Introducing a new monitoring manual for home fortification and strengthening capacity to monitor nutrition interventions.
Lack of monitoring capacity is a key barrier for nutrition interventions and limits programme management, decision making and programme effectiveness in many low-income and middle-income countries. A 2011 global assessment reported lack of monitoring capacity was the top barrier for home fortification interventions, such as micronutrient powders or lipid-based nutrient supplements. A Manual for Developing and Implementing Monitoring Systems for Home Fortification Interventions was recently disseminated. It is comprehensive and describes monitoring concepts and frameworks and includes monitoring tools and worksheets. The monitoring manual describes the steps of developing and implementing a monitoring system for home fortification interventions, including identifying and engaging stakeholders; developing a programme description including logic model and logical framework; refining the purpose of the monitoring system, identifying users and their monitoring needs; describing the design of the monitoring system; developing indicators; describing the core components of a comprehensive monitoring plan; and considering factors related to stage of programme development, sustainability and scale up. A fictional home fortification example is used throughout the monitoring manual to illustrate these steps. The monitoring manual is a useful tool to support the development and implementation of home fortification intervention monitoring systems. In the context of systematic capacity gaps to design, implement and monitor nutrition interventions in many low-income and middle-income countries, the dissemination of new tools, such as monitoring manuals may have limited impact without additional attention to strengthening other individual, organisational and systems levels capacities.
IMMPaCt, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Maria Elena D
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2652-4502
ME
Jefferds
IMMPaCt, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Rafael
R
Flores-Ayala
D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000178:diet therapy; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D044623:Nutrition Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D011203:Poverty; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation
D018977:Micronutrients
capacity development; home fortification interventions; lipid-based nutrient supplements; micronutrient powders; programme monitoring