DISTRIBUTION OPERATIONAL GUIDANCE/TOOLKIT
Overview
IOM is one of the largest Shelter and Settlements actor, reaching over 9 million people annually with Shelter and Settlements related programming, including with relief items for sleeping, food preparation and storage, eating, and drinking, thermal comfort, lighting and personal clothing, as well as mosquito nets, buckets, water storage and hygiene items – also referred as Non-Food Items (NFIs). IOM supports people accessing these items through in-kind distributions as well as through CBI.
The Distribution Operational Guidance/Toolkit captures lessons learned, tools and other field resources from IOM’s collective global experience related to the distribution of these items. Throughout the guidance, protection risks and mitigation measures, including GBV risks, Accountability to Affected Populations and the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, are considered and integrated.
The tools and guidance documents annexed are available to assist in the planning and implementation of distributions, yet there are not “one size fits all "solutions. Contents of those resources must be adapted before deploying in the implementation based on each context of the intervention.
Guidance
- Coordination
- Relevant Assessments
- Selection and Procurement of Items
- Delivery Mechanisms
- Building a Distribution Team
- Beneficiary Selection, Verification, and Registration
- Location and Time
- Notification of Beneficiaries Prior to Distribution
- Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP)
- Logistic Arrangements
- Setting up Distribution Site
- Managing the Distribution
- Information, Education, and Communication Materials
- Reporting / Information Management
- Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)
- Key Considerations for Project Proposals
Toolkit
| Resources | File Format | Language |
| Rapid Need Assessment Per Location NOTE:This tool can be used for first tracking the need of affected community/location by combining KIIs, secondary data analysis, and direct field observations. (Modified from the documents developed by IOM Yemen in 2015 and IOM Pakistan) |
WORD | EN |
| Beneficiary Registration - Verification Form NOTE:
(Modified from documents developed in IOM Afghanistan in 2023, IOM Argentina, IOM Ethiopia, IOM Guyana, IOM Trinidad and Tobago, and IOM Yemen) |
EXCEL |
EN |
| KOBO XLSForm | EN | |
| Need Assessment Guidelines and Standard Questionnaires for FGDs and KIIs NOTE: This tool can be used to collect qualitative data by conducting FGDs/KIIs with affected community as a part of need assessment. Modify the questionnaires as per actual contexts. (Modified from the documents developed by IOM South Sudan in 2018) |
WORD | EN |
| Need Assessment Standard HH questionnaires NOTE:
(Modified from the documents developed in IOM Mozambique, IOM Nigeria, and IOM South Sudan in 2018) |
EXCEL |
EN |
| KOBO XLSForm | EN | |
| Distribution Risk Analysis and Mitigation Form NOTE: This tool can be used to assess the likelihood of various risks related to distribution projects, including possible issues in access, safety/security of staff, interference, and aid diversion. (Modified from the document developed by IOM Türkiye X-Border in 2020) |
WORD | EN |
| Handover Form NOTE: Based on the donor requirement, articles should be modified. Require LEG approval. (Modified from IOM Turkey 2023) |
WORD | EN |
| Sample Vulnerability index NOTE: This document include most commonly used vulnerability indicators, and the format enables scoring vulnerability of each beneficiary household. Modify the indicators and the scoring weight based on actual programme context. (Modified from the document developed by IOM Philippines in 2016) |
WORD | EN |
| Safety Audit Tool - NFI Distribution NOTE: This tool can be used to assess beneficiaries’ perception of location, time, and safety concerns during the distribution by conducting FGDs particularly with women, persons with disabilities, and other groups of most vulnerable community members. (Modified from the document developed by IOM Turkey in 2023) |
WORD | EN |
| Example of key messages poster for beneficiaries (IOM Ecuador 2023) |
JPG | SP |
| Sample token for NFI distribution | WORD | EN |
| Guidance on Establishing Feedback Mechanism NOTE:NOTE: This document is intended to act as a starting point for missions which do not have a set of documents clarifying the establishment of feedback mechanism, or to inform missions reviewing existing documentation. Edit as required to reflect the operational context. (Modified from the SOP developed by IOM Philippines in 2015) |
Zip file | EN |
| Storage surface calculator NOTE: This tool enables to calculate required warehouse space by inputting the types and quantities of NFIs that will be procured. In the “data” tab, there is a list of commonly procured non-food items with packaging information. If you do not find the items in the list, ask procurement colleagues for figures, and modify the “data” tab. (Modified from the tool developed by GPSU) |
Excel | EN |
| Example of a distribution banner with muti-donor logos (Modified from IOM Bangladesh 2018) |
PPT | EN |
| Beneficiary Receiving Form NOTE: This form is commonly used by many IOM country missions for receiving signature or thumbprints when handing over the items to beneficiaries. At right-upper space, list names and number of items to be distributed to each HH. As well clarify variations for different HH size. (Modified from the version received from IOM Nigeria) |
EXCEL | EN |
| The Shelter Compendium (IOM & Global Shelter Cluster 2021) |
EN | |
| Collection of messages and images on Fixing tarpaulin (IOM & Global Shelter Cluster 2021) |
EN | |
| Collection of messages and images on Fire Safety (IOM & Global Shelter Cluster 2021) |
EN | |
| Collection of messages and images on Flooding (IOM & Global Shelter Cluster 2021) |
EN | |
| Non-Food Items Distribution Report Template NOTE: This template can be used to report the result from a series of distribution conducted. Can be used by IOM distribution team and by implementation partners. (Modified from templates from various IOM missions) |
WORD | EN |
| On-site Distribution Monitoring Form NOTE: This form can be filled by direct observation and exit interviews on the day of the distribution. Can be used for monitoring implementation partner’s distribution activities as well as IOM direct distributions. (Modified from the forms developed by IOM Nepal in 2015 and IOM Afghanistan in 2020) |
WORD | EN |
| Rapid Distribution Monitoring Community Feedback NOTE: This form can be used to collect qualitative data for a rapid monitoring during or immediately after the distribution. Modify the questionnaires based on actual context. (Modified from the document developed by IOM South Sudan in 2018) |
WORD | EN |
| Satisfaction Survey Household Questionnaires NOTE:
(Modified from the document developed by IOM Costa Rica, IOM Ecuador in 2023, and IOM South Sudan in 2018) |
EXCEL |
EN |
| KOBO XLSForm | EN | |
| PDM Standard Questionnaires NOTE:
(Modified from Annex A of the Post Distribution Monitoring for Shelter Programming*1, and documents developed by IOM Afghanistan in 2022, IOM Mozambique in 2020, IOM Nigeria ver.1.8, IOM South Sudan in 2019) |
EXCEL |
EN |
| KOBO XLSForm | EN |
Contacts
For more information, please contact the Shelter and Settlements Unit in Geneva: ShelterSupport@iom.int.
Please also find the contact information to the IOM Shelter Reference Group: ShelterReferenceGroup@iom.int.
Footnotes
*1 IOM and Global Shelter Cluster. 2021. Post Distribution Monitoring for Shelter programming - Guidance to Inclusive Programming (Link)