Food Management Improvement Project

The Food Management Improvement Project (FMIP) was initiated by the Disaster Risk Management and Food Security Sector (DRMFSS) of the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) and the World Food Programme (WFP), to address some of the main challenges being faced by the humanitarian system in Ethiopia.

Background to FMIP

 In 2009, WFP’s relationship with its largest implementing partner in Ethiopia, DRMFSS reached a breaking point. For two years DRMFSS had not been able to report on movement of commodities, and WFP in turn was withholding the /wiki/spaces/CTS/pages/2162707 disbursements to be paid to DRMFSS. Some of the challenges being faced by DRMFSS included low level of connectivity in the field level, lack of resources, poor visibility of commodities in transit and high turnover of staff leading to constant loss of skills. 

Ethiopia is the largest recipient of food aid globally. According to WFP’s Food Aid Flows Report, in 2010 25% of all global food aid was distributed in Ethiopia totalling 1.131 million metric tons. Poor visibility and inability to respond to problems in real time mean a considerable loss both in value and in effectiveness of the programs. The urgent need to clear the reporting backlog, and to solve the systemic problems causing it, brought to life a partnership transforming humanitarian logistics in Ethiopia.

The aim of the Food Management Improvement Project is to assist WFP’s governmental implementing partners to make the management of the food-aid supply-chain more efficient, effective and accountable. 

At the heart of the project stands the creation of a commodity tracking and reporting system. The system will link the different stages of the supply chain so that commodities received from a particular donor can be tracked all the way to the beneficiary. Attempts to develop and roll out systems for the government of Ethiopia, including COMPAS, have been made in the past. One of the lessons learnt from previous attempts is that the process should be highly participatory to (1) ensure buy-in from the government and (2) to make sure that the system answers the government’s needs and requirements. 

Simultaneously, the business processes will also be looked at, to make sure that the physical processes and staffing structures are all in place. Capacity development activities are also taking place, to ensure the smooth flow of commodities in the supply chain. This includes strengthening transport contracting procedures, storage planning and developing training with local training institutes.

FMIP Aim

The aim of the Food Management Improvement Project is to assist the GoE, through DRMFSS, to make the management of the food-aid supply-chain more efficient, effective and accountable.

FMIP Project Structure

FMIP consists of five interrelated components, each with its own defined scope and deliverables. Although each component is worked on separately, all have strong synergies with the other FMIP components.

Figure 1 FMIP Components

The five components are:

• Component 1: Background – Make commodity flow more visible
  • Build a commodity tracking system to enhance visibility of commodity movement within the supply chain from donor to beneficiary.

• Component 2: Strengthen Supply Chain Processes
  • Review processes and forms within the supply chain, and suggest improvements where appropriate. This includes mapping existing processes used by the different levels of government in the humanitarian supply chain, suggesting ways to improve and harmonize processes, and developing a Commodity Management Procedure Manual (CMPM).

• Component 3: Streamline transport contracting procedures
  • Support improvements in DRMFSS transport contracting procedures through longer term contracting and better management of transporter performance and relationship.

• Component 4: Advise Government of Ethiopia on planning its national grain storage network
  • Loss of commodities due to poor storage capacity reduces the effectiveness of the Ethiopian supply chain. This component looks into solutions for commodity management from the federal to the community level.

• Component 5: Develop institutionalized supply chain management training
  • This component aims to design structured certificate training for government staff working in different capacities throughout the humanitarian supply chain. The trainings are designed and delivered in collaboration with Ethiopian educational institutes and private consulting firms.