Activity A: Setting the agenda of the workshop (1/7)

1. Relevant framing in country context

The overall objective of NIPN is to strengthen or create a data-informed nutrition policy dialogue, and this workshop is a first step to engaging stakeholders in this process.

The workshop and the NIPN approach need to be framed in order to be coherent with the broader multisectoral nutrition policies and plans at country level.

It is important to highlight that NIPN does not replace existing Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) systems that track the progress of MPPA, but that its added value is to analyse the data of such M&E systems to answer specific policy questions.

2. Create a common understanding

Before engaging in the process of question formulation, it is crucial that all key actors share a common understanding of what NIPN’s purpose and approach is. Even when several advocacy or awareness-raising activities have taken place prior to the workshop, it is important to start the workshop with a generic presentation of NIPN (section 1.1, Advocacy and awareness raising) to create a common understanding amongst all participants.

The scope of NIPN and its added value can be mentioned briefly in this presentation in order to manage participants’ expectations with regard to the type of answerable questions, but this should be a specific and separate session on the agenda of the consultative workshop. This session can be facilitated by a Data analysis expert, using the Technical Note on Data Analysis.