Background

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Last updated: Aug 09, 2016 by Yared Ayalew
4 min read

Context within FMIP

The Commodity & Allocation Tracking System (CATS) project is Component 1 of the five components comprising the Food Management Improvement Project (FMIP).

It is designed to link the different parts of the Disaster Risk Management & Food Security Sector (DRMFSS) supply chain so that commodities received from a particular donor can be tracked all the way to the beneficiary.

CATS Project Aim

CATS, as Component 1 of the Food Management Improvement Project (FMIP) has the aim of linking the different parts of the supply chain together, to improve the visibility of commodities as they move from the donor to the beneficiaries, through the DRMFSS supply chain.

Improved visibility means improved management, which leads to improved reporting to the donors, thus addressing a key risk to DRMFSS – donors’ unwillingness to continue in the face of inadequate reporting.

As a secondary benefit, improved information allows DRMFSS to take better control of its supply chain, allowing other inefficiencies to be addressed.

The aims of the commodity tracking system as listed in this document come from directly DRMFSS. Accordingly, all major design and development decisions taken during the building of the tracking system must contribute to these aims, and the achievement of these aims will be central when evaluating the project.

Project Scope

Programmes

The development of CATS will focus on the allocation processes for the Relief and PSNP Programmes only, but will allow authorised users to add other programmes (e.g. IDPs) as needed.

Commodity Types 

DRMFSS transports four types of Commodity Types: three dry items (Cereal, Pulses and CSB); and one wet product - cooking oil (palm oil, transported in tins or jerry-cans inside cardboard cartons).

Although CATS must have the ability to also record Non-Food Items (NFIs), this forms a very small part of the overall DRMFSS workload.

Organisational Scope

CATS will be implemented at:

  • DRMFSS Hubs of Adama, Diredawa and Kombolcha
  • Regional Capitals

Measurement of quantities

There are two ways to measure commodities:

  • By weight – for example: 200 metric tonnes (=2,000 quintal) of wheat
  • By unit – for example: 1,000 bags of wheat at 50Kg each

The current requirement of DRMFSS and WFP is to track food – Wheat, pulses, oil, etc. – with quantities being calculated on the basis of weight alone. Although wheat comes in bags, oil in tins, etc., the units are not recorded.

The system allows the entry of both weight and units. As these values can sometimes diverge, weight is taken as the definitive measure and the primary reporting focus.

 Addis-level functionality focuses on weight rather than units, so reporting on weight will be the default for headquarter reporting.

Note: WFP is currently exploring the possibility of transporting food in bulk – having grains imported and placed into silos, and then bagged and trucked as required. This will have no impact on the current method of recording stock by weight.

Commodity Identifiers

Commodities are identified in two separate ways:

  • /wiki/spaces/CTS/pages/2162694: This is a code used within DRMFSS, and is allocated either by the individual hub, or by DRMFSS Logistics in Addis, depending upon the particular process (whether normal allocation, loan repayment, etc.).
    • There is currently no guarantee that this code can uniquely identify commodities within or across hubs, and over a period of time, as it is manually assigned.
    • As CATS integrates the hubs and central logistics to a greater degree, it may be possible for the CTS to suggest a unique number, reducing confusion
    • The 'Project Code' used in the context of this project should not be confused with the WFP use of the same term, with a completely separate and unrelated meaning.
  • /wiki/spaces/CTS/pages/2162693: This is a code used by WFP to report back to its donors. This code is intended to relate each physical bag of wheat, jerrycan of oil, etc. back to the original donor, expiry date and entry date into the country

Project Structure

  • FMIP task-force: Appointed by DRMFSS and chaired by Ato Tadesse Bekele, is responsible for ratifying all decisions that have a material impact on the direction of FMIP and its five components
  • FMIP Project Manager: Part of the FMIP Project Team. Appointed by WFP and oversees all aspects of FMIP. The FMIP Project Manager responsible for
    • Facilitating coordination between the five FMIP components
    • Ensures that each of the five FMIP components proceeds in line with the overall programme goals
    • Overall FMIP budget oversight
    • Reporting of overall FMIP status to WFP and donor working groups
  • CATS project manager: Part of the FMIP Project Team. Appointed by WFP and works closely with DRMFSS to ensure the framework for each phase is in line with DRMFSS requirements. The project manager is responsible for:
    • Management of the CATS software development project
    • Facilitating access to DRMFSS for the software development team
    • Reporting progress to the FMIP Task force at regular meetings
  • Scrum master: Appointed by the vendor, and reports to the CATS Project Manager, both informally on a day-to-day basis, and formally on a weekly basis through the use of checkpoint reports. The scrum master is responsible for:
    • The management of the development team
    • Ensuring that agreed-to development objectives are achieved
    • Leading scrum meetings
    • Ensuring functionality requested during those meetings falls within the scope of the development
    • Ensuring weekly progress targets are achieved
  • Development team: Appointed by the vendor / scrum master, and reports directly to the scrum master