3.1 Distribution systems
Distribution planning should consider which method of distribution is appropriate. The choice of distribution system depends on:
- the extent to which recipient representatives, community leaders or local officials have the capacity and can be relied on to ensure distribution to targeted recipients
- Appropriate timing during which distribution can be conducted i.e. a time when all or most recipients can be available
- the ability to ensure effective monitoring
- the security situation and urgency of need
- donor requirements and restrictions
- the resources available.
(Adapted from WFP Emergency Operations Handbook, 2002 in Annex 19.2). Please note that this example is focused on food and commodity distribution.
| Mechanism |
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
| Through local government
|
- Quick and efficient when local infrastructure is sufficient
- Builds local capacity
- Commonly used during early stages of emergency response
|
- Government capacity may be limited
- High cost when local infrastructure needs to be reinforced
- Government (or officials) may have financial or political motives for controlling distributions to recipients
|
| Through traditional leaders
|
- The social and cultural values of the population are respected
- Easy in the initial stages of emergency and for dispersed populations
- Low cost and quick
- No external registration or ration cards are needed
|
- Knowledge of social structures and power relations is essential
- Effective only in small intact communities
- Risk of abuse if social structures are broken down or are replaced by abusive leadership
- Difficult to monitor
|
| Through new groups or committees
|
- Undermines abusive power relations and has a lower risk of abuse
- Agency understanding of the local society
- Some community participation, particularly women’s representation, occurs
- Self-monitoring
- Low-cost
|
- External registration and ration cards are needed in some cases
- Appropriate in stable situations only
- Groups must be elected so that they truly represent communities
- Resentment from traditional leadership
- Extensive information campaigns are needed
- Plans must be in place to counter any efforts to undermine new groups by old, established groups
|
| Direct to households in groups or individually(1)
|
- Efficient for large unstructured populations
- Initial control over beneficiary numbers
- Undermines abusive power relations and leadership
- Less risk of unequal distribution
- Easy to monitor
|
- High cost (staff, materials, time)
- Limited beneficiary participation
- Registration and ration cards are necessary
|
(1) Where distribution is to households:
- distribution to representatives of individual households assures more direct agency control but requires considerable resources
- distribution to predefined groups of households is less resource-intensive and less demeaning for beneficiaries, but is feasible only where there is good registration and homogeneous groups can be identified.
|
