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{
"id": 84892,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/84892/?format=api",
"text_counter": 279,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. M.M. Ali",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister, Ministry of State for Special Programmes",
"speaker": {
"id": 74,
"legal_name": "Ali Mohamud Mohamed",
"slug": "ali-mohamud-mohamed"
},
"content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I will gladly do that. I was just considering time because the hon. Member asked for a very detailed Statement; I will do that in a while. The roles of lead agencies include the following: Lead agencies have many responsibilities, but the obvious ones include warehouse management, transportation of food to the final distribution points, hiring of staff to monitor food distribution and do other duties related to operations, work with communities in identifying and implementing food for assets projects, work with communities to register beneficiaries of food for assets and general food distribution, attend district steering group meetings and work closely with all its members to ensure the smooth running of the operation, and finally prepare reports on food distribution. The district steering group plays a key role in the selection of lead agencies. Considering that the lead agencies have to be selected competitively to get those organizations that have the capacity to carry out large scale food distribution at reasonable costs, technical capacity and cost effectiveness are key considerations when selecting lead agencies. The district steering group plays a very important role in the selection of lead agencies, as said before. The process of selecting a lead agency at the district level is tough. The district steering group invites non-governmental organizations based in the district to apply for the job of a lead agency. On receiving the applications, the district steering group meets to evaluate them in line with the set criteria. The district steering group is chaired by the district commissioner, and members include district heads of departments and local MPs. After evaluation, the District Steering Group sends recommendations of three shortlisted agencies in a ranking order to the Ministry of State for Special Programmes for final appointment. An annex showing a list of agencies shortlisted by the District Steering Group in recent appointments is attached to the Statement. In making the appointment, the Ministry of State for Special Programmes consults with the World Food Programme, which is our major partner and a stakeholder, and together they check whether the district followed the guidelines and procedures for selecting a lead agency. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, where a District Steering Group has flouted the laid down guidelines and procedures, the national team, the Ministry and the WFP will not be bound by their recommendations, and they order a repeat of the exercise, or appoint any other agency deemed fit to do the job. Again, an annex to that effect is attached to the Statement I am going through. Factors considered in selecting a lead agency include the following: 1. An agency must be based in the district where it has applied to be the lead agency. 2. It should demonstrate that its presence in the district is felt and appreciated by the local people. 3. An agency should have been involved in some development projects in the district or is helping the community in one way or another. 4. An agency should have the technical capacity to handle large scale food distribution. 5. It should be cost-effective in its operations. In carrying out technical evaluation, the following factors are also considered: 1. Local knowledge of the area. 2. Field presence and co-ordination capacity. 3. Type of activities in the district. 4. Number of years of experience. 5. Number of staff of the particular organization. 6. Number of four-wheel-drive vehicles to be able to undertake the operation. 7. Projects initiated and implemented in the given area. 8. Monitoring and evaluation capacity. 9. Ability to mobilize the community. In terms of financial evaluation, the following factors are considered: 1. Staff costs. 2. Office administration costs. 3. Operational costs; that is warehouse, rentals, vehicles running costs, communication equipment, computer equipment and commodity tracking etc. 4. Food management costs; that is re-bagging, reconditioning, provision of empty bags, jericans, post distribution management etc. 5. Transportation and distribution services. 6. Storage related services, handling, casual labour, cleaning and fumigation, etc. All agencies that apply are required to provide detailed information on the above, and those that score highly on both technical and financial evaluation are considered for appointment. On the whole, a revised process of selecting lead agencies ensures transparency, competitiveness, cost effectiveness and inclusivity. The relationship between the Government and the WFP, as demanded by the hon. Member, is cordial. It is a relationship that is based on mutual respect and common interest of assisting needy people in Kenya. The Government greatly values the support of WFP in providing relief supplies to millions of Kenyans, who are faced with food shortage every year due to drought and other disasters. The partnership between the Government and the WFP runs many years back and has grown strong over the years. The two parties have always contributed jointly to relief programmes put in place to mitigate the effects of droughts that continue to threaten the lives and livelihoods of the people."
}