The Food Security and Nutrition Network resource library features practical implementation-focused guides, tools, and training materials in a number of relevant program areas. You can browse the library by topic or view the newest, highest rated, most downloaded or FSN Network recommended materials. If you know what you are looking for you can also search by author or title.
We welcome submissions of new resources from the community. Please remember we are looking for high-quality, published materials, that offer guidance for improved food security and nutrition implementation.
This policy offers insight into the strategies and target activities for IFAD at the programmatic and operational levels. Sector-specific guidance is offered for natural resources, climate change adaptation and mitigation, agriculture, financial services, value chains, marketing, rural enterprise, skills development, community-based organizations, livestock, fisheries, and forestry.
This report presents findings of a review of an Integrated Food Security Programme (IFSP) implemented by GTZ in Malawi, from 1997 through 2004.1 The review contributes to the ongoing international search for best practices in programming for food security. It is not anevaluation in the conventional sense, but abroader assessment of lessons learned.
Authors:
Patrick Webb
Organizational Authors:
Feinstein International Center
Tufts University
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit
The low nutrient and energy content of complementary foods in low-income countries has been associated with growth faltering, increased morbidity, and delayed motor milestone acquisition. Complementation of the diet in infancy and early childhood with lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) that have high nutrient and energy density has been suggested as a way to improve growth and reduce morbidity. FANTA conducted a trial in rural Malawi to compare the incidence and prevalence of very severe linear growth failure and symptoms of common childhood illnesses among infants receiving dietary supplementation with milk-LNS, soy-LNS, a corn-soy blend (CSB), or nothing.
Healthy infants were randomized into one of four intervention schemes and tracked for 12 months from the age of 6 to 18 months. The results of the trial provide support to a hypothesis that, in rural Malawi, 12 months of complementary feeding of infants with milk-LNS, but not soy-LNS or CSB, reduces the incidence of very severe stunting between 6 and 18 months of age. The trial did not, however, provide support to a hypothesis that any of the tested supplements would reduce the longitudinal prevalence of common illness symptoms among infants 6–18 months old.
This report presents findings from the baseline study of the PM2A research in Burundi. The overall objective of this research is to assess the impact and cost-effectiveness of PM2A on child nutritional status and to assess the optimal timing and duration of PM2A. The research is being carried out in the context of the Tubaramure program, a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Title II development food aid program implemented by a consortium of nongovernmental organizations in eastern Burundi. Tubaramure has three core components, which together define PM2A: improved health services for pregnant and lactating women and for children under 2 years of age; a strong social and behavior change communication (SBCC) strategy focused on improving health- and nutrition-related behaviors; and the distribution of food rations to the targeted populations. This report provides baseline values on key outcome variables for each of four comparison groups included in the PM2A research. To assess program effectiveness, these same outcome variables will also be measured at the end of the intervention for each comparison group.
The Department of Health and Nutrition's Emergency Health and Nutrition (EHN) team at Save the Children recently launched the CMAM Toolkit, a collection of resources for rapid start up of emergency nutrition programming. Although most of the guidelines and protocols are not new, this is the first time they have been brought together in one easy to use kit.
In addition, four NEW tools have been created to guide the process of:
1) Determining the Need for Intervention;
2) Program Planning;
3) Estimating Caseloads and;
4) Estimating Supplies Needed.
Accompanying The CMAM Toolkit is an interactive online tutorial that, in less than 30 minutes, will provide a comprehensive introduction to The Toolkit, walk you through programming tools, show you how to estimate caseloads and supplies, and help you locate and adapt tools needed for rapid implementation.
You don't need to be a nutritionist to learn more about available resources for emergency nutrition programming.
This 4-page technical note on NACS was released by FANTA III. The NACS approach aims to improve the nutritional status of individuals and populations by integrating nutrition into policies, programs, and the health service delivery infrastructure.
Different programming approaches have been used for prevention of acute malnutrition and management of MAM in recent emergencies (Haiti, Niger, Pakistan, etc.) based on the different situations in these countries. This variation in response raised questions about how to best guide emergency nutrition responses to prevent acute malnutrition and management of MAM. To address these concerns, the Global Nutrition Cluster convened a MAM Task Force under the leadership of WFP to develop a decision-making tool and guidance for prevention and management of MAM in emergencies.
The decision-making tool aims to:
guide practitioners to identify the most appropriate and feasible programme strategy to address MAM in a particular emergency setting
harmonize nutrition programme decision-making to MAM in emergency situations
explicitly incorporate a range of contextual situational factors into the decision-making process, in addition to population level nutrition status before and during the emergency
Organizational Authors:
MAM Task Force of the Global Nutrition Cluster (GNC)
This report commissioned by World Vision and Save the Children calls for a radical rethinking of policies to address hunger in West Africa. The report aims to assess progress, lessons learned, and challenges in promoting resilience in the Sahel, with a particular focus on the well-being of children. The study demonstrates the need for a massive response by governments and partners in order to tackle child malnutrition – chronic and acute, together. It offers evidence-based recommendations for a comprehensive, child-focused approach to resilience in the Sahel.
This guide was prepared to support grandmother dialogue group mentors who have been trained to facilitate dialogue group meetings with their peers. This guide is designed to provide dialogue group mentors with key questions to encourage lively discussions around issues such as breastfeeding, complementary feeding, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and encourage reflection, support, and experience sharing.
Quality Improvement and Verification Checklists (QIVCs) provide a detailed check of development workers’ performance on their key processes in order to monitor and improve their performance, identify “system problems,” and to encourage them. QIVCs are being used in many countries throughout the world to improve key processes.&
A Positive Deviance/Hearth Nutrition Program is a home-and neighborhood-based nutrition program for children who are at risk for protein-energy malnutrition in developing countries.
This report commissioned by World Vision and Save the Children calls for a radical rethinking of policies to address hunger in West Africa. The report aims to assess progress, lessons learned, and challenges in promoting resilience in the Sahel, with a particular focus on the well-being of children. The study demonstrates the need for a massive response by governments and partners in order to tackle child malnutrition – chronic and acute, together. It offers evidence-based recommendations for a comprehensive, child-focused approach to resilience in the Sahel.
This presentation describes a methodology that FH has used to better understand the determinants of malnutrition in particular developing countries (Burundi, Mozambique, Kenya, Bolivia and Ethiopia). The study compares poor mothers who have children who are growing well with poor mothers of children who are malnourished, identifying possible messages and project activities that can make a difference in terms of preventing malnutrition. Please click here to view slides.
A Positive Deviance/Hearth Nutrition Program is a home-and neighborhood-based nutrition program for children who are at risk for protein-energy malnutrition in developing countries.
The Nutrition Program Design Assistant: A Tool for Program Planners (NPDA) is composed of two complementary documents: a Workbook and a Reference Guide. Together, they help program design teams select the most appropriate community‐based nutrition approaches for their target area. The Workbook, which provides step‐by‐step instructions, is where the team records key information, data, decisions and decision‐making rationale. Upon completion, the Workbook provides a record of the design process. The Reference Guide provides an introduction, information on key concepts and terminology, and reference material to guide decision‐making.
This document describes a methodology that FH has used to better understand the determinants of malnutrition in particular developing countries (Burundi, Mozambique, Kenya, Bolivia and Ethiopia). The study compares poor mothers who have children who are growing well with poor mothers of children who are malnourished, identifying possible messages and project activities that can make a difference in terms of preventing malnutrition.
Quality Improvement and Verification Checklists (QIVCs) provide a detailed check of development workers’ performance on their key processes in order to monitor and improve their performance, identify “system problems,” and to encourage them. QIVCs are being used in many countries throughout the world to improve key processes.&
The Department of Health and Nutrition's Emergency Health and Nutrition (EHN) team at Save the Children recently launched the CMAM Toolkit, a collection of resources for rapid start up of emergency nutrition programming. Although most of the guidelines and protocols are not new, this is the first time they have been brought together in one easy to use kit.
In addition, four NEW tools have been created to guide the process of:
1) Determining the Need for Intervention;
2) Program Planning;
3) Estimating Caseloads and;
4) Estimating Supplies Needed.
Accompanying The CMAM Toolkit is an interactive online tutorial that, in less than 30 minutes, will provide a comprehensive introduction to The Toolkit, walk you through programming tools, show you how to estimate caseloads and supplies, and help you locate and adapt tools needed for rapid implementation.
You don't need to be a nutritionist to learn more about available resources for emergency nutrition programming.
The Department of Health and Nutrition's Emergency Health and Nutrition (EHN) team at Save the Children recently launched the CMAM Toolkit, a collection of resources for rapid start up of emergency nutrition programming. Although most of the guidelines and protocols are not new, this is the first time they have been brought together in one easy to use kit.
In addition, four NEW tools have been created to guide the process of:
1) Determining the Need for Intervention;
2) Program Planning;
3) Estimating Caseloads and;
4) Estimating Supplies Needed.
Accompanying The CMAM Toolkit is an interactive online tutorial that, in less than 30 minutes, will provide a comprehensive introduction to The Toolkit, walk you through programming tools, show you how to estimate caseloads and supplies, and help you locate and adapt tools needed for rapid implementation.
You don't need to be a nutritionist to learn more about available resources for emergency nutrition programming.
A significant gap remains between need and capacity for management of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in children. This is despite clear advances in the development and implementation of international and national protocols for the management of SAM, as well as guidelines and training for inpatient care of severely acutely malnourished children. The Training Guide for Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) aims to address this gap by increasing knowledge of and building practical skills to implement CMAM in both emergency and non-emergency contexts. Guide also available in French language at http://www.fantaproject.org/cmam/training.shtml.
Quality Improvement and Verification Checklists (QIVCs) provide a detailed check of development workers’ performance on their key processes in order to monitor and improve their performance, identify “system problems,” and to encourage them. QIVCs are being used in many countries throughout the world to improve key processes.&
The Essential Nutrition Actions (ENA) Framework was developed with the support of USAID and has been implemented across Africa and Asia since 1997. It is an operational framework for managing the advocacy, planning and delivery of an integrated package of preventive nutrition actions encompassing infant & young child feeding (IYCF), micronutrients and women's nutrition. There ENA Framework includes 3 main guides: 1. The Booklet of Key ENA Messages 2. ENA Health Worker Training Guide 2b. ENA Health Worker Handouts 3. ENA Community Volunteers Training Guide
This report commissioned by World Vision and Save the Children calls for a radical rethinking of policies to address hunger in West Africa. The report aims to assess progress, lessons learned, and challenges in promoting resilience in the Sahel, with a particular focus on the well-being of children. The study demonstrates the need for a massive response by governments and partners in order to tackle child malnutrition – chronic and acute, together. It offers evidence-based recommendations for a comprehensive, child-focused approach to resilience in the Sahel.
This report presents findings from the baseline study of the PM2A research in Burundi. The overall objective of this research is to assess the impact and cost-effectiveness of PM2A on child nutritional status and to assess the optimal timing and duration of PM2A. The research is being carried out in the context of the Tubaramure program, a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Title II development food aid program implemented by a consortium of nongovernmental organizations in eastern Burundi. Tubaramure has three core components, which together define PM2A: improved health services for pregnant and lactating women and for children under 2 years of age; a strong social and behavior change communication (SBCC) strategy focused on improving health- and nutrition-related behaviors; and the distribution of food rations to the targeted populations. This report provides baseline values on key outcome variables for each of four comparison groups included in the PM2A research. To assess program effectiveness, these same outcome variables will also be measured at the end of the intervention for each comparison group.
The Nutrition Program Design Assistant: A Tool for Program Planners (NPDA) is composed of two complementary documents: a Workbook and a Reference Guide. Together, they help program design teams select the most appropriate community‐based nutrition approaches for their target area. The Workbook, which provides step‐by‐step instructions, is where the team records key information, data, decisions and decision‐making rationale. Upon completion, the Workbook provides a record of the design process. The Reference Guide provides an introduction, information on key concepts and terminology, and reference material to guide decision‐making.
This 4-page technical note on NACS was released by FANTA III. The NACS approach aims to improve the nutritional status of individuals and populations by integrating nutrition into policies, programs, and the health service delivery infrastructure.
This document focuses on operational issues concerning the use of the Household Hunger Scale (HHS0. The document is targeted specifically to HHS users and potential users.
This document describes a methodology that FH has used to better understand the determinants of malnutrition in particular developing countries (Burundi, Mozambique, Kenya, Bolivia and Ethiopia). The study compares poor mothers who have children who are growing well with poor mothers of children who are malnourished, identifying possible messages and project activities that can make a difference in terms of preventing malnutrition.
Governments and international development partners are increasingly interested in school gardens. These have traditionally been used for science education, agricultural training or generating school income. Today, given the urgent need for increased food security, environmental protection, more secure livelihoods and better nutrition, perceptions of the potential of school gardens are changing with the belief that school gardens can become a foundation for a nation’s health and security.
This report, created by Save the Children, analyses the causes of malnutrition, focusing on chronic malnutrition and stunting in children. It identifies direct and indirect interventions that have proven to be effective, like exclusive breastfeeding, micronutrient supplementation, to introducingsocial protection programs, and adapting agricultural production to meet the nutritional needs of children. The report also examines political factors that contribute to the global burden of hunger and malnutrition.
The low nutrient and energy content of complementary foods in low-income countries has been associated with growth faltering, increased morbidity, and delayed motor milestone acquisition. Complementation of the diet in infancy and early childhood with lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) that have high nutrient and energy density has been suggested as a way to improve growth and reduce morbidity. FANTA conducted a trial in rural Malawi to compare the incidence and prevalence of very severe linear growth failure and symptoms of common childhood illnesses among infants receiving dietary supplementation with milk-LNS, soy-LNS, a corn-soy blend (CSB), or nothing.
Healthy infants were randomized into one of four intervention schemes and tracked for 12 months from the age of 6 to 18 months. The results of the trial provide support to a hypothesis that, in rural Malawi, 12 months of complementary feeding of infants with milk-LNS, but not soy-LNS or CSB, reduces the incidence of very severe stunting between 6 and 18 months of age. The trial did not, however, provide support to a hypothesis that any of the tested supplements would reduce the longitudinal prevalence of common illness symptoms among infants 6–18 months old.
This report presents findings of a review of an Integrated Food Security Programme (IFSP) implemented by GTZ in Malawi, from 1997 through 2004.1 The review contributes to the ongoing international search for best practices in programming for food security. It is not anevaluation in the conventional sense, but abroader assessment of lessons learned.
Authors:
Patrick Webb
Organizational Authors:
Feinstein International Center
Tufts University
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit
The report documents the large impact on stunting achieved among children 6-24 months old (a 4.5 percentage point reduction per year), as well as the pathways through which this impact was achieved. The project relied on both direct nutrition interventions and those that addressed underlying issuessuch as including poor sanitation, poverty, and power imbalances between women and men.
This paper reports on the experience of using Malnutrition Matters’ VitaCow (VC) and VitaGoat (VG) processing technologies in Africare country programs. VitaCow and VitaGoat are two related types of food processing machines that were designed to convert soybeans into soy milk and its derivatives as well as a variety of other foods (fruits and grains) into processed and/or preserved food products. The paper outlines the strengths and weaknesses that have been observed in applying these technologies to reduce malnutrition and promote income generation. The intent is that lessons learned and recommendations presented here will inform future installations of VitaCow and VitaGoat technologies in Africare programs and those of other Cooperating Sponsors.
This follow-up paper to the 2020 conference Leveraging Agriculture for Improving Nutrition and Health, Delhi 2011 outlines basic concepts and definitions, tools and indicators, and common interventions used by each development sector, in order to provide a baseline level of knowledge and understanding on which to build dialogue and collaboration.
This guide provides information on three alternative sampling designs that are proven to be more time- and resource-efficient than the 30x30 cluster survey: the 33x6, the 67x3, and the sequential design. All three designs are hybrid designs, combining aspects of cluster sampling and analysis with Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) analysis.
This revised guide provides information on the anthropometric impact indicators and the annual monitoring indicators for Maternal and Child Health/Child Survival (MCH/CS) and income related activities. The focus is on the collection and reporting of indicators to improve program management and document progress towards the achievement of results.
Collaborate with your peers to share knowledge, learn from program experience, and develop and adapt tools and materials for improved program implementation. If interested, contact info.fsn.network@gmail.com.
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