New inclusive partnership with the Red Cross Movement
What is WFP’s “whole of society” approach? One good example is a new partnership between WFP and the Red Cross Movement that seeks to generate local-owned hunger solutions.
As part of this initiative, WFP staff in Burundi, Dominican Republic, Pakistan and Sudan are working to make the National Societies stronger and more sustainable organisations that help local communities lead and sustain their own fight against hunger.
At the same time, WFP Headquarters and regional bureaux staff are working with their counterparts in IFRC in support of the four country pilots.
The volunteerism, courage, access and community knowledge of civil society partners have always been central to WFP’s operations and to assisting the people we serve. Leveraging these relationships as a pathway to zero hunger, is essential.
During a two-day Annual Partnership Consultation in Rome Headquarters on 24–25 October, WFP HQ colleagues and the four Regional Directors involved in the initiative met separately with senior representatives from the pilot National Societies, alongside Turkish Crescent and IFRC, to take stock and guide the pilots into the next stage.
Elisabeth Rasmusson, WFP Assistant Executive Director, said: “The initiative is a learning experience for all parties involved and pilots a new way of working between WFP and the Red Cross Movement.
“For WFP, the project kick-starts the investments in civil society actors that we outlined in the Strategic Plan. It is also instrumental to carrying out Grand Bargain commitments to localize humanitarian preparedness and response. I hope the lessons from these four countries will inform a broader WFP engagement with civil society partners, and that we will achieve sustainable results.’’
WFP already works with National Societies as implementing partners in many countries. What is different with this initiative is that it is a less transactional, more collaborative and a mutually reinforcing partnership that not only benefits WFP but also the National Societies.
This is also the first time that IFRC has worked with the UN on developing National Societies, and it has indicated a strong interest in continuing to do so.
As part of the initiative, IFRC is leading on the institutional capacity strengthening of the National Societies. This includes activities to strengthen the leadership, HR and financial management of the National Societies.
WFP, for its part, provides programmatic capacity support. Popular areas in demand in the pilots include cash-based transfers, resilience programming, supply chain management and emergency preparedness and response.
The initiative is funded by multilateral contributions to WFP through the Strategic Resource Allocation Committee (SRAC).
Written in collaboration with Andreas Hansen, WFP External Partnerships Officer.
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