Background

1. The proposal for a Regional Programme for Food Security (RPFS) in the Pacific Island Countries was tabled at the Fourth FAO Meeting of South West Pacific Ministers of Agriculture in Vanuatu in 2001. Following a FAO preparation mission in 2002, and a financial commitment by the Italian government of USD 4.5 million, the RPFS commenced in 2004 as a pilot phase. Additional support was provided by FAO through its regular programme, including the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) and the South-South Cooperation (SSC) programme. The programme goal of improving national and regional food security was to be achieved through the implementation of both national and regional projects which had been outlined during the preparation.

2. The FAO Ministers of Agriculture Meeting in 2005 as well as the programme Mid-Term Review in 2006 recommended to design and implement a follow-on programme to up-scale food security activities in the region. At this stage, a concept note, outlining a Food Security and Sustainable Livelihood Programme (FSSLP), with an indicative budget of USD 72 million had been prepared by the FAO.

3. Programme design went through several stages. An initial preparation mission took place in February – May 2007, which visited the three sub-regions, held stakeholder workshops and compiled country profiles and country project concepts. Its report was approved in principle by the Seventh Meeting of Agriculture Ministers in Majuro in May 2007. In October of the same year, on the basis of consultations with representatives of all 14 countries, the FAO Investment Centre drew up a programme brief which defined a programme framework and a priority list of possible projects. It was presented at side events during the 34^th FAO Conference in Rome in November 2007 and at the Asian Development Bank Annual Meeting in Madrid in May 2008.

4. Discussions between FAO and IFAD in early 2008 led to the mounting of a joint programming support mission in April-May 2008. An Independent Evaluation of the RPFS was organised by FAO in July-August 2008 which brought out important lessons. The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), FAO and IFAD then organised a Stakeholders’ Consultative workshop in Nadi, Fiji in September 2008, with participants from 13 Pacific Islands, from NGOs and from donors to examine the proposals for the FSSLP and formulate recommendations for the final design of the Programme. A joint FAO-IFAD Final Preparation Mission was undertaken 14 November to 6 December 2008.

5. The FSSLP will form a major part of FAO’s upcoming National Medium Term Priority Frameworks (NMTPF) with each of the Pacific countries.

Programme area

6. The Programme area includes the 14 countries member of the Pacific Islands Forum, except Australia and New Zealand. Out of these, all 14 countries are member of FAO and 8 countries have joined IFAD.

7. As countries vary in size, in the larger countries, Programme activities will not cover the whole territory and specific Programme areas within countries have to be identified. The responsibility for this lies with the National Programme Steering Committee (NPSC) in each country, using the conclusions of a National Food Security Assessment.

Target group

8. There should be equitable access to Programme benefits, either from direct interventions to poorer more vulnerable groups, women, youth and people in more remote areas as well as indirectly from strengthened service provision and capacity building.

9. The primary target groups of the programme will be:

· Food insecure & nutritionally vulnerable groups

· Poor and low income households

· Rural women, youth

10. In addition some of the groups may be associated with certain types of areas and production systems, which are likely to make them more vulnerable, which will increase the importance of project outreach to them:

· Populations in remote areas

· Land poor and households in low potential areas

· Subsistence and small scale farmers

11. Similarly to the definition of the programme area, in each country, on the basis of the National Food Security Assessment, the National Programme Steering Committee will propose at the beginning of the Programme, an appropriate and operational definition of the target group, taking into account the above mentioned primary Programme target group, to the Regional Programme Steering Committee for approval.

Goal and Objectives

Goal

12. The goal of the Programme is to contribute to the achievement of food security by poor and vulnerable populations, and especially for women and youth in the Programme countries

Objectives

13. To achieve the goals, the Programme will pursue the following objectives, each corresponding to a Programme component:

· Increased and ecologically sustainable crop, livestock, fisheries and/or (agro)-forestry production and productivity, as well as other livelihood activities have improved the availability of and access to food in vulnerable and poor households and especially for women and youth. Dietary practices and food safety have been enhanced.

· Improvements in food security have been achieved through better access, especially by remote vulnerable households and women, to sustainable agricultural inputs, services and markets

· National and household food security has been improved through strengthened capacities, policies and strategic actions at country and regional level to address immediate and long term food security challenges.

PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION

Introduction

14. Consultations in the region undertaken by the FAO formulation mission for RPFS expansion during 2007 had indicated a strong desire among Pacific Island Countries to undertake food security initiatives at community, household and service delivery levels. Countries had put forward requests for a range of interventions in agricultural production and/or productivity improvements, marketing and value chain development, food safety and nutrition enhancement, and the development or upgrading of agricultural service capacity and facilities, including infrastructure. A number of important multi-country initiatives were also identified by the 2007 formulation mission. These sought to provide support to food security initiatives at country and regional level in a number of key area, covering food safety and quality improvement; regional and international trade facilitation; climate change preparedness, adaptation and mitigation; and in planning, policy and programme development.

Programme Components

Component 1: Support to Community and Household Investments (USD 18.6 million).

15. This component will assist communities and households undertake a range of food security and livelihood activities aimed at increasing agricultural production and productivity, enhancing household incomes, hence capacity to buy food, improving diets and nutrition, and building resilience to withstand external shocks to their livelihood systems.

16. Projects which may be supported by this component include crop and livestock development, integration of agro-forestry and non-timber products into the livelihood system, small-scale fisheries and aquaculture development, agricultural processing, marketing and value chain development, rehabilitation and sustainable management of natural resources for agricultural production, non-farm income generation and micro-enterprises, and activities targeted specifically at human nutritional improvements.

17. Broad project ideas in such areas have been identified in previous programme development work with country proponents. Further detailed design of individual projects will be undertaken to ensure that the Programme strategy and criteria of targeting and focusing on different aspects of food security will be implemented. Within this Programme framework, design will apply a participatory approach with the target group and will focus on food security and livelihood issues and priorities determined by them, in particular that of women, youth and vulnerable households. Thus, each project will be targeted on an operationally defined target group. The expected project benefits and impact on the target group will be analysed, and practical arrangements for monitoring project outputs and systems and behavioural outcomes incorporated in the project design. Project proposals will be developed by eligible agencies in the public, NGO, CBO and private sectors.

18. It is anticipated that the average requirement of external resources would be around USD 250 000 per project. Taking into account actual implementation capacities, a ceiling of USD 500 000 per project will be applied, also to ensure equitable distribution of resources. Small community based micro-projects would also be considered, such as under FAO’s Telefood programme. Projects supported under this component can thus range from around USD 10 000 to USD 500 000. In all cases, a contribution in cash or kind of no less than 10% by project beneficiaries or stakeholders would be required, while the government will contribute the tax content of costs.

Component 2: Development of Service Provision Capacity and Facilities (USD 8.0 million).

19. This component will support countries to strengthen the food security situation by improving access of rural communities, especially those in remote locations, to sustainable agricultural services, inputs and markets. This will complement the community and household investments supported under component 1. To ensure interventions address food security needs of the poor and vulnerable, special emphasis is given to targeting mechanisms during detailed design of projects, including a strong gender focus.

20. Assistance may be provided to such country projects as developing or upgrading seed multiplication facilities, fish hatcheries and fishing community centres, improving facilities for agricultural research and food processing, provision of transportation infrastructure, including wharf and boat servicing facilities and farm to market roads, and the strengthening of capacities of development agencies.

21. In the detailed design of such projects, the Programme goal and objectives of improving food security will be reflected. Individual projects will be justified to the extent they improve service provision to the target group and other stakeholders in an inclusive, non-discriminatory way. The focus on food security constraints and livelihood opportunities will be integrated in project objectives, hence outcomes to be achieved. Government and non-government agencies as well as NGOs and private sector organisations can be considered for support. Similar to Component 1, the anticipated average size of external funds required for these projects is USD 250 000 with a ceiling of USD 500 000. Stakeholders, beneficiaries and government will contribute to the funding.

Component 3: Multi-country Support and Food Security Initiatives (USD 8.1 million).

22. This component will provide support to food security initiatives at the regional and/or sub-regional level. The objective is to bolster the national initiatives through enhanced capacities, strategies and policies, as well as help fill gaps which could not be covered by individual country projects. In particular, to address the limited capacity of countries in project formulation and review processes, this component will at the outset provide close training and facilitation support to the National Project Coordinators (NPCs) and project teams within each sub-region. This will include hands-on guidance and mentoring, and permit learning on the job. This component has two sub-components:

23. Sub-component 3.1. Sub-regional Training and Facilitation Support to Countries (USD 1.2 million). Three full-time Sub-regional Training and Facilitation Teams (TFTs) will be formed and deployed in each sub-region – in Pohnpei (Micronesia), Honiara (Melanesia) and Apia (Polynesia) - to operate for the first four years of the Programme. Each team will be staffed by a professional Sub-regional Facilitator and a programme assistant. Their primary role is to train and provide hands-on advice to NPCs and project teams in project design and continuing support during implementation.

24. National Food Security Assessments and Strategies. In each country, a National Food Security Assessment will be drawn up for the National Programme Steering Committee (NPSC) to allow it to make informed decisions on the application of the Programme strategy in the country, taking into account national and local considerations. In particular, it will provide a basis for the NPSC to determine priority food security sectors and/or sub-sectors, the priority programme area and the programme target group. This will constitute the basis for the development of individual projects at household and/or country level to be supported by the Programme.

25. The Assessment will use available secondary data, undertake representative field assessments and participatory analysis with potential target populations. It will produce a concise strategy document according to a standard outline. The terms of reference and the required expertise will be proposed by the National Programme Coordinator (see below), and reviewed and approved by the Sub-regional Facilitator, who will also be responsible for the actual contracting. In case the assessments will not be undertaken on preparatory, non-Programme funding, as recommended, a corresponding budget allocation has been included in the Programme costs to undertake them at the earliest in PY1. If not required, the allocation can be re-allocated by the Regional Programme Steering Committee to other advisory purposes at national levels.

26. Sub-component 3.2 Support to Multi-country Food Security Initiatives (USD 7.1 million). This sub-component will support multi-country food security initiatives in the following Programmatic Areas: 1) Planning, policy and programme development support; 2) Climate change preparedness, adaptation and mitigation; 3) Food quality and safety improvement; and 4) Facilitation of trade and marketing, capacity development.

27. These Programmatic Areas will make an important contribution to programme objectives through capacity strengthening and supporting strategic actions to address immediate as well as longer term food security challenges at country and regional levels. Initiatives in other areas are not ruled out, however, and there will be sufficient flexibility for inclusion of others, should these be found justified during programme implementation.

28. The anticipated external funding for each Programmatic area is about USD 1.25 million, while for the climate change initiatives, USD 2.75 million has been foreseen. Within each area, several concrete initiatives will be proposed with an estimated average cost of USD 150 000. For proposals exceeding USD 500 000, limited International Competitive Bidding procedures will be applied based on a shortlist of eligible agencies in the Region.

Component 4: Programme Management (USD 6.7 million).

29. The main objective of this component is to ensure programme resources and activities are managed effectively, so as to achieve timely results in accordance with programme objectives and operational criteria/ procedures. It will also help facilitate learning and sharing of lessons amongst stakeholders, including communities, service providers, officials and international development partners. Emphasis is given to partnership building, collaboration and labour sharing, thereby contributing to coherence of development effort.

30. Key processes supported include coordination with country stakeholders and development partners, appraisal and approval of project proposals for funding, financial management at country and overall programme levels, and instituting a robust system of monitoring, evaluation, review and learning as part of sound programme cycle management. Included are Annual Stakeholder Review Workshops at country and regional levels to review progress and results and decide on needed actions to improve performance. Mid-term and terminal review processes will also be supported.

31. Funds will be provided for establishing a Regional Programme Management Unit (RPMU) in Apia in or near the FAO Sub-Regional office and headed by an internationally recruited full-time Regional Programme Manager (RPM). Staffing will include a Gender and Participation specialist, a Planning and M&E specialist, an Accountant and a Secretary. The RPM will be assisted by a Regional Development Coordinator (RDC), based in Suva to ensure coordination with development partners and regional institutions located there. The component will also fund the setting up of a National Programme Coordination Unit in each of the 14 countries. Each unit will be headed by an experienced and full-time National Programme Coordinator (NPC) and include an Accountant. They will oversee project implementation staff is discreet country projects, the costs of the latter have been integrated in the average project cost estimates in Components 1 and 2.

IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS, ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENT

Summary of structure

32. Overall responsibility for implementing the Programme will be with FAO. Overall guidance will be provided by a steering committee consisting of key regional stakeholders and donors. The highest (legislative) authority is vested in a Regional Programme Steering Committee, chaired by a representative of FAO. The chart below provides an overview of the structure.

Regional and overall

· Regional Programme Steering Committee (RPSC) is the legislative body of the programme providing direction and decision making for the programme. The RPSC will be chaired by the FAO Sub-Regional Represetative and include 9 members: one country representative from each of the three sub-regions, a representative from SPC, five representatives from programme donors, regional NGOs and private sector. The Committee will appoint a 4-person project screening and approval sub-committee from among its members. In the selection of the different representatives, FAO will ensure that women are sufficiently represented.

· Regional Programme Management Unit (RPMU), the highest executive body in the Programme, through the Regional Programme Manager (RPM) will be responsible for the implementation of the programme, reviewing and approving project proposals and in charge of M&E. This will be located at or near the FAO sub-regional office in Apia, Samoa.

· Regional Partner Coordinator (RPC) will coordinate the programme’s activities with those of regional partners, and with donors. The RPC will advise on planning, strengthen linkages with regional implementing agencies, and of support on M&E of regional projects. S/he will be located at SPC in Suva, Fiji.

· Technical advisory group will advise the RPM on technical matters on request. This will draw on individual consultants, designated FAO sub-regional, regional and HQ staff.

Sub-regional

· Sub-regional training and facilitation team – lead by a sub-regional facilitator will assist the National Programme Coordinators in the design, implementation and M&E of national projects and facilitate the implementation of regional projects at the local level. These will be linked to SPC sub-regional offices being established.

National:

· National Programme Steering Committee, will provide review and decision making on the national programme on an annual basis. The NPSC will be composed of 7 members, with representatives of key ministries (ministry of agriculture or ministry most concerned with food security will chair), NGOs and private sector.

· National Programme Coordination Unit will implement national programme and assist project teams in the implementation of national projects.

· Project Teams under implementing agency responsibility will implement national projects – may be led by ministries, NGOS, CBOs or private sector

Scope for Partnership Arrangements

33. As this is a multi-agency supported and implemented project, there will need to be agreements drawn up at appropriate levels to ensure smooth implementation. Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) will need to be developed primarily for the following:

· Between donors and the programme management, particularly FAO and IFAD agreeing to the programme approaches, systems and criteria, and how to jointly carry out supervision, and manage possible differences;

· Between donors and FAO and/or between donors and individual countries for the financing of Programme activities ;

· Between the programme and implementing agencies, primarily the ones overseeing regional projects;

· Between programme management and regional agencies, including FAO on practical arrangements, such as accommodation and logistics, where facilities are shared.