Optimus

WFP operations face complex challenges every day and it is often hard to figure out the best way to respond. Whether it is funding shortfalls, access restrictions due to rainy seasons or conflict, new import regulations, or emergencies requiring rapid scale-ups, WFP operations face unique time sensitive challenges on a daily basis. The use of data and advanced analytics is critical to help WFP operations manage this complexity and enable a fast and easy way to compare potential solutions.

Optimus is an online platform that combines data from numerous sources — such as population size, transportation routes, and nutritional value of food — to provide vital insights regarding ideal food basket design, food sourcing techniques, and distribution networks. WFP operational teams can create specific scenarios or ask Optimus to find optimal plans, taking into account operational constraints such as lead times and funding.

So far, Optimus has already been used in 44 of WFP’s operations to maximize the use of available resources and inform operational decisions. In 2022, WFP’s plans were re-evaluated amidst the considerable disruption to major commodity markets resulting from the global food, fuel and fertilizer crisis. As the gap between humanitarian needs and funding continues to rise every day, optimizing WFP’s response is critical in ensuring no one is left behind.

In 2023, Optimus reached 1.7 million people. Optimus reduced WFP Haiti’s operational costs by US$273,000, with greater impact expected in 2024 as longer term recommendations are being implemented, such as the inclusion of fortified rice in school meals. Optimus was also used to evaluate the nutritional adequacy of the minimum expenditure basket (MEB), which highlighted the need to introduce fortified cereals in the diet of refugees. WFP Bangladesh presented the Optimus analysis during a donor meeting, who agreed to increase the transfer value by US$0.50 per person per month. This ensured people would be able to reliably access fortified commodities through their cash-based transfers.

In 2021, Optimus helped WFP secure the Franz Edelman Award, the world’s most prestigious award in the area of analytics and optimization. More recently, Optimus was announced as one of the five winning innovations at the 2022 WFP Innovation Awards held at the annual WFP Global Management Meeting (GMM) in Munich, home of WFP’s Innovation Accelerator.

The development of Optimus started in 2014, and the initiative would only be where it is today with many partners' support, enthusiasm, and expertise. The first prototypes were developed hand-in-hand with prestigious universities such as the Georgia Institute of Technology in the USA and Tilburg University in the Netherlands. Since 2017, WFP's internal divisions, including its Technology division and the WFP Innovation Accelerator, and external partners like UPS and Palantir Technologies, have consistently enhanced the solution following best practices in agile development and human-centred development design.

With the Innovation Accelerator's support, the tool is now being further scaled up and rolled out to the field to maximize the coverage of WFP operations.

Optimus is available to all WFP staff as an automated, user-friendly online application at https://optimus.wfp.org.