evaluation of general food distribution in northern uganda: gulu ...

schedules and working long hours to accommodate ‘disruptions’ have meant that IDPs onthe whole have received their monthly rations of food in the three year period 57 .6.2 The Value of Building a Dedicated & Flexible OrganisationNRC has built an organisation around experienced and qualified staff and 200 well trainedvolunteers, who all have clear roles, responsibilities and reporting structures. The staff aswell as volunteers – who mainly originate from the Acholi region – have in depth localknowledge and seem to be motivated to carry out a humanitarian deed for ‘their people’. Thenational staff has been with NRC for many years, some started with NRC when it firstestablished itself in Northern Uganda. Therefore the organisation has a substantial amount ofinstitutional memory and long-term experiences to build on and learn from.The staff employed in the GFD section have a good understanding of the objectives of theGFD project and the needs and fundamental rights of the be neficiaries that it serves. Thestaff are given the opportunity to work themselves up through the organisation and NRCsupports advancement initiatives with training and courses. NRC is trying to implement itshuman resource policy of promoting more national staff to managerial posts, and this isslowly taking place. Both GFD project coordinators in Gulu and Kitgum are Ugandan 58 .The volunteers are hired 59 to assist the food distribution process and are given substantialamount of responsibilities to organise and oversee the process at each distribution points. Avolunteers training manual has been developed and it provides guidance on conduct andoperation. With the employment of such a large group of people, management andsupervision is crucial. WFP, amongst others, emphasised, that when human resourceproblems have arisen, NRC management has showed the will to address and rectify theproblem 60 .Several key informants have described the 200 volunteers, as an efficient means of ’gettingthe work done’. Generally, NRC is complimented by many fellow humanitarian stakeholdersfor having a work force that genuinely “understand field challenges and dynamics” 61 . Onestakeholder described it as NRC getting “very sleek at doing it”, indicating the organisationscapacity, flexibility and professionalism.The volunteers are hired on a daily basis with remunerations between Ushs 8.500 to10.000 62 . Although they only have ‘volunteer status’ they are employed most of the year.Most of the volunteers are students from the area, who try to pursue studies and family life atthe same time. NRC trains volunteers and builds their capacity in the area of fooddistribution, nutrition, crowd control and beneficiary communication 63 . Some of the volunteershave advanced in the hierarchy and are now employed as regular staff in some of the NRCprogramme components. The work of the volunteers although expressed as rewarding is attimes also tedious and tiring. Some times the volunteers have to spend the night in the fieldafter a food distribution, if security or time does not allow them to return to their duty stations.6.3 Beneficiaries Help Distributing FoodAnother significant factor for NRC’s efficiency in food distribution is the high degree ofbeneficiary participation. With the implementation of the family size distribution model (seechapter 7.1) IDPs have actively been involved in distribution and organisation of work,57 WFP Gulu.58NRC in Uganda employs 13 international staff.59Recruited by NRC but paid by WFP – amounting roughly USD 300.000 per year.60WFP Gulu.61WFP Gulu.62Ushs 1,660 = USD 163NRC Training Manual for Volunteers.21