Activity A: Setting the agenda of the workshop (7/7)
8. Prepare relevant and concrete country examples to trigger question formulation
Concrete examples are key to a better understanding for the participants in the workshop: the participants need to go through the question formulation process and practise by themselves how impact pathways models can help. Thus, it is important that the facilitator prepares and practices relevant and clear examples prior the workshop.
Especially when participants engage for a first time in the NIPN cycle of ‘question-analysis-dissemination’, it has proven challenging for participants to grasp what are possible policy-relevant questions and how come to a well-formulated question. Concrete examples will help them to initiate and understand the process.
The priority questions which are the output of Step 1 (see section 2.2) may provide a good starting point for developing the examples for the workshop. In all cases, it is important to:
- Ensure that examples are prepared prior to the workshop and are available on paper / on screen for participants to practise with.
- Present and explain at least one unique example to all participants, independent of whether it relates to their own sector or not.
- Include examples of sector-specific questions that are aligned to nutrition-sensitive topics in the MPPA, to facilitate understanding by the sector experts.
The four steps described in this guidance note for formulating policy-relevant questions can be applied at any administrative level.
In cases where the NIPN operational cycle is implemented at decentralised or sub-national level, it is important that the steps described in this guidance note lead to question formulation that allows a policy dialogue around the specific needs and specific strategic priorities at sub-national level.
