Humanitarian Supply Chain Challenges of Food Aid in Ethiopia: In the Case of World Food Program
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Date
2023-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The main objective of the study was to investigate the major challenges affecting the performance of humanitarian supply chain management in WFP. To achieve the objective of the study, close-ended questionnaires were prepared and distributed to the sample respondents. Variables of the study was measured through five-point Likert scale of measurement. Descriptive survey research design was mainly used to quantitatively analyze the challenges of humanitarian aid supply chain management. A cross-sectional survey data was employed in which 452 valid questionnaires were collected from 503 questionnaires distributed. Purposive (judgmental) non-probability sampling technique was used to select representative samples from the employees working in logistical & supply chain areas in WFP. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used for data analysis. From descriptive statistics, frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation techniques were used. From inferential statistics, factor analysis specifically Principal Component Analysis technique was used to identify the major challenges affecting humanitarian aid supply chain. Factor analysis methodology is selected because it is particularly suitable to extract few factors from the large number of related variables to a more manageable number. With the help of factor analysis, irrelevant questions can be removed from the final questionnaire. In order to determine the factors underlying the variables of the questionnaire used to assess the difficulties in managing the supply chain for humanitarian aid, this study proposed a factor analysis. In this study, the factorability of the data was evaluated using the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy and the Bartlett's test of Sphericity. To investigate the multicollinearity of the variables, the determinant score is generated. Kaiser's Criterion and the Scree test were looked at to determine how many factors needed to be removed. Varimax orthogonal factor rotation method was applied to minimize the number of variables that have high loadings on each factor. The internal consistency was confirmed by calculating Cronbach’s to test the instrument’s reliability. The results revealed that the factor analysis not only allow detecting irrelevant items but also allow extracting the valuable factors from the data set of the questionnaire survey. The application of factor analysis for questionnaire evaluation provides very valuable inputs to the decision-makers to focus on few important factors rather than a large number of parameters. The factor analysis result revealed that humanitarian aid supply chain challenge determinant factors were related to infrastructure, transport, security and warehouses as far as humanitarian aid supply chain is concerned. Logistical challenges and poor infrastructure limit access to aid for already vulnerable and isolated communities. To overcome the challenges, the researcher recommended WFP to strengthen its efforts of humanitarian aid through mobilizing local economic actors to provide transportation and storage solutions adapted to the logistical, operational and security challenges of the context. WFP humanitarian activities should optimize aid resources in emergencies and complex emergencies, increase access to isolated communities, guarantee the quality and traceability of transport, limit the effects of inflation and promote coordination between response actors, the private sector, policy-makers and public authorities.
Keywords: humanitarian supply chain management, factor analysis, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin, Bartlett’s test of Sphericity, determinant score, Kaiser’s criterion, Scree test, Varimax-orthogonal factor rotation