Program Implementation
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Reports usually flow upstream from the implementing agencies (government, community, or contractors) to the managing agencies and donors. In a centralized direct government implementation system, reporting flows from the local authorities to the central government, passing through all the levels of government involved (district, regional, state). In this process, reporting is consolidated, reviewed, and approved for eventual approval by the central government and donors. Audits promote program transparency and accountability, and most countries use some form of audit or another. Formal audits ensure the following: • That government (and donor) funds are properly used according to the procedures set forth in implementing manuals • That goods, works, and services have been procured following countryspecific procurement regulations • That all supporting documents and records of financial transactions are maintained.
Project Selection Process and Maintenance The selection process begins by placing the program at locations where it is most needed and where the poor are disproportionately represented. The use of poverty mapping may help identify areas with higher poverty concentrations within a country. Food vulnerability maps also help in determining areas of chronic or temporary extreme food insecurity. In many countries, the WFP has developed Vulnerability Assessment Mapping System maps, which take into account such factors as food availability at the household level, the availability of coping mechanisms, and access to land. The projects that are going to be funded and implemented are selected from a list of possible types of projects according to the main objectives of the program, as described in chapter 4. The actual selection process can involve several actors at the central and local levels. For example, projects can be selected based entirely on community wishes, entirely driven by government agencies, or a combination of both. • Government-driven selection. Government officials directly select the projects they consider appropriate for the target population. • Civil society–driven selection. Projects can be selected by civil society representatives, NGOs, or community-based organizations; these