Addressing food-for-work concerns in the West Nile region of Uganda.

Abstract

The World Food Programme (WFP)-Uganda, along with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, has begun implementation of an agriculture and marketing support project based on the food-for-work concept in the West Nil, a moderately food-insecure region, with some areas still recovering from recent wars. Implementing food-for-work projects raises several key concerns and questions among development experts involving targeted beneficiaries, administrative control of planning and implementation of projects, quality of assets created, and longer term sustainability. These are some of the questions of concern raised when analyzing WFP's Food For Assets project in the West Nile. The answers to these questions influence the overall effectiveness of the project to improve food security through increased agricultural capacity, better access to markets, and increased income. Recommendations to ensure better success include interventions through monitoring and evaluation, developing linkages with other development agencies and projects, accessing the proper expertise and training, and maintaining ongoing sensitization and planning meetings.