FOOD DISTRIBUTION MONITORING CHECKLIST

WHAT TO OBSERVE DURING FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS APPLYING THE “SCOOPING” SYSTEM
A FEW POINTS.

 The physical organization of the distribution area.
- Are the refugees waiting for their food ration in an orderly manner outside the distribution area?
- Is it easy to follow visually the distribution “line” (from the person who checks the refugee identity/ration card, to the person who scoops the food, to the person who controls the exit of the refugee)?
- Is the food properly piled? Is any bag of food left open and without proper custody? Is there food spilt on the ground of the distribution area?
- Is the distribution area protected from the rain?
- Is the area defined (by a rope, wooden fence, concrete walls, etc.)?
- Is the distribution area kept “clean”?


 The distribution process.
- Is the ration card (issued after UNHCR/Government registration) used to check the identity of the refugee and its serial number verified on the beneficiary list?
- Is the ration card punched once the head of family enters the distribution area?
- Is there a clear division of responsibilities between the staff who calls and checks the names of the refugees, the person who scoops, the person who monitors those previous activities and the person who ensures the orderly processing of refugees?
- If refugees are involved, is there a NGO staff designated to control their work?


 Beneficiary lists and name verification.
- Does the NGO use computerized beneficiary lists?
- Does the list have a column for the name, the family size and their signature?
- Does the staff call out the names of the refugees from the beneficiary list by using a loudspeaker?
- Do they ask every head of family questions to confirm his/her identity or ask for his/her ID card/ration card?
- Does every beneficiary sign upon reception of their food ration?
- Are refugees who are not on the lists registered on the spot and distributed food? Or are they simply registered and have to wait for the next distribution?
- Have family sizes increased suddenly on the spot during distribution?


 The scooping activity.
- Are standard and precise scoops used? (verify the announced quantity of food scooped from each container.)
- Does the NGO use scoops in which the quantity to distribute is marked with a pen or has a visual estimation mark?
- Do scoops change from one distribution to another in spite of the food ration remaining the same? If this happens, does the NGO explain to the refugees the reason behind this and weigh the food in a new scoop in front of the refugees?
- Are the same scoops used for different food items?


 Equity of the distribution.
- Does everybody receive the same agreed upon food ration?
- Do the elderly, women and children receive their due ration?
- Is there any system in place to guarantee some special groups (e.g. handicapped people, the elderly, etc.) an easier access to their due ration?


 Information on the distribution.
- Are refugees (from the young man to the elderly woman) informed about the distribution day, the quantity due to each refugee and the quantity of food contained in the scoops?
- Are refugees informed of any change in the above?
- How is this information disseminated (verbally to all refugees, verbally through leaders, in writing through leaflets, by signboards with drawings or messages)?
- Is any special attention provided to refugees in special situations (e.g. minors coming to collect food, the elderly, handicapped, etc.)?


 Other issues:
- Did the distribution start on time?
- Were the trucks properly offloaded thus ensuring security for the food handled?
- In the event that our implementing partner sub-contracts another NGO for the actual food distribution, is at least one representative of our partner present during the entire distribution process? What kind of monitoring and control is he/she ensuring?


POST DISTRIBUTION MONITORING AND RAPID FOOD SECURITY ASSESSMENT
This may consist of:
 Following a refugee home (preferably chosen at random) who has just received their ration.
 Returning to the same village/camp where the food distribution took pace some days earlier and interview a family selected at random.
 Meeting a group of refugees (e.g. women, leaders, farmers, young people) after the distribution has already taken place.


In the first case, it will be important to:
- Check if the number of family members indicated on the ration card/NGO list is correct (either by checking the number of family members present or enquiring with neighbours).
- Observe the food stock of the household.
- When other food items other than those from the distribution are found, ask where they came from (they could be in compensation for work, from the market, from the kitchen garden, etc.).
- Ask about information they receive on the food distribution and their appreciation of the NGO work.
- Ask about the use of the food ration (e.g. is it for consumption, trade, as reimbursement of debts, etc.).


In the second case, you may as well ask the following:
- How does the household complement the food ration provided by the UN/NGO or by the Government? (e.g. do they buy it, work for it, trade, etc.)
- What are their usual sources of food? (e.g. the market, as compensation for work, the forest/free land, food distributions, donations from other refugees, donations from the local population, etc.)
- Is any food consumed now, which wasn't consumed before in the country of origin? (if yes, why wasn’t it and why it is now)
- How many meals per day does the family consume?
- What activities are carried out by the family members in their daily life?
- Are these activities regular or seasonal only?
- What is the daily income (or "in kind" benefit), if any, received for their activities?
- How many members of the family are involved in these activities?
- Do the children work as well? If yes, did they also work in the country of origin?
- What was the main activity of the head of household in the country of origin?
- Did the family find itself needing to sell personal belongings in order to purchase food and NFI? If yes, when did this last happen?

In the third case, the same questions mentioned above and plus some additional can be asked in order to obtain a more general idea of the refugee’s appreciation of the distribution system, the distributing agency, the ration provided, their coping mechanisms and their socio-economic situation.
There are several ways to gather this information, of which one is the so-called quick appraisal technique, which mainly uses oriented discussions with refugees in groups or on an individual basis.
Group discussions can be carried out with groups of refugees selected on the basis of sex, age, occupation or a combination.
In the case of a large refugee settlement, such an investigation should be selected on the basis of their profile.

The group discussions can refer to a more general checklist:
• Is information on the food distribution provided in a timely manner?
• Do the refugees appreciate the work of the NGO in charge of food distribution?
• How is the food ration is used (e.g. is it for consumption, trade, reimbursement of debts).
• How do the refugees complement the food ration provided by the UN/NGO or by the Government?
1. Buying food
2. Working for food
3. Trading food
• What is their usual source of food?
1. The market
2. As compensation for work
3. The forest/free land
4. Food distributions
5. Donations from other refugees
6. Donations from the local population
7. Other
• Is any food consumed now, which wasn't consumed before in the country of origin?
1. Food not consumed because it was considered "poor" food
2. Food not consumed because of traditional beliefs
3. Food not consumed because it was not part of their usual diet
4. Other
• How many meals per day do the refugees consume?
1. What % of the population has two and which has three meals a day?
• What activities are carried out by the refugees in their daily life?
1. Specify the kind of activity
2. Specify if the activity is of a continuous nature or seasonal
3. What is the daily income (or "in kind" benefit) received for their activities
4. How many members of the family are involved in these activities
5. Do the children work as well? If yes, were they used to working before in their country of origin
6. What is the estimated % of refugee having access to income generating activities
• What % of refugees have access to land for cultivation?
1. Can they "own" their own land
2. How many hectares, on average, are given per refugee family
3. What % of refugee work on the land of the local population compared to those working on land allocated to them
4. Do refugees have seeds and tools. If yes, how did they obtain them
• Did the refugees find themselves having to sell personal belongings in order to purchase food and NFI? If yes, when did this last happen?
• What's considered as “bad/difficult” times for the refugees?
• What's considered as "good" times?
• Who are the most vulnerable among the refugees? (see how refugees themselves define vulnerability)