This thematic review of WFP’s experience of targeting food aid in relief situations (EMOPs and PRROs) was based on case studies in Ethiopia, Darfur in the Sudan, Kenya, Malawi and Myanmar and on a peer review workshop held in Rome in June 2005. As targeting is both a critical and very difficult aspect of WFP’s relief work, it is encouraging that the review found WFP to be making substantial progress towards effective targeting in the five case study countries visited. The Review found WFP’s targeting to be particularly successful at forming consensus-building targeting bodies, and in achieving consistent and substantial improvements to targeting over time and in all types of emergency operation. However, the reviewers found that WFP could make better use of its unique and extensive experience of targeting to overcome recurring difficulties. In forming these views, the Review Team was conscious that the limited sample of case studies could not be assumed to be fully representative of WFP’s current targeting practice and that many strong and perhaps weaker aspects of targeting may be present in operations that were not selected for this review.
