Functions of the NIPN Multisectoral Advisory Committee
To be effective, the National Information Platforms for Nutrition should in principle be an integral part of the existing multisectoral nutrition system at national level. This can be facilitated by creating the NIPN Multisectoral Advisory Committee (MAC) as the formal structure connecting NIPN to the national multisectoral and multistakeholder nutrition coordination system.
As shown in the visual below, the MAC links the NIPN country team with national stakeholders and decision makers, and plays a critical role at the different stages of the NIPN operational cycle.
The MAC has the following functions:
- Guidance and advice as it orients the NIPN activities and workstream
- Facilitation to mobilise inputs (data or technical expertise)
- Validation
- Dissemination and communication
Throughout the NIPN operational cycle, the MAC contributes to a clear and regular two-way information flow between the NIPN team and the national stakeholders and decision makers.
It is a critical element of the NIPN structure, which stimulates and contributes to policy dialogue at national and - where appropriate - sub-national level.
Ideally, the MAC is formalised through a government-approved mandate or decree to ensure leverage and to mobilise the decision-making power of higher level national multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder coordination structures in nutrition (see the Guatemala case study in this section, page 9).
