Data-Driven Impact: A Year of Transformation with WFP's first Chief Data Officer

Just over a year ago, the World Food Programme (WFP) welcomed its first-ever Chief Data Officer, Magan Naidoo. The appointment highlighted a shift in how the organization views data, from an operational tool to a strategic enabler in tackling global hunger with greater precision, efficiency, and impact.?

Hailing from South Africa and bringing decades of experience driving large-scale transformations in the private sector, Magan has been tasked with shaping WFP’s approach to data and ensuring the organization maximizes its resources in the mission to end hunger.??

We sat down with Magan to reflect on his first year at WFP, explore the current state of WFP’s data initiatives, and discuss what lies ahead in the organization’s data-driven journey.?

Magan, you’ve been with WFP for a year now. How would you describe your experience so far??

It’s been a rewarding, fast-paced year. From the beginning, my main goal was to understand where WFP was positioned with data, where leadership wanted to take it, and how I could help bridge that gap. A major achievement was the approval of WFP’s first-ever Global Data Strategy, which signals our direction and ambitions for the future. That alone made this year successful.?

The strategy is key to helping us respond faster and more effectively in emergencies and build stronger, more resilient food systems. I’ve been particularly proud of how quickly we’ve moved from strategy to execution. It’s gratifying to see the direction we’ve set begin to take shape and create meaningful impact on the ground.?

In an organization as decentralized and complex as WFP, securing approval for such a comprehensive strategy is no small feat. What challenges did you face along the way??

The main challenge was aligning stakeholders and ensuring they understood the importance of a clear data vision. Many people agree data is essential, but translating that acknowledgment into action can be complex. Early on, I took time to map out where the organization stood, where leadership wanted to go, and how we could bridge that gap.?

My experience in the private sector was valuable in guiding the process, as I’d worked on similar large-scale data transformations before. The challenge here was different, though, in that WFP’s goals are centered on saving lives, not profit. This made aligning stakeholders all the more important.??

The real breakthrough came when people saw that this was about improving WFP’s ability to deliver on its mission — not just a technical exercise, but something that could really transform how we respond to emergencies and food insecurity.?

In most organizations, these processes tend to be slower, but WFP’s ability to mobilize has been impressive.?

How did your past experiences prepare you to lead such a momunental organizational change???

My years of experience working with data across various sectors and global organizations have exposed me to diverse perspectives and approaches. Before joining the organization, I developed a sort of mental playbook for executing large-scale data strategies, which I’ve relied on here.??

?The key was engaging with stakeholders early on to understand their expectations and ensure they knew this was not just a project for our team, but something for the entire organization. Once that message was clear, the support followed naturally. Getting alignment and moving quickly is always challenging, even in the private sector, but I was pleased to see how rapidly WFP came together around this initiative.?

Even colleagues outside the organization have expressed their appreciation for how quickly we gained momentum, especially given the strong support we’ve had from WFP’s executive leadership. In most organizations, these processes tend to be slower, but WFP’s ability to mobilize has been impressive.?

You mention that aligning teams has been a crucial step in developing this Strategy. How do you sustain that alignment as you begin to implement??

My approach has always been to foster a visible and transparent relationship—being clear about what we’re doing, co-developing solutions, and staying open to input. It’s about having open discussions, debating when necessary, agreeing on a way forward, and moving ahead. If there’s no good reason to stop, we push forward, and generally, people tend to gravitate towards that mindset. Even if there are challenges, they are often manageable once we begin executing.?

That said, it’s not always easy, especially when teams are used to working in a particular way. Change can’t happen overnight. So, our approach is to focus on those partners and teams who have embraced the vision for where WFP and the UN are headed and work with them to move forward.

For those who may not be fully on board yet, it’s about continuing to engage them, socialize the ideas, and encourage forward-looking thinking. Instead of forcing a current state into a future state, we focus on helping teams visualize the future they want to create, and guide them towards that vision.?

As we look forward, we are excited to develop WFP’s first-ever Artificial Intelligence Strategy, which will leverage the strong foundations we’ve built in data management to accelerate our progress further.?

Let’s talk about the Global Data Strategy. Where does it stand now, and what are the next steps??

We’re in the execution phase, which is where I like to be. One of the key concepts we wanted to establish early on is what we call our Data Squads. This approach brings together different parts of the organization—people from HQ, the regions, and the countries themselves, as well as other regional team members—into a collaborative squad.

We worked with our internal capacity, despite facing resource and funding challenges, to prove that this concept could work. The goal was to demonstrate the feasibility of the data squad model and then seek further funding and resources to scale it.?

?We successfully built the first Minimum Viable Product (MVP), which established the first working pattern for the modern data platform. Through this process, we demonstrated both the data squad concept and the agile ways of working that are central to our data strategy. This involved breaking down complex problems into smaller, manageable components—our MVPs—and delivering them one by one. These smaller parts gradually come together to form the complete solution over time.?

As we progressed, we began looking at additional use cases and integrating them into our pipeline for future development. One of the key ideas in our data strategy is ‘pushing data to the edge,’ which is about democratizing data and putting it into the hands of end users and country teams. This is exactly what we achieved with this MVP—we delivered a solution where data is now stored and accessible at the country level, empowering teams on the ground to use the data more effectively.?

As we look forward, we are excited to develop WFP’s first-ever Artificial Intelligence Strategy, which will leverage the strong foundations we’ve built in data management to accelerate our progress further.?

By integrating AI into the core of WFP’s operations, we aim to enhance decision-making, improve the allocation of resources in real-time, and even anticipate food security challenges with greater accuracy. This will allow us to respond faster and more effectively to crises across the globe.?

The modern data platform is a cornerstone of the Global Data Strategy. Can you explain to us what this is and its impact for the organization??

The modern data platform is about solving current limitations in how we manage data. It will integrate our data systems, making it easier for WFP teams to access, analyze, and use data in real-time. This will be a huge shift from our current, siloed approach and will significantly improve our ability to make data-driven decisions.?

For example, in an emergency response situation, having access to accurate, real-time data can make all the difference. The platform will allow country offices to run their own analytics, perform self-service reporting, and make faster, better decisions without having to rely on centralized data teams. This autonomy is crucial when time is of the essence, as it often is in our work.?

What role has your team played in moving this strategy forward??

The team has been exceptional. Many of them stepped up beyond their current responsibilities to push this vision forward. Despite limited resources, they’ve shown immense dedication to making this strategy a reality. What’s been most inspiring is how they’ve taken ownership of the strategy, not just as something handed down from leadership but as a mission they’re deeply invested in.?

That said, we recognize that the current pace and workload aren’t sustainable in the long term. Scaling the team and bringing in more resources will be crucial to continuing our progress. We’re already taking steps to ensure that happens.?

Thanks for sharing your insights, Magan. It’s clear that WFP’s data journey is in good hands.?

Thanks you for taking the time. I’m excited about what we’ve accomplished so far and even more about what’s ahead.?

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