Attachments
Executive Summary
Introduction
1. This report presents the findings of the endline evaluation of the KOICA-supported Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) Programme in Cambodia. The evaluation covers the period between March 2020 to August 2024. This programme was funded with USD $18.6 million and was a collaborative effort between the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), World Food Programme (WFP), and the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS). The programme sought to improve equitable access to education and foster rural development by using locally produced food for school meals.
2. The evaluation was commissioned by WFP Cambodia and carried out by International Advisory, Products and Systems (i-APS) in three provinces: Kampong Thom, Kampong Chhnang, and Pursat. It builds on earlier baseline and midline assessments and highlights the achievements of the programme, while providing insights into the sustainability of the programme’s goals.
3. This evaluation has the dual and mutually reinforcing objectives of accountability and learning. A stronger emphasis is placed on accountability. The purpose of this evaluation is to provide valuable policy guidance to the government ministries involved in the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP). Additionally, it will guide the design of the future phase of the KOICA-HGSF Programme and support interministerial coordination for successful implementation of the NGHFSP. Gender equality and inclusion were integrated throughout the evaluation process, ensuring that the views of both boys and girls, as well as women and men, were collected.
4. The main users of this evaluation are KOICA, the WFP Cambodia Country Office (CO); its main implementing partners, which are the MoEYS and the National Social Protection Council (NSPC); the WFP regional office in Bangkok; and the WFP headquarters.
Context
5. Despite significant economic progress, Cambodia continues to face challenges related to food security, malnutrition, and educational outcomes, especially in rural areas. Malnutrition remains a challenge, with 22 percent of Cambodian children under age five stunted and 10 percent suffering from wasting. While 97% of children are enrolled in schools at the primary level, there are major challenges for learning outcomes and dropout rates. Nearly 25 percent of third graders cannot write a word in a dictation test, and 55 percent of adolescents drop out before finishing secondary school.
6. WFP has been implementing school feeding programmes in Cambodia since 1999. The NHGSFP began more recently in 2020, and by 2028, the government of Cambodia aims to expand it to all KOICA-supported primary schools, fully transitioning away from WFP support.
7. In its latest Country Strategic Plan (2024–2028), WFP Cambodia is transitioning from directly implementing programmes to technical assistance. This transition is reflected through WFP Cambodia’s evolving role in the national HGSF activities, where its focus is gradually shifting from programme implementation to providing technical support, strengthening capacities, and enhancing systems to ensure sustainable and efficient implementation.