Integrating Graduation Strategies for Advanced Food Security

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the UN agency that addresses hunger and food security in humanitarian and development contexts. In Malawi, where 50.7 percent of people live in poverty, WFP provides a range of programming promoting resilience against food shocks. WFP Malawi is currently applying a graduation strategy to layer its programs so beneficiaries move to more advanced interventions as they reach pre-determined thresholds. WFP engaged a Capstone team to identify the relevant indicators for determining whether beneficiaries are ready to “graduate.” The team provided recommendations based on a review of the relevant literature, interviews with key stakeholders—including participants, community leaders, government officials, nonprofits, funders, and WFP Malawi staff—and an analysis of evaluation data. The team’s report recommends appropriate indicators beyond traditional food security measures, strategies for graduation integration into the national government’s resilience strategy, and improvements to the design of WFP Malawi’s programs.