Guidance Note On Estimating and Counting Beneficiaries 120919 FINAL

Guidance Note on Estimating and
Counting Beneficiaries
Prepared by PDP & RMP

September 2019
Guidance Note on Estimating and Counting Beneficiaries
Summary. This document provides guidance for estimating and counting WFP Tier 1 direct
beneficiaries. It supersedes the 2002 Guidance Note on Beneficiary Definition and Counting,
and extends the concept of WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries to individuals receiving assistance
under in-kind, cash-based transfers and/or capacity-strengthening modalities, providing
specific steps and examples for estimating and counting beneficiaries.
Counting WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries allows a country office to better communicate the
variety of WFP interventions as a service provider and an enabler.
Guidance on Tiers 2 and 3 beneficiaries is under development. In the interim, some country
offices that only have indirect beneficiaries provide examples for others to follow and are also
used as a starting point to establish some universally applicable principles on how to estimate
indirect beneficiaries.
The application of this guidance is effective from 1 January 2019.
June 2019 Page  2

Contents
I. Background and purpose ................................................................................................................. 4

II.Main definitions ................................................................................................................................. 4
Beneficiary definitions ...................................................................................................................... 4
Reporting terms and definitions ..................................................................................................... 6
III.Estimating and counting WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries ............................................................ 8
Individuals benefiting from food and cash-based transfers ....................................................... 9
Individuals benefiting from individual capacity strengthening .................................................. 9
4 steps for estimating and counting direct beneficiaries for CSP ............................................ 10
IV.WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries by activity................................................................................... 13
School feeding ................................................................................................................................ 13
Nutrition programme activities .................................................................................................... 15
Food Assistance for Asset (FFA) activities ................................................................................... 16
Small-holder agricultural market support activities ................................................................... 17
V.WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries in emergencies ........................................................................... 18
VI.Counting beneficiaries under SDG17-related activities ............................................................ 20
VII.Indirect beneficiaries ..................................................................................................................... 20
VIII.Key documents ............................................................................................................................. 21
Annexes

I. Background and purpose
Background. WFP uses the percentage of total beneficiaries reached (against the planned1)
as an indicator of the level of achievement of its programme performance and reach. This
indicator has proven essential for programme management, advocacy, resource mobilization
and accountability to donors and other stakeholders. Thus, it is essential that WFP beneficiaries
be counted: consistently and accurately. Beneficiary counting enables WFP to tell a robust
story to stakeholders when comparing actual beneficiary figures with the planned.
Purpose. The purpose of this note is to provide country offices with guidance on estimating
and reporting WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiary figures. It supersedes the 2002 Guidance Note on
Beneficiary Definition and Counting, and revises the term "WFP food beneficiaries" to “WFP
Tier 1 direct beneficiaries” – a term that encompasses all relevant transfer modalities: food,
cash-based transfers and capacity strengthening. It also includes guidelines on how to
count/estimate and report on WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries within the framework of the
Integrated Road Map, particularly as it relates to Country Strategic Plan (CSP) policy, the
revised Corporate Results Framework (CRF)2 and the Country Office Tool for Managing
(programme operations) Effectively (COMET) guidelines.
The guidance also clarifies which interventions do not reach direct

beneficiaries. Further guidance for counting Tier 2 and 3 beneficiaries
is under development, and some limited attempts of indirect
beneficiary counting are there for COs to use as example in the
interim.
II. Main definitions
This section presents definitions of terms as they are used in this guidance. The definitions are
meant to increase understanding of the guidance and to facilitate reporting.
Beneficiary3 definitions
WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries. Tier 1 beneficiaries are identifiable and recorded individuals
who receive direct transfers from WFP or from a cooperating partner, to improve their food
security and nutrition status. Transfers include in-kind food, cash-based transfers and/or
1 Planned beneficiary figures are derived from Needs-based Plans, which are available at COMET activity tag level, and from
implementation plans, which are available in the Budget Planning Tool for WFP globally and at country level. Work is on-going
to integrate the Budget Planning Tool with COMET to provide implementation plan beneficiary figures in COMET.
2
This guidance supports the guidelines provided for reporting on Output Category A1 in the revised CRF Indicator Compendium
and in COMET guidance.
3
It is understood that in certain contexts, the use of the term “beneficiary” is not recommended as per agreement with local
partners and governments. The terms “participant”, “protagonist/actor” or “recipient” might then be used as an alternative to
beneficiary if justified by the local context – keeping in mind that for WFP, both terms have a very distinct meaning (especially for
reporting purposes). See SPR and ACR guidance.

individual capacity strengthening4. When WFP activities are implemented through a

cooperating partner which WFP is fully or partly funding, including through governmental
structures, beneficiaries qualify as WFP direct beneficiaries. Examples are provided in Table I.
• Identifiable and recorded individuals. These are individuals about whom WFP
possesses information recorded through established systems – such as SCOPE5or other
databases and tools (sometimes paper-based) that maintain information on the
identity of the individual. Individuals receiving WFP assistance but who are not
recorded cannot be counted as WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries. For example, people
who join information sessions but are not recorded or identifiable cannot be counted
as direct beneficiaries. The source of beneficiary verification is distribution reports that
include quantitative beneficiary information recorded at distribution points and
captured in COMET.
• Non-identifiable and recorded individuals. The only non-identifiable and recorded
individuals who are estimated and counted as Tier 1 direct beneficiaries are members
of the household of an identifiable and recorded individual benefiting from WFP
support.
Table I. Examples of those that do or do not qualify as WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries
Do NOT qualify as WFP Tier 1 direct

Qualify as WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries
beneficiaries
• Cooperating partners (e.g. INGOs, NGOs)
• Schoolchildren receiving WFP school that benefit from WFP training and other
meals capacity-development initiatives
• Participants of WFP food-assistance-for • Government officials and policymakers
assets programmes and their household reached by the programme (e.g. capacity
members receiving food or cash strengthening, mentoring)
transfers • Schoolchildren not receiving WFP food
• Pregnant and lactating women receiving assistance but indirectly benefiting from
WFP nutrition counselling and education a new national school-feeding policy to
• Smallholder farmers participating in WFP which WFP may or may not have
Smallholder Agricultural Market Support contributed
programmes receiving training and tools • Unrecorded participants in a Social and
• Households receiving WFP food or cash behavioural Change Communication
transfers (SBCC) training
4
Individual capacity-strengthening activities directly target the individuals WFP is aiming to support. They differ from
institutional capacity-strengthening activities which could target individuals in institutions or other structures to indirectly
support vulnerable individuals. These professionals are not considered direct beneficiaries.
5
SCOPE is a flexible cloud-based digital platform that helps WFP manage the identities of beneficiaries.

Reporting terms and definitions
Direct beneficiary. WFP Tier 1 beneficiaries can be referred to as “direct beneficiaries”. The
term can be used in WFP’s official documents and reports.
Indirect beneficiary. More research and consultations are needed on how to estimate, count
and report on indirect – Tier 2 and Tier 3 – beneficiaries. Development is underway and, when
completed, the related guidance will be issued.6
Participant. Formerly known as a “recipient”, a participant is an individual who physically takes

part in a WFP-assisted activity and receives WFP food, cash-based transfer (CBT)/vouchers and
capacity-strengthening assistance directly. All participants (recorded and identifiable) are
beneficiaries Tier 1. When receiving an individual transfer (e.g. hot meals in school feeding)
each participant is also a beneficiary. When receiving household rations (e.g. under Food
Assistance for Assets [FFA]), each participant is a beneficiary, and the other household
members are also beneficiaries (but not participants).
Activity. In this guidance, the term “activity” refers to a programmatic activity and corresponds
to the activity tags in COMET. A Country Strategic Plan (CSP) activity may require different
programmatic activities needed to meet contextual, operational and resourcing requirements.
Other related activity terms include the following.
CSP activity. This activity is formulated in the CSP line-of-sight, which can group
several programmatic activities.
Activity categories. Corporate activity categories7 are defined in the revised CRF.
Activity tag. Activity tags identify programmatic activities for output tracking used in
COMET. They normally coincide with programmatic areas and are important for
aggregation of data relative to programmatic areas.
Terms discontinued
It should be noted that these terms – previously used for reporting – have been discontinued.
Qualifiers. Use has been discontinued of qualifiers that are difficult to interpret – such
as immediate, primary and secondary.
Recipient. The term “recipient” was discontinued in WFP reporting and systems during WFP’s
shift from food aid to food assistance. It has been replaced by the term “participant”.
Household. A household is a social unit composed of individuals, with family or other social
relations eating from the same pot and sharing a common resource base. The term household
should be used rather than the term family. A household may comprise one or more
beneficiaries of WFP transfers. One or more household members may be participants and thus
6
Guidance note on Strategic Outcomes, Outputs and Activities does not require country offices to identify beneficiary tiers for
each output in their line-of-sight, concept note or logframe.
7
See Annex I for the list of all 13 activity categories, as per the CRF.

receive a transfer that may benefit themselves but also the other household members who do
not participate in specific activities.
Household ration. A standard household ration is usually intended for five persons, though
this number may vary from country to country or even between population groups. Where
actual figures are not available on the sex and age of these five beneficiaries, estimates can be
obtained using demographic survey information. In some circumstances, local or project
demographic information will provide more accurate figures than national demographic data
on the sex and age of the beneficiaries. Capacity-strengthening activities can also be intended
for households. For example, if a mother is trained in food storage, conservation and
preparation to maximize nutritional value of the foods, this also benefits the food security and
nutritional status of the household members for whom she prepares the food.
Capacity strengthening.8 Capacity strengthening is the process whereby people,

organizations and society as a whole unleash, strengthen, create, adapt and maintain capacity
over time. For WFP,9 it translates into activities that aim to bring about sustained change in
behaviours, skills, assets and practices, which in turn can contribute to the achievement of
specific development results. Sustained change in behaviour and practices is achieved through
capacity creation, retention and utilization over time. Capacity creation alone is insufficient to
secure sustained change. WFP delivers capacity strengthening to its beneficiaries through
training, counselling or awareness raising, sometimes accompanied by goods, to benefit the
food security and nutrition status of the individuals reached (participants) or of their household
members.
Goods. Goods refers to all non-food items that a participant might receive through WFP. This
can include tools, equipment, seeds, agricultural inputs, productive material, and educational
materials or products. For the purpose of this guidance, only beneficiaries who received goods
together with capacity strengthening would be counted as Tier 1 direct beneficiaries – such as
smallholder farmers receiving training on reducing harvest losses and related equipment.
Goods allow individuals to augment their capacity, but not to strengthen it.
Disaggregation. In accordance with WFP gender standards, it is mandatory to apply the

Gender and Age Marker (GAM) in COMET for all CSP types. Therefore, WFP Tier 1 direct
beneficiaries figures need to be disaggregated by sex and corporate age category (0–23m; 24–
59m; 6–11y; 12–17y; 18–59y; >60y).10 Disaggregation of beneficiaries should also aim at
integrating disabilities to the extent possible.11 In CSP templates, disaggregation is only
required for four groups: Men, Women, Boys, Girls. When accurate data are not available,
general estimates of age breakdowns based on available demographic data or other existing
8
The United Nations Development Group (UNDG) accepts the OECD/DAC definition for capacity development.
9
More information on the WFP corporate Approach to Country Capacity Strengthening here.
10
An online platform for administering the GAM is being created and gender equality elements of the CSPs will be integrated
into COMET.
11
WFP’s understanding of disability is based on the 2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which
defines persons with disabilities as “those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which, in
interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others” (Article
1). In 2016, WFP endorsed the Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action in advance of the World
Humanitarian Summit. For more information on this topic, please refer to the Guidelines to inclusion of persons with disabilities
in food assistance programs. Refer also to the indicator compendium, output A9.

surveys and assessments are acceptable. Should further disaggregation be required – e.g.
urban vs. rural, ethnic groups – it can be undertaken on an ad hoc basis with sample surveys
or demographic data.
New beneficiaries. These are beneficiaries assisted for the first time, within a time-limited
duration and under a specific intervention with cohorts. New beneficiaries are commonly
counted in school-feeding or nutrition programmes.12 At the needs-based planning stage, it
is possible to use available statistics to estimate the monthly new beneficiaries for CSP
duration. For example, country offices can estimate new beneficiaries for a 3-month nutrition
treatment programme that targets children under five and pregnant and lactating women
based on available national health data on monthly birth rate.
III. Estimating and counting WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries
Estimation of beneficiaries is done in the CSP planning phase, while beneficiary counting refers
to the reporting of actual beneficiaries. This section gives further explanation of who WFP Tier
1 direct beneficiaries are, and it presents the steps needed to estimate and count WFP Tier 1
direct beneficiaries for CSP.
Although country offices should always strive to estimate and count beneficiaries with the
highest rigor and accuracy, WFP operates in contexts that do not always allow for total
accuracy. That said, an acceptably valid figure can be calculated if a clear definition with stated
assumptions and methodologies is consistently provided and applied. In all cases, estimating
and counting beneficiaries should be approached with common sense, especially when it
comes to estimating overlaps and new beneficiaries.
In line with the revised CRF, WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries can be split into three types of
transfer modalities:
• individuals receiving food transfer;
• individuals receiving cash-based transfer;
• individuals receiving individual capacity strengthening.
Note. The table in Annex I provides an indication of activity categories and activity tags that
are most likely to include or exclude WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries by transfer modality. It also
provides an indication of which WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries can be classified under which
activity category and subsequent activity tags. The table is neither exhaustive nor prescriptive.
12
For example, 110 beneficiaries are reported as receiving a 3-month nutrition treatment in July. In June the total of
beneficiaries reported was 80, of whom 20 exited the programme during that month. Therefore 60 of the “old” beneficiaries
remained in the programme, and the 50 additional beneficiaries served in July are new beneficiaries.

Individuals benefiting from food and cash-based transfers13

WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries receiving food and/or cash-based transfers through WFP
include:
• identifiable and recorded individuals who benefit from conditional/unconditional food
and/or cash-based transfer;
• food assistance for assets participants and their household members;
• participants in curative feeding;
• students receiving school meals;
• household members benefiting from the take-home rations provided to schoolchildren.
Box 1. Examples of computing Tier 1 direct beneficiaries for food transfers
Example 1a. In a rural, seasonally food-insecure area, a food assistance for assets (FAA) activity
aims to build livelihood assets and create income opportunities that can cover food consumption
gaps during the lean season. One thousand beneficiaries participate. Rations are calculated for an
average household size of 5.
→ 1,000 beneficiaries x household of 5 = 5,000 WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries.
However, if the average household size in an FAA activity area is other than 5, then calculating the
number of beneficiaries would call for multiplying the number of participants by the average
household size.
Example 1b. In a major settlement, tuberculosis patients are incentivized with food rations to
complete the first 3 months of their TB-directly observed treatment (TB-DOT). Thus, if 250 people
participate and complete their therapy, the number of Tier 1 direct beneficiaries is 250.
→ 250 complete DOT = 250 Tier 1 direct beneficiaries.
WFP is also undertaking a blanket feeding programme (household rations + nutritious foods) in
the same zone. For this, it targets households with pregnant and lactating women and children
under 2, which corresponds to 3,000 beneficiaries.
→ 3,000 Tier 1 direct beneficiaries
However, some TB beneficiaries have children under 2, some don’t. This means that to determine
or estimate the overlap and determine the total number of beneficiaries in this zone, the country
office will need to use demographic data, SCOPE and other tools.
Individuals benefiting from individual capacity strengthening
With the revised CRF, participants who receive individual capacity strengthening offered by
WFP are counted as WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries, regardless of whether they receive other
types of transfers (food or cash-based). These beneficiaries should be identifiable and
recorded individuals who participate in education and skill-building initiatives or other
capacity-building support that aims to benefit their food security and nutrition status directly.
13
Examples for each activity category are provided in Annex I.
9
Participants can include pregnant and lactating women, farmers, community members and
children who take part in trainings, workshops, events, meetings, discussions, livelihood
trainings in improved agricultural practices and smallholder marketing; those who take part in
nutrition social and behaviour change communications sessions; students receiving hygiene
training in schools; or parents learning improved cooking methods.
Note. Professionals, members of private sector companies, civil society or public institutions
benefitting from institutional capacity strengthening are not to be counted as WFP Tier 1 direct
beneficiaries. This includes professionals trained by WFP to be in line with WFP or international
quality standards in a food-processing company, government officials trained by WFP to apply
a new school feeding policy, or mothers from a previous SBCC programme trained by WFP to
sensitize other mothers.
Box 2. Examples of computing Tier 1 direct beneficiaries for capacity-strengthening (CS)

transfer
Example 1c. To increase self-reliance and household protein consumption, livelihood training
with inputs for raising poultry is planned for 2,000 female refugees.
→ 2,000 x 5 household members = 10,000 WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries, CS modality
Example 1d. To reduce chronic malnutrition, 500 mothers receive training in hygiene and
cooking practices.
→ 500 x 5 household members = 2,500 WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries, CS modality
Example 1e. In an area of consistent and moderate surplus production, a smallholder

agricultural market support programme aims to increase access of smallholders to stable
markets by providing training on bargaining and marketing to smallholder aggregators. 500
farmers participate in the training.
→ 500 WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries, CS modality
4 steps for estimating and counting direct beneficiaries for CSP
Step 1 – Identify needs14

Most preliminary needs-based planning figures for WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries are based
on best estimates possible.15 In the design phase of a new or revised CSP, the country office
will identify the food security-related needs for the Strategic Outcomes and CSP activities.
Preliminary beneficiary figures can be based on several sources, such as: past WFP
programmes and experience in the country, relevant surveys and analyses (VAM, nutrition,
Zero Hunger strategic review, Humanitarian Response plan, demographic data), information
14
See the VAM shop for more guidelines on estimating needs.
15
Emergency settings are more challenging for estimating direct beneficiaries. The 1 July 2015 Estimating and Reporting
Beneficiary Numbers in an Emergency: Guidance for Country Offices, developed by RMP, OIM and OSE, offers instructions for
estimating the number of needs-based planned beneficiaries.
10
from partners (UNHCR, Ministry of Education, NGOs), and government policies and decisions.
Later in the CSP process, these estimates can be updated.
Step 2 – Estimate CSP planning figures16 and create CSP Needs Based Plan17
When drafting the CSP, estimated needs-based planned beneficiary figures are presented by
activity and by modality for the overall duration of the CSP in the beneficiary table. The
rationale is then explained in the beneficiary analysis section.
In the case of budget revisions, the first table in the budget revision template presents the
approved beneficiary figures for the approved duration of the CSP, the changes and the
revised numbers. The narrative should clearly explain the reasons for the increase or decrease
in the number of Tier 1 direct beneficiaries.
Once preliminary figures have been approved by country office management and agreed upon
with the relevant partners, the CSP Needs Based Plan is entered in COMET. Estimating CSP
needs-based planning figures is done by activity tag, programme area, modality, CSP and
country level. Assumptions used to estimate WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries should be clearly
documented in the CSP narrative and in COMET’s “Adjusted beneficiary” sections. At this stage,
country offices – in consultation with partners – should identify population groups that may
benefit from more than one activity or modality during the life of the CSP. This phenomenon
is known as ‘beneficiary overlap’, which can be of two types:
• Beneficiary overlap in space (geographical). The “space” overlap refers to beneficiaries
targeted at a design/planning stage and/or receiving WFP assistance from more than
one activity or more than one transfer modality in a specific location.
• Beneficiary overlap in time. The “time” overlap refers to beneficiaries receiving WFP
assistance during extended periods of time (e.g. several months a year) within the same
year.
In consultation with their partners, country offices will estimate how many persons might
receive transfers under more than one activity/modality or under different phases of the same
activity, and potential new beneficiaries. The overlaps should be captured in COMET. This is
not an easy task, but with their in-depth knowledge of the CSP line-of-sight, partnerships and
activities, the WFP country office or sub-office staff members are in the best position to
undertake this exercise. Their knowledge of the CSP should guide them in arriving at informed
estimates of the degree of overlap.
Step 3 – Record cooperating partners’ distribution reports and WFP monitoring

Reporting of actual beneficiaries is verified via evidence-based distribution data received from
partners, and entered and validated in COMET (see each step in Beneficiary Counting in
COMET). These data can be used for operational reports which ensure a standard approach
16
See CSP guidance
17
See COMET Beneficiary Counting Guidance
11
and a single source of reporting the total number of beneficiaries assisted by that activity over
a specific period. Cooperating partners, government ministries or agencies, and NGOs provide
the distribution data to WFP which include quantitative information recorded at distribution
points about the CBTs, food distribution and capacity strengthening provided to beneficiaries.
The beneficiary group details are also disaggregated by residency status, gender and age. The
beneficiary data is verified and validated by WFP in COMET with further automatic system
aggregations to enable country office teams to review and adjust the final figures from which
WFP counts the unique beneficiaries receiving food, CBTs or individual capacity strengthening
by programme area (see definition on ‘disaggregation’). Cooperating partners should be made
aware of WFP’s definitions, its counting methods and how to report on beneficiary numbers.
For operational purposes, all targeted identifiable and recorded individuals (participants)
benefiting from support by WFP and its partners must be recorded in COMET. This includes
people who have also benefited from several WFP activities or from different modalities within
the same activity, as these data are necessary for aggregation of results per programmatic area
and critical for decision-making at strategic level. Recording the data allows for assessing
progress against activity objectives and performance and provides a basis for any required
implementation plan adjustments.
For the Needs-Based Plan and actual results, beneficiaries need to be clearly categorized under
activity tags and by modality. Later in the process, this will allow for reporting on beneficiaries
at activity tag, programme area, modality, CSP and country levels. Annex II illustrates the
combination of activity tags and activity categories to take into consideration when estimating
individuals receiving direct transfer by programme area.
Step 4 – Report on direct beneficiaries
WFP country offices should aim for the highest accuracy possible when counting actual
numbers of direct beneficiaries reached with food, CBTs and capacity strengthening. This is
needed for reporting to partners and donors but also for monitoring the progress,
effectiveness and efficiency of an activity.
While it is recognized that the duration of the assistance and the composition of the rations
can vary considerably, each WFP activity is a response to a specific situation, and each
individual assisted should be counted. Thus, a person who received one week’s emergency
rations after a cyclone should be counted the same way as a person who got monthly rations
during a resilience programme or a mother receiving a one-day training course on nutrition
and sanitation. Therefore, the counting of a beneficiary is not dependent upon the amount or
duration of assistance the beneficiary receives. All the beneficiaries who have received
assistance at least once during the current year equals to the total number of beneficiaries.
When providing aggregated numbers for actual WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries it is necessary
to count the adjusted beneficiaries; thus, overlaps should be eliminated to avoid double
counting.
12
Specific overlap rules should have been established by the country office during Step 2
(Estimate CSP planning figures and create CSP Needs Based Plan). These rules might need to
be reviewed based on actual implementation, in case changes have been introduced to the
original Needs Based Plan.
Annual and performance reporting at corporate level calls for beneficiaries to be adjusted at
several levels: activity tag, programme area level, modality, CSP and country (see Annex II for
reference).
IV. WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries by activity
This section provides detailed information on identifying, estimating and counting direct
beneficiaries for each of the main programmatic activities WFP implements through its CSPs.
The relevant activity tags are listed for each programmatic activity.
School feeding
School feeding (on-site meals and THR)

Activity Tags
Tier 1 direct beneficiaries for school feeding activities
1. School-age children18 reached through the implementation of WFP school feeding

activities in the form of meals, snacks or take-home rations.19 This could include the
following groups.
• Pre-primary for targeted children enrolled in pre-primary education including
early childhood development (ECD).
• Primary for targeted children and adolescents enrolled in primary education.
• Secondary for targeted children and adolescents enrolled in secondary, lower
secondary and higher secondary education.
• Out-of-school children: for targeted children and adolescents targeted
through platforms designed to address the needs for out-of-school children.
These platforms are usually non-formal and informal education designed to
facilitate school reintegration through accelerated learning programmes.
2. Other children, adolescents and adults who are beneficiaries

• Members of households reached by the programme who receive take-home
rations regardless of the size of the ration.
18
For external communications on school feeding programme reach, WFP will continue to use the number of school-age
children reached through WFP feeding for ease of tracking and consistent reporting. WFP will use other categories to report on
its total yearly reach.
19
Take-home rations can be provided in the form of food or cash.
13
• Activity supporters such as teachers, cooks and storekeepers, who benefit

from transfers in the form of food, cash-based transfers, commodity vouchers
or capacity-strengthening transfers20 such as training.
• Social behaviour change communication (SBCC)21 recipients including
school-age children, adolescents, teachers, household members such as
parents, and community members benefitting from special programmes that
use WFP’s school feeding as a platform to provide nutrition education and
other school-based sensitization, and summer schools/camps. These
individuals will be considered Tier 1 under respective school feeding
programmes, regardless of whether they receive other transfers such as food
or a CBT. This will also include school-age children reached through feeding if
they were directly trained by WFP and partners in SBCC. However, in most cases,
WFP trains teachers and subsequently teachers train children – in which case,
teachers are considered Tier 1 of the capacity-strengthening modality while
students are not reported as Tier 1.
Data sources. Cooperating partners, usually the Ministry of Education or an NGO, would
normally be able to provide relevant and up-to-date distribution figures on enrolment and
attendance at WFP-supported educational institutions. WFP should insist on proper
documentation with regard to participating schoolchildren and verify the daily school feeding
records against the summary distribution data submitted to WFP. Numbers of participating
schoolchildren should be disaggregated by sex and age and, where relevant, by other socio-
economic and demographic criteria, to ensure appropriate targeting and response.
Distribution reports. Government or cooperating partner’s distribution reports provide the

basis for the calculation of participants. These reports are based on the aggregation of daily
school registers submitted at different administrative levels. The data are verified by cross-
checking against actual food/cash/capacity-strengthening utilization.
Progress reports. School/education authorities' progress reports are normally prepared for
each school term. In some cases, it may be possible for these authorities to provide an accurate
number of children who attended the targeted schools during the school year, but this is not
always the case. Thus, using the highest number recorded for a school term would provide an
acceptable approximation. This would normally be the first term of the school year, as the
number of children who drop out later is usually higher than that of new enrolments at the
beginning of the school year.
It is important to ensure that reports at the different levels are all prepared in the same way,
which will facilitate their entries in COMET. It may be that individual schools are reporting to
the next administrative level on a monthly basis, because the reports are needed for other
20
For example, WFP or partner may provide training to cooks and storekeepers on safe food preparation and storage practices,
in order to strengthen food quality management in schools or to ensure the preparation of nutritionally balanced and safe
meals, and proper food storage.
21
These will be reported as outputs E4 and E5 (Annex II of the CRF) depending on whether the platform is interpersonal or
media.
14
purposes, such as the release of funds. The country office must ensure that such figures are
not simply added up to provide a cumulative total for the term.
In some cases, the calendar year is comprised of two school years. It is important to remember
that as students advance through school, in their final year they will only receive assistance
during the first half of the calendar year and new beneficiaries (newcomers to the school) will
be assisted during the second half of the calendar year. All identifiable and recorded students
who receive a ration, regardless of the period, should be counted once.
Nutrition programme activities22

HIV/ care & treatment Prevention of micronutrient
HIV mitigation & safety nets deficiencies
Treatment of moderate acute Prevention of acute malnutrition
Activity Tags
malnutrition Prevention of stunting
Stand-alone micronutrient Therapeutic feeding (treatment of
supplementation severe acute malnutrition (SAM)
WFP tier 1 direct beneficiaries for nutrition-specific activities
These beneficiaries receive WFP-supplied commodities, in the form of food, cash-based

transfers and/or capacity strengthening for nutrition-specific activities.
• Treatment of acute malnutrition

• Prevention of micronutrient deficiencies, mainly targeting infants and young
children (6–23 months), and preschool (24–59 months) and school-aged children (6–
12 years).
• Prevention of chronic malnutrition as part of comprehensive prevention
programmes, such as the Blanket Supplementary Feeding Programme (BSFP), which
support access to safe and nutritious food to supplement the diet of those at risk and
increase nutrition awareness which will lead to correct dietary choices and caring
practices.
o The default target group is children aged 6–23 months. However, when food
insecurity is extremely severe, or when coverage and quality of the moderate
acute malnutrition treatment is compromised, the age group is extended to 6–
59 months.
o Where prevalence of low birthweight or prevalence of acute malnutrition
among women of reproductive age is high, pregnant and lactating women are
also targeted. In areas where support to pregnant women is hindered by
difficultly in identification, then targeting only lactating women with a child 0–
6 months of age is an option: feed the mother so she can feed her child. This
can also ensure that infants aged 0–6 months are included in the BSFP when
they reach 6 months without registering new households.
More on beneficiaries for nutrition programmes can be found in the Nutrition Sensitive Manual and the Food and Nutrition
22
Handbook.
15
These activities are often coupled with SBCC assistance which falls under the capacity-
strengthening modality. Registered and identifiable participants of SBCC interventions are also
counted as Tier 1 direct beneficiaries.
Data sources are commonly available at health facility level, through social protection
databases or a WFP cooperating partner data registry such as SCOPE and SCOPE CODA.23
Partners and cooperating partners should thus be in a position to provide data on beneficiaries
to country offices, on the basis of distribution reports and participant lists. Monitoring visits
verify the accuracy of the aggregated data at various levels by providing head counts and
comparisons with registers. This includes, for example, possible overlaps of participants such
as the children of assisted pregnant and lactating women who receive nutritional support
during the same calendar year. In order to avoid double-counting when aggregating
successive reporting periods, the duration of average participation, entry and drop-out rates,
and an estimate of relapses requiring re-entry into programmes and of new beneficiaries
should be agreed upon between the country, the cooperating partner and the health authority.
In a few health/community supplementary feeding programmes, support is given to

community workers/volunteers. For them to be counted as WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries, they
need to meet the criteria defined in this guidance.
Nutrition-sensitive activities can be found across activity tags as they are mostly interlinked
with sectors complementary to nutrition, such as social safety nets; agriculture; water,
sanitation and hygiene (WASH); and education. Thus, participants in nutrition-sensitive
programmes are always counted under other activity categories and tags. SBCC activities
provided outside the context of WFP foods and goods are considered individual capacity-
strengthening beneficiaries under nutrition-sensitive activities. Further guidance on this aspect
will be developed, along with discussions of indirect beneficiaries.
Food Assistance for Asset (FFA) activities
Food assistance for asset

Activity Tags
Food assistance for training
Food Assistance for Asset24 Tier 1 direct beneficiaries are defined as: Identifiable and registered
participants who are engaged in asset-creation activities while receiving food assistance – be
it cash-based, food or capacity-strengthening transfers. This also includes their household
members.
23
SCOPE CODA is a digital application used to identify patients and track healthcare services, replacing paper-and-pen records,
ration cards and healthcare centre reports.
24 It is important to note that there are different levels/categories of technical complexity for each type of FFA activity. For
example, activities that provide access through the construction of roads and feeder roads (for vehicles) fall under category 3 –
or engineering work – and should not be fully implemented through FFA. Refer to the Engineering risk assessment matrix.
16
Cooperating partners are required to report regularly on work progress, including information
on number of workdays and participants. This information is collected from registers kept at
FFA sites, aggregated in the cooperating partners' work progress reports, and can also be
entered in SCOPE at the beginning of the project.25 Generally, country offices should use these
reports for calculating work participant numbers and food/CBT ration entitlements, and
country office staff should verify the data through regular monitoring of the activities.
These cooperating partner records are useful for verifying the distribution check rolls, in order
to determine if eligible beneficiaries received the assistance. However, the Distribution Reports
that are verified by WFP monitoring staff and validated in COMET are the source of actual
beneficiaries who received the assistance. Such reports constitute the most accurate basis for
reporting on actual beneficiary numbers.
Under FFA schemes, household rations provide food, cash or vouchers for a fixed household
size or specific number of household members. When calculating the number of direct
beneficiaries, only count the number of people targeted in each household. This means the
number of people given the food assistance for that household (either fixed or discrete) should
be counted as direct beneficiaries.
In most cases, FFA schemes include a capacity-strengthening component – as a activity on its

own and as a transfer modality. For example, the component would comprise capacity-
strengthening activities on the maintenance of the asset plus the transfer of tools and
equipment to a beneficiary to construct and maintain the asset. In both cases, as all
components are part of a single activity, participants receiving capacity-strengthening training
and transfers should also be registered as FFA beneficiaries when disaggregating by transfer
modality. This means that the same participant will be registered as receiving several
modalities through the reports submitted by the partner but will be counted as just one WFP
direct beneficiary when adjusting by modalities.
Small-holder agricultural market support activities
Activity Tags Smallholder agricultural market support activities
According to the October 2017 smallholder strategy, smallholders feature in several WFP
activities, either as beneficiaries or as sources of locally procured food. WFP’s portfolio of
smallholder food assistance initiatives includes: Food Assistance for Assets (FFA) which seeks
to enhance the resilience of smallholder livelihoods; Home Grown School Meals (HGSM)
initiatives which connect smallholder farmers to school meals programmes; and the Post-
25
As per the guidance for Beneficiary Management, the minimum norm for registration of FFA beneficiaries in SCOPE is:
name of the primary participant, sex, age (should be +18 years, but can be less in certain circumstances), number in the
household, including the participant and any members with potential disabilities. The ‘transfer recipient’ is the ‘participant’ in
SCOPE.
17
Harvest Losses (PHL) initiative which promotes affordable post-harvest management

technologies and practices that cut post-harvest losses significantly.
Mostly, smallholders receive cash-based transfers or capacity strengthening through transfer

of knowledge, such as through training to improve farming techniques and reduce post-
harvest losses, or with non-food items, such as agricultural inputs, insurance and farming
equipment. When smallholders receive this direct support from WFP and its partners and are
identifiable and registered, they should be counted as WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries. However,
if smallholder farmers are not receiving this direct support but are just WFP suppliers they are
not counted as WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries26. If smallholders are suppliers and also receive
direct support from WFP in the form of cash-based transfers or capacity strengthening, they
must be counted as WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries.
V. WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries in emergencies
In the CSP, these beneficiaries are found in activities falling in the Crisis Response focus area.
Data can vary, depending on the nature of the emergency, the environment in which it is taking
place, data availability, and hence the ability to “count” beneficiaries.
Generally speaking, a sudden-onset disaster, such as an earthquake, will require a quick

response, often based on limited data with regard to the number of affected people. Slow-
onset disasters, such as droughts, on the other hand, develop over a longer period, thus giving
more time for needs assessment, including the calculation of numbers of affected people. For
example, in the case of WFP assistance through airdrops, WFP might not be in a position to
register and identify the beneficiaries it is planning to reach or has reached with adequate
accuracy. In this case, needs-based planned beneficiaries and actuals will be based on and
report the best estimates possible.
In situations of forced displacement, WFP may rely heavily on another mandated agency, such
as the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) or the International Organization for Migration (IOM). In
a complex emergency, on the other hand, WFP may work with the UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and other agencies to coordinate and agree on
the number of needs-based planned beneficiaries.
In a number of countries, particularly those that periodically require emergency assistance,

WFP (notably through SCOPE) and its partners could already have pertinent beneficiary
information. As the design of emergency response presupposes beneficiary registration and
verification, the availability of data at the onset will facilitate a quick response to a developing
emergency.
Security. Considerations, such as the safety of staff and the protection of food commodities,
may result in delayed or incomplete reports. Insecurity can also create access constraints for
the personnel of WFP and its partners. This is quite common in emergencies in the initial
26
In this case, the number of smallholder farmers is counted under the output F1 ‘number of smallholder farmers supported or trained’.
18
months of a response. In such cases, the country office may have to rely on triangulation of
available data related to dispatches/receipt by partners and monitoring findings to estimate
beneficiary numbers. If so, the method for estimating described in this section (WFP Tier 1
direct beneficiaries in emergencies, paragraphs 2, 3 and 4) may be used.
Reporting on beneficiary numbers with regard to CSP. The Crisis Response focus area faces
some particular problems concerning certain categories of beneficiaries, such as refugees,
returnees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). The following should be considered
regarding the estimation and counting of WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries in such situations.
Refugees. UNHCR and WFP are jointly responsible for determining which refugees
need food assistance based on vulnerability criteria. The establishment of beneficiary
numbers from that viewpoint is quite straightforward. The Government and UNHCR
normally determine the number of refugees, while WFP and UNHCR together decide
the numbers eligible for food assistance. WFP and UNCHR entered into a global data-
sharing agreement in October 2018.27 It confirms the sharing of personal data, such as
information related to an identified or identifiable person of concern, including name,
sex, date and place of birth, identification number, photograph, fingerprint or iris
biometric images, and/or biometric templates derived from the biometric images. This
allows data to determine, identify and register refugee populations. Refugee numbers
are often challenging, and there is a need for regular verification exercises to adjust
numbers for births, deaths and population movements.
Returnees. For refugees who are voluntarily returning home from a country of asylum,
WFP would use UNHCR or government registration lists from the country of asylum to
estimate and count beneficiaries. Numbers should be adjusted in the system as per
steps that are digitally supported in COMET in order not to double-count returnees, as
when refugees become returnees in the same year and are reported by separate
country offices. In these cases, the country office reports should state the number of
returnees they believe were counted as refugees in other countries during that year to
avoid double-counting when WFP estimates its total beneficiaries assisted for the year.
Internally displaced persons. The IDP category is particularly challenging as regards

the establishment of beneficiary numbers. Camp populations are registered and
comparatively easy to account for, although, as in the case of refugees, their numbers
must be verified regularly. IDPs staying with host families/communities offer a much
greater challenge regarding the establishment of WFP beneficiary numbers. Although
these people can be registered and may have been issued ration cards, it is generally
difficult to confirm the exact number of people entitled to assistance and, thus, who
qualifies as a beneficiary. WFP normally works closely with concerned government
departments in any operation involving IDPs and expects to receive the relevant
27
More information in the October 2018 Guidance note on UNHCR/WFP Global Data Sharing Addendum.
19
reports and registers from these parties for use in beneficiary counting. Monitoring is
essential for data verification.
VI. Counting beneficiaries under SDG17-related activities
If WFP plans to support professionals, organizations, private sector companies, public

institutions, or NGOs and UN agencies, the direct participants in support/training – i.e. the
individuals affiliated with those organizations – are not counted as WFP Tier 1 direct
beneficiaries. Activities are only reported through other output indicators.
Private sector. Strengthening the capacity of private sector companies can extend vulnerable
populations’ access to nutritious food products. Nonetheless, customers who benefit from this
access cannot be included as WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries.
Public institutions. In some cases, local public institutions are meant to receive institutional
capacity strengthening and related technical assistance from WFP to improve the delivery of
services and operational implementation of their programmes at a local level – from
emergency to resilience building. However, the individuals directly receiving the services of
these local institutions cannot be counted as WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries. If WFP plans to
train local staff to improve the targeting of social safety net programmes as per a new policy,
the population eligible for the safety net (or the number of planned beneficiaries for the safety
net) cannot be counted as WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries and neither can the local staff
members who have been trained to manage a social safety net programme.
Development organizations. NGOs and UN agencies as well as other humanitarian or

development actors are often supported by WFP through the provision of mandated services.
These include the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), and the Logistics, Food Security and
Emergency Telecommunications Clusters. There are no cases in which individuals or
populations supported by the services rendered by WFP under these provisions and
coordination units can be quantified as WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries. As for UNHAS or on-
demand services, WFP cannot claim direct beneficiaries for these services, even if it provides
specific programmatic services, such as the transportation of non-food items (e.g. medication,
mosquito nets). The scope and reach of these services will be reported through output
indicators.
VII. Indirect beneficiaries
As explained in the summary, Tier 2 and 3 beneficiaries, also called indirect beneficiaries,
remain a subject of continued discussion within WFP. The organization is exploring how to
report confidently on the impact of the systemic support it offers to governments through
enhancing their policy frameworks, implementation capacity, early warning systems and
emergency response capacity. In a growing number of countries, this kind of support is
provided without a value transfer to a countable number of individuals. Hence, for the sake of
WFP’s accountability to its donors, partners and national governments, there is a need to
quantify these achievements.
20
Some of these countries manage to report extensively about these achievements in their
Annual Country Reports, mainly by describing the outcomes of their systemic support. They
also sometimes underline the geographic areas on which this support focused. However, few
examples (El Salvador, Tanzania) have emerged of a concrete attempt to estimate the number
of people who indirectly benefitted from changed policies, fortified staple foods or enhanced
emergency response of the national government in a disaster-prone nation as a result of WFP’s
actions. More importantly, the methodologies were not disclosed on how the indirect
beneficiaries were counted.
Although the discussion on indirect beneficiaries is ongoing, it is worth taking note of the
Programme Performance section in the Annual Country Reports. Some country offices (Bolivia,
China, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ghana, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Peru, Tanzania) have provided a
narrative on their achievements under Strategic Objectives 3 and 4, and in relation to Strategic
Results 4 (Food systems are sustainable), 5 (Developing countries have strengthened capacity
to implement the SDGs) and 6 (Policies to support sustainable development are coherent).
PDP and RMP colleagues working on the indirect beneficiary counting will consider previous
attempts by country offices and will study their methodologies to propose widely applicable
ones which can serve all the country offices.
VIII. Key documents
• Gender and Age Marker (GAM)

• Gender responsive monitoring
• Estimating and reporting beneficiary numbers in an emergency
• Guidelines to inclusion of persons with disabilities in food assistance programs
• Guidelines on reporting
• COMET Beneficiary Counting Guidance
• FFA for Zero Hunger and Resilient Livelihoods
• Country Capacity Strengthening Framework and Toolkit
• How to formulate Strategic Outcomes, Outputs and Activities e | f | s | a
• Revised Corporate Results Framework (CRF)
• Revised CRF Indicator Compendium
21
Annex I: Tier 1 direct beneficiaries: related to activity categories and tags
Activity Category Activity Tag WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries

General distribution
URT - Unconditional resource
Climate change adaptation and risk
transfers
management activities
ACL - Asset creation and livelihood Individual capacity-strengthening activities
support activities Emergency preparedness activities
CAR - Climate adaptation and risk Food assistance for asset
management activities Food assistance for training
SMP - School meal activities HIV/ care & treatment 1. Individuals receiving food delivered through
HIV mitigation & safety nets WFP
NTA - Nutrition treatment
Treatment of moderate acute malnutrition 2. Individuals receiving cash-based transfer
activities
Stand-alone micronutrient through WFP
NPA - Malnutrition prevention
supplementation 3. Individuals receiving individual capacity
activities
Prevention of micronutrient deficiencies strengthening through WFP
SMS - Smallholder market support Prevention of acute malnutrition
activities Prevention of stunting
CSB - Individual capacity- Therapeutic feeding (treatment of SAM)
strengthening activities School feeding (on-site)
EPA - Emergency preparedness School feeding (take-home rations)
activities Smallholder agricultural market support
activities
AAA – Analysis, assessment and
monitoring activities Analysis, assessment and monitoring No WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries. Measured at
activities the output level. These outputs to be measured
CSI – Institutional capacity-
Institutional capacity-strengthening separately form the Tier 1 direct beneficiaries
strengthening activities
activities related outputs
OTH – Other
22
Service delivery general

Logistic cluster
CBT platform
CPA – Service provision and No WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries. Measured at
Supply chain service provision for third
platforms activities the output level. These outputs to be measured
parties
separately form the Tier 1 direct beneficiaries
Humanitarian air service
related outputs
Emergency telecommunication cluster
Guesthouse services
Engineering services
23
Annex II: Tier 1 direct beneficiaries – Reporting by programme area
Activity Tag Activity Category Annual Reporting

URT - Unconditional resource transfers
ACL - Asset creation and livelihood support
activities
Individuals receiving
CAR - Climate adaptation and risk management
food, cash-based
activities
transfers and/or
General SMP - School meal activities individual capacity
distribution NTA - Nutrition treatment activities strengthening under
NPA - Malnutrition prevention activities Unconditional
resource transfers
SMS - Smallholder market support activities
(URT)
CSB - Individual capacity-strengthening
activities
EPA - Emergency preparedness activities
activities Individuals receiving
CAR - Climate adaptation and risk management food, cash-based
Climate change activities transfers and/or
adaptation and SMP - School meal activities individual capacity
risk strengthening under
NTA - Nutrition treatment activities
management Climate change
activities NPA - Malnutrition prevention activities adaptation and risk
SMS - Smallholder market support activities management
CSB - Individual capacity-strengthening activities (CAR)
activities
activities
food, cash-based
activities
transfers and/or
Emergency SMP - School meal activities individual capacity
preparedness
NTA - Nutrition treatment activities strengthening under
activities
NPA - Malnutrition prevention activities Emergency
preparedness
activities (EPA)
CSB - Individual capacity-strengthening-
activities
24

activities
food, cash-based
Food Assistance activities
transfers and/or
for Assets SMP - School meal activities individual capacity
Food Assistance
NPA - Malnutrition prevention activities Asset creation and
for Training
livelihood support
activities (ACL)
CSB - Individual capacity strengthening
activities
HIV/Care & ACL - Asset creation and livelihood support
Treatment activities
CAR - Climate adaptation and risk management Individuals receiving
Treatment of activities food, cash-based
moderate acute SMP - School meal activities transfers and/or
malnutrition individual capacity
NTA - Nutrition treatment activities
strengthening under
Therapeutic NPA - Malnutrition prevention activities Nutrition treatment
feeding SMS - Smallholder market support activities activities (NTA)
(treatment of CSB - Individual capacity-strengthening
SAM) activities
HIV mitigation &
safety net
Prevention of ACL - Asset creation and livelihood support
micronutrient activities
deficiencies CAR - Climate adaptation and risk management
food, cash-based
activities
transfers and/or
Prevention of SMP - School meal activities individual capacity
acute
malnutrition
NPA - Malnutrition prevention activities Malnutrition
prevention activities
Prevention of SMS - Smallholder market support activities
(NPA)
stunting CSB - Individual capacity-strengthening
Stand-alone activities
micronutrient EPA - Emergency preparedness activities
supplementation
25

activities
CAR - Climate adaptation and risk management Individuals receiving
School feeding
activities food, cash-based
(on-site)
SMP - School meal activities transfers and/or
individual capacity
School feeding NTA - Nutrition treatment activities
strengthening under
(take-home NPA - Malnutrition prevention activities
school meal activities
rations) SMS - Smallholder market support activities (SMP)
CSB - Individual capacity-strengthening
activities
activities Individuals receiving
CAR - Climate adaptation and risk management food, cash-based
activities transfers and/or
Smallholder
SMP - School meal activities individual capacity
agricultural
strengthening under
market support NTA - Nutrition treatment activities
smallholder
activities NPA - Malnutrition prevention activities
agricultural market
SMS - Smallholder market support activities support activities
CSB - Individual capacity-strengthening (SMS)
activities
26

Guidance Note On Estimating and Counting Beneficiaries 120919 FINAL

Загружено:

Сведения о документе

Оригинальное название

Авторское право

Доступные форматы

Поделиться этим документом

Поделиться или встроить документ

Параметры публикации

Этот документ был вам полезен?

Это неприемлемый материал?

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Guidance Note On Estimating and Counting Beneficiaries 120919 FINAL

Загружено:

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Guidance Note on Estimating and

Prepared by PDP & RMP

The application of this guidance is effective from 1 January 2019.

June 2019 Page  2

I. Background and purpose ................................................................................................................. 4

June 2019 Page  3

I. Background and purpose

The guidance also clarifies which interventions do not reach direct

II. Main definitions

June 2019 Page  4

individual capacity strengthening4. When WFP activities are implemented through a

Do NOT qualify as WFP Tier 1 direct

June 2019 Page  5

Reporting terms and definitions

Participant. Formerly known as a “recipient”, a participant is an individual who physically takes

June 2019 Page  6

Capacity strengthening.8 Capacity strengthening is the process whereby people,

Disaggregation. In accordance with WFP gender standards, it is mandatory to apply the

June 2019 Page  7

III. Estimating and counting WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries

June 2019 Page  8

Individuals benefiting from food and cash-based transfers13

Box 1. Examples of computing Tier 1 direct beneficiaries for food transfers

Individuals benefiting from individual capacity strengthening

Box 2. Examples of computing Tier 1 direct beneficiaries for capacity-strengthening (CS)

Example 1e. In an area of consistent and moderate surplus production, a smallholder

4 steps for estimating and counting direct beneficiaries for CSP

Step 1 – Identify needs14

Step 3 – Record cooperating partners’ distribution reports and WFP monitoring

Step 4 – Report on direct beneficiaries

IV. WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries by activity

School feeding (on-site meals and THR)

Tier 1 direct beneficiaries for school feeding activities

1. School-age children18 reached through the implementation of WFP school feeding

2. Other children, adolescents and adults who are beneficiaries

• Activity supporters such as teachers, cooks and storekeepers, who benefit

Distribution reports. Government or cooperating partner’s distribution reports provide the

Nutrition programme activities22

WFP tier 1 direct beneficiaries for nutrition-specific activities

These beneficiaries receive WFP-supplied commodities, in the form of food, cash-based

• Treatment of acute malnutrition

In a few health/community supplementary feeding programmes, support is given to

Food Assistance for Asset (FFA) activities

Food assistance for asset

In most cases, FFA schemes include a capacity-strengthening component – as a activity on its

Small-holder agricultural market support activities

Activity Tags Smallholder agricultural market support activities

Harvest Losses (PHL) initiative which promotes affordable post-harvest management

Mostly, smallholders receive cash-based transfers or capacity strengthening through transfer

V. WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries in emergencies

Generally speaking, a sudden-onset disaster, such as an earthquake, will require a quick

In a number of countries, particularly those that periodically require emergency assistance,

Internally displaced persons. The IDP category is particularly challenging as regards

VI. Counting beneficiaries under SDG17-related activities

If WFP plans to support professionals, organizations, private sector companies, public

Development organizations. NGOs and UN agencies as well as other humanitarian or

VII. Indirect beneficiaries

VIII. Key documents

• Gender and Age Marker (GAM)

Annex I: Tier 1 direct beneficiaries: related to activity categories and tags

Activity Category Activity Tag WFP Tier 1 direct beneficiaries

Service delivery general

Annex II: Tier 1 direct beneficiaries – Reporting by programme area