Caribbean Multi-Country Office (Caribbean MCO): Flexible Systems-Effective Responses? Regional Evaluation of WFP’s contribution to Shock-Responsive Social Protection in Latin America and the Caribbean (2015-2022)

The present case study was conducted as a part of the “Regional Evaluation of WFP's Contribution to ShockResponsive Social Protection in Latin America and the Caribbean from 2015 to 2022." The evaluation team conducted semi-structured virtual interviews with Caribbean Multi-Country Office (MCO) staff and partners (21 women, 11 men). Additionally, a comprehensive documentary review was carried out. As a part of the regional evaluation a survey was conducted, with responses from 31 WFP Caribbean MCO personnel and partners. In addition, an evaluation field visit to Barbados, where the Caribbean MCO office is located, and Dominica took place from April 19th to 27th, 2023. Dominica was selected as it was the first Caribbean country where Caribbean MCO developed a Shock-Responsive Social Protection (SRSP) agenda after the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Maria in 2017, a major shock that continues to affect the island to this day, and one of the Caribbean Islands with a population which identifies as an indigenous people - the Kalinago. Dominica was visited and meetings were held with WFP stakeholders, government partners as well as focus group discussions (FGD) with beneficiaries and representatives of the Kalinago Village Council. Beneficiary FGDs were comprised of a group of six women and a group five of men. Both groups had received one or more social cash transfers through Hurricane Maria response, COVID-19 Emergency cash transfers and the recent Eastern Trough event. While the Caribbean MCO covers 22 countries and territories of the English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean, evidence generated by the evaluation pertains largely to the Caribbean MCO office based in Barbados, the Dominica satellite office, as well as WFP experiences on SRSP in British Virgin Islands, Belize, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Jamaica.