. Simultaneously, qualitative enquiry/interviews were conducted with community people, elected representatives, community leaders etc. Along with UNICEF, WFP also conducted joint monitoring. A complaint response mechanism was activated and all complaints have been logged and were systematically dealt with in a timely manner. WFP has an integrated hotline system as a part of its M&E work, which both WFP and UNICEF used as a common channel for this joint programme. WFP s M&E staff attended to the hotline calls and 15

16 referred to the respective sub/field offices of WFP & UNICEF to resolve the issues raised. The hotline number was displayed at several strategic locations of the project area such as Upazila and Union Parishad Offices, market places and the cash distribution sites. The number was also included in the entitlement cards. A total of 22 calls/complaints were received by the designated staff in the Country Office regarding WFP operations which were shared with the respective Sub-Offices for actions. All these calls were verified/investigated and clarified/resolved. Regarding UNICEF operations, 10 calls/complaints were received, recorded and forwarded to the respective UNICEF field offices for action. UNICEF clarified and resolved all the complaints. Overall, these were very useful. Activity Reporting (donor) An interim report was prepared based on the implementation of activities and progress up to 20 January 2017 and submitted to UNICEF for compilation and subsequent submission to DFID. This final report is prepared based on WFP and CP/NGOs monitoring observations and related analysis. Outcome 3 (Nutrition): Improved access to nutritional services among 15,750 children under age five as well as 12,000 pregnant and lactating women in Jamalpur, Kurigram, Sirajgonj and Gaibandha districts Indicators: # of children under age five screened for malnutrition; # of under five children treated for Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM); # of women that received nutrition counselling on IYCF; # of pregnant and lactating women reached with cash transfer. Output 3.1 Screening for malnutrition among 15,750 children under five to ensure early detection of malnourished children at facility and community levels. - # of children under age five reached with screening for malnutrition. UNICEF, Government, and NGOs A total of 18,983 children under age five were screened. Among them 49.5% were male and 50.5% were female. District wise breakdown data is as below: Gaibandha 4,519, Male= 50%, Female= 50%, Kurigram 4,710, Male= 49%, Female=51 % Sirajganj 5,162, Male= 50%, Female=50 % Jamalpur 4,592, Male= 49%, Female=51 % 16

17 Output 3.2 Improved nutritional status among 394 children with SAM following referral and treatment. - # of children under age five referred and treated for malnutrition following referral support. UNICEF, Government, and NGOs A total of 421 children were identified with SAM and admitted for Inpatient Management, out of whom 413 (98%) were released as cured (sphere standard is >75%). Of the remaining eight children, one child passed away at Fulbari UHC and seven (2%) stayed for an average of 10 days for treatment. Medical complications of the seven children were resolved and stabilized, but weight gain was not achieved at the desired level. As per DHIS 2 criteria, since the children had completed phase-1 (3-7 days) and the complications had been resolved, they were released from the hospitals as stabilized with guidance and advice for continuation of nutritional care and treatment at home. District wise male/ female ratio for SAM children: Gaibandha 98, Male 28 (29%) & Female 70 (71%) Kurigram 253, Male 83 (33%) & Female 170 (67%) Sirajganj: 50, Male 20 (40%) & Female 30 (60%) Jamalpur: 20 Male 5 (25%) & Female 15 (75%) Output 3.3 Improved nutritional knowledge on IYCF practices among 12,000 mothers Outcome 3.4 Strengthened nutritional status of 6,000 PLW with unconditional cash transfer Activities Output 3.1 Screening for malnutrition among 15,750 under five to ensure early detection of malnourished children at facility and community levels - # PLW that received nutritional counselling - # PLW that received unconditional cash transfers UNICEF, Government, and NGOs UNICEF, Government, and NGOs Activity 3.1.1: Screening for malnutrition amongst 15,750 children under five A total of 12,000 pregnant and lactating women received counselling on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) and hand washing. (Kurigram: 3,000, Gaibandha: 3,000, Sirajganj: 3,000, Jamalpur: 3,000). Topics included the importance and benefits of breastfeeding, early initiating and continued exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding. Counselling sessions were conducted by the partners at the court yard level. Cash distribution was done after the session at the same venue and recorded in the Entitlement cards. A total of 8,000 pregnant and lactating women received unconditional cash transfers in three instalments of BDT 500 each (total BDT 1,500 or USD 18.59). (Kurigram: 2,000, Gaibandha: 2,000, Sirajganj: 2,000, Jamalpur: 2,000) Screening for malnutrition was completed for 18,983 under five children in four districts: Gaibandha: 4,519 children - 4,519 children in Fulchari: Male 227 (50 %) and Female 2,246 (50%) Kurigram: 4,710 - Kurigram Sadar 1,937, Male 945 (49 %), Female 992 (51 %) - Fulbari 1,282, Male 610 (48 %), Female 672 (52%) - Chilmari 1,491, Male 745 (50%), Female 746 (50%) 17

18 Output 3.2 Improved nutritional status among 394 children with SAM referral and treatment. Activity 3.2.1: Referral support for children detected with SAM at community level. Sirajganj: 5,162 - Belkuchi 1,908, Male 944 (49%), Female 964 (51%) - Chowhali 3,254, Male 1658 (51%), Female 1596 (49%) Jamalpur : 4,592 - Islampur 2,146, Male 1036 (48%), Female 1110 (52%) - Dewanganj 2,446, Male 1267 (52%), Female 1179 (48%) Screening was conducted through community mobilization and outreach efforts at house hold level. Out of the 18,983 under five children screened, a total of 1,851 were identified as suffering from Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) and 421 of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM). All the identified SAM children were referred to appropriate health facilities. Community Pusti Karmi 8 (CPK), Upazila and District Managers were trained on the Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) measurement for the assessment of nutritional status. The training sessions were conducted by partner NGOs. Nutrition Officers and DNSOs also attended the trainings. A total of 421 children were identified with SAM at community level and were referred to Government hospitals in the target areas. Below is the breakdown of children with SAM identified and referred by hospital: Breakdown by hospital: Facility Admitted Cured Rate Death Stabilized Kurigram DH % 0 0 Fulbari UHC % 1 0 Chilmari UHC % 0 0 Gaibandha DH % % Fulchari UHC % % Saghata UHC % Belkuchi UHC % 0 0 Islampur UHC % 0 0 Dewanganj UHC 9 100% Pusti Karmi=Nutrition worker 18

19 Output 3.3 Improved nutritional knowledge on IYCF practices among 12,000 mothers Activity 3.2.2: In patient treatment of children with SAM in health facilities. Activity 3.2.3: Cash transfer of 3,000 BDT for a families of every child that is admitted for SAM treatment to cover local transportation to and from the hospitals and additional costs for mothers/caregivers. Activity 3.3.1: IYCF promotion for PLW As part of the daily monitoring visits to health facilities, Community Pusti Karmi assessed the availability of beds. As soon as vacant beds were identified, families with SAM children on waiting lists were contacted for admission. NGO staff and UNICEF District Nutrition Support Officers (DNSO) conducted follow up visits of children released as cured or stabilized at the household level. Overall, most children were found to be healthy. For children whose MUAC was below the discharged value, counselling on nutritional food and hygiene was provided. None of these cases were resubmitted for treatment at the hospitals. During the programme implementation, health facilities required more therapeutic milk than what was in stock at the district level. Consequently, additional therapeutic milk supplies were obtained from other districts before running out of supplies. Community nutrition workers (CPKs) referred a total of 421 children under five for admission as SAM inpatient at Health Facilities as detailed below: Gaibandha: 98, Male 28 (29%) and Female 70 (71%) Kurigram: 253, Male 83 (33%), Female 170 (67%) Sirajganj: 50, Male 20 (40%), Female 30 (60%) Jamalpur: 20, Male 5 (25%), Female 15 (75%) A total of 421 families with SAM children received BDT 3,000 (USD 37.17) per child admitted for SAM treatment to cover local transportation to and from the hospitals and additional costs of food and medicine. On average, children s hospital stay was 12 days and the average cure rate was 98%. Data gathered through questionnaires implemented by partner NGOs, reveal that 33% of the SAM caregivers wo received the cash transfer utilized the funds for food, 33% for medicine, 26% for transportation purposes and remaining 8% for other purposes such as children s education, house hold repairs, investments on income generating activities (IGA), cloths, etc. A total of 12,000 pregnant and lactating women received counselling on Infant and Young Child Feeding practices (IYCF) as per below district breakdown: Gaibandha: 3,000 Kurigram: 3,000 Sirajganj: 3,000 Jamalpur: 3,000 19

20 Activity 3.4.1: Unconditional cash transfer for PLW to cover their additional nutrition needs. IYCF counselling was conducted for groups of pregnant and lactating women on average. All women received three sessions to cover IYCF practices and issues. District wise Pregnant and lactating women status who received IYCF counselling: District Pregnant Lactating Total Kurigram 982 2, Gaibandha 922 2, Sirajganj 825 2, Jamalpur 677 2, Total 3,406 8, Household visits were conducted by CPKs and upazila coordinators to follow-up on pregnant and lactating women after the counselling sessions. It was observed that the majority of women were able to explain the information learned in the sessions and demonstrated commitment to share the learning with relatives and neighbours when required. A total of 8,000 PLW received unconditional cash transfers of BDT 500 over three sessions (Total of BDT 1,500 each) as per the below district breakdown: Gaibandha: 2,000 Kurigram: 2,000 Sirajganj: 2,000 Jamalpur: 2,000 Through the above mentioned questionnaires implemented by partner NGOs, it was identified that 67% of the pregnant and lactating mother who received the cash transfers used the funds for food, 11% for purchasing medicine and the remaining 22% for other purposes such as children s education, household repair, investments on IGA, clothing, etc. 20

21 OVERAL PROGRAMME ASSESSMENT Project deliverables What is your assessment of the overall value for money of the programme (in terms of speed, quality and cost)? Economy (spending less) 9 All programme interventions were conducted within the planned budget and outputs were delivered at the lowest cost without compromising the quality and the timeliness of the assistance. For instance, UNICEF WASH project demonstrated adequate utilisation of funds buying quality inputs at the right price and at the right time. Instead of using UNICEF procured hygiene kits which are costly and for which the delivery time is often long, UNICEF provided conditional cash to implementing partners who purchased quality WASH hygiene kits locally, maintaining all standard procurement procedures. This arrangement facilitated the prompt delivery of hygiene kits without compromising the standards and at greater cost-effectiveness. Additionally, working with DPHE for the provision of water points in affected communities contributed to the economy of the project through cost reduction and project sustainability as well as it helped to ensure government ownership. The establishment and empowerment of Water User Groups also contributed to ensure effective operation and maintenance of facilities and promoted community ownership. Similarly, for construction of toilets and bathing cubicles, the Implementing Partner hired local people as contractors. This contributed to enhancing the capacity of local people and construction cost remained low. The user has added value with the quality by providing physical labour in raising the plinth and doing the monitoring at the time of construction. Cost of Unconditional Cash Transfer delivery was kept minimal by engaging experienced and qualified local/international NGOs as cooperating partners with reasonably lower delivery costs. Moreover, the implementing partners contributed a percentage of total implementation cost which was up to 11% for local NGOs and 40% for international NGOs. Use of a direct hand-delivery system for distributing cash to the beneficiaries ensured timeliness and also kept the overall arrangement simple and kept the delivery costs to a minimum. Provision of a separate bank account by the cooperating partners for receiving the money from WFP for distributing to the targeted households did not require any service charge, achieving the best value for money. UNICEF WASH and nutrition executed the project through Programme Cooperation Agreements (PCA) where implementing partners contributed around 3.5 to 4 percent of the total cost of implementation. UNICEF nutrition project demonstrated efficiency in the utilization of funds with an average of US$ per beneficiary reached under the project. As a result, the project supported 30,983 beneficiaries, a total 3,233 additional individuals than initially planned (original target 27,750). As Convening Agent of the joint programme, UNICEF has assigned its own staff to work on this joint programme without additional costs, achieving the best value for money. In addition to the staff costs, UNICEF has organised coordination meetings both with the Government as well as participating agencies and implementing partners. Efficiency (Spending well) Having a strong presence of WFP Sub-Offices close to the targeted areas and bringing the cooperating partners (CP) on board from the pre-qualified stand-by/existing NGOs, WFP was able to complete all planned activities within the stipulated timeframe. Orientation for CP staff on the implementation process including pre-defined beneficiary selection criteria, presence of WFP staff in the field to observe and assist CP teams, and individual and joint verification (with UNICEF) of beneficiary selection contributed to ensuring a speedy, but fair and appropriate targeting of the households. Community involvement was also the added advantage in ensuring appropriate beneficiary selection. Priority was given to households having family members with disabilities, children (under the age of five), PLW and elderly as well as women headed households. The targeted households comprised: 14% having disabled members, 41% having female headed or dependent on a woman s income, 21% having pregnant and lactating women, 34% having children under the age of five and 31% having elderly members. Considering the urgency of needs of the affected people and potential timing required for using various distribution systems/models, WFP in consultation with the donor had opted /for direct hand-delivery of the cash to the beneficiaries. By ensuring physical presence of local administrations, elected representatives and WFP staff at 100% pre-selected distribution points, WFP was able to complete all the distributions in an organized and efficient manner with zero leakage/anomalies. Cash was handed over to the cardholders at distribution centres, while in few cases 9 DfID s 3E VfM framework of Effectiveness, Efficiency and Economy 10 The cost is higher than the last UN joint programme on support for North West flood implemented between1 January 2016 to 30 June The reason is that this time, nutrition programme has included cash transfer to families who have children identified with severe acute malnutrition in order to compensate opportunity cost for treatment with the aim of increasing cure rate. It is noted that the cash transfer leads to treatment of all children identified with severe acute malnutrition. 21

22 cash was handed over to the card holders at the household level as they were unable to come to the centre due to sickness/disability. Targeted households were well briefed about the objective of the transfer, entitlements and distribution details. Authenticity of cash delivery to the selected beneficiaries was ensured by maintaining proper documentation and certification by the responsible authorities. Regular reporting of cash transfers was ensured with necessary supporting documents and proper certifications (e.g. every day after cash transfer, there was a daily report in the evening, highlighting the day s distributions as well as cumulative up to date). The complaint response mechanism was established at WFP Country Office using a dedicated hotline mobile phone number. It helped beneficiaries including community people to directly interact with WFP and UNICEF and provide feedback or complaints about the programme implementation. The hotline number was widely circulated, included in the beneficiaries entitlement cards and displaying at different strategic locations through festoons and banners. Each and every hotline call was attended by WFP staff with priority and referred to the respective sub/field offices of WFP and UNICEF to resolve issues as appropriate. The local procurement of WASH hygiene kits in addition to ensuring prompt delivery of kits to the affected population also supported the empowerment of the local markets and individuals selling the items in affected areas. This arrangement demonstrates efficient use of resources to achieve results in a more economic manner. In addition, engagement of some community members for latrine construction created employment opportunities with income generated used for addressing family needs. Beneficiaries expressed appreciation for the unconditional cash support which increased their freedom of choice in terms of money expenditure to meet their family needs. Pregnant and lactating women received BDT 1,500 for attending three sessions on IYCF counselling and hand washing with soap. This contribution, although small, enhanced women s participation and helped to reach the most vulnerable who cannot afford to lose their daily wage to participate in a training. Caregivers of children with SAM received BDT 3,000 per child who was admitted and stayed an average of 11 days in the Government hospital (compared to 3 ±2 days which is normally observed). Although treatment is free in government hospital, many families, in particular the most vulnerable choose not to cure their children identified with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) due to opportunity cost of treatment such as transportation, losing daily wage and leaving other children at home. The cash transfer to the families with children identified with severe acute malnutrition was efficient as all families identified with SAM children choose to opt for treatment under this project, increasing cure rate for children. The families utilized the money mainly to cover transportation costs from their house to and from the hospital, and for food and medicine. Effectiveness (Spending wisely) 100% of the targeted households received 100% of their entitlements in time. The Unconditional Cash Transfers helped the beneficiaries greatly and enabled them to purchase the essential food items according to their needs and choice which contributed to their overall food intake and dietary diversity, that ultimately increased their average food consumption score from 35% to 61% within the project period. As per baseline and end line data analysis, 90% of the targeted households achieved an acceptable food consumption score after the 3 rd round of cash transfers as compared to only about 19% at baseline. It also gave flexibility to the targeted households to use the cash for household food security and other essential needs, including some investments in productive assets for IGAs. The money protected the targeted households from adapting negative coping strategies and contributed to enhancing their resilience against further shock. Institutional strength of the participating agencies played an important role in delivering results in an integrated approach and coordinated way. Both UNICEF and WFP have a strong presence in the field and a collaborative relationship with the government and other non-governmental agencies. WFP is also the focal /alternate focal of Food Security Cluster in the project districts. WFP has its Sub-Offices in Rangpur and Sirajganj, with UNICEF offices in Rangpur and Mymensing. Beneficiaries are jointly selected by a committee comprised of participating agencies and implementing partners. Regular coordination meetings between the participating agencies as well as cooperating partners allowed timely discussions on the implementation, field challenges & mitigation measures and ensured the quality of implementation.. Through the complaint response mechanism, beneficiaries and others provided feedback/made complaints which were logged and systematically dealt in a timely manner. WFP has an integrated hotline system as a part of its M&E work, which WFP and UNICEF used as a common channel for this joint programme. WFP s M&E staff attended the hotline calls and referred to the respective sub/field offices of WFP & UNICEF to resolve the issues raised. Considering the yearly occurrence of flood in the affected areas, all WASH facilities provided were flood resilient to ensure usage of facilities over a longer period. The water points were built on raised platforms and households latrines were constructed above the maximum flood level in the areas to prevent inundation during flood seasons. The skills acquired by the Water Users Groups on operation and maintenance of water points and latrine artisans during construction of household latrines will support the communities in the effective usage and replication of the 22