Overall, the evaluation found that WFP has made important steps towards meeting PSEA commitments. Even with its lean capacity, the Ethics Office has taken the agenda forward corporately, providing valuable guidance and support to focal points globally. WFP is now a key player in inter-agency PSEA platforms.
While noting these achievements, the evaluation found that delivery on PSEA commitments had been hindered by lack of prioritization and accountability, inadequate human and financial resources and limitations in the monitoring and internal feedback loops for understanding SEA prevalence and PSEA effectiveness. Consequently, WFP programming does not yet adequately assess and mitigate SEA risk across all settings and programming modalities.
The absence of consistent past investment in PSEA is only being recognized now, as WFP faces considerable operational and institutional challenges that are likely to increase its SEA risk exposure in the immediate term.