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Targeted technical assistance improves the quality of provincial nutrition plans in Vietnam between 2010 and 2012
Author(s) -
Nguyen Phuong H,
Hoang Lan N,
Frongillo Edward A,
Hajeebhoy Nemat,
Me Purnima
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.620.12
Subject(s) - psychological intervention , context (archaeology) , business , checklist , economic growth , medicine , political science , geography , economics , nursing , psychology , archaeology , cognitive psychology
In Vietnam's National Nutrition Program, nutrition planning is being decentralized to provinces. Since 2010, the Alive & Thrive initiative provided technical assistance to 15 provinces to ensure that provincial plans for nutrition (PPN) are evidence‐based, integrated with other sectors, and well‐resourced. This has included development of provincial nutrition profiles, planning guidelines, and tools as well as organization of national and provincial workshops. To assess progress, content analysis of 15 PPNs for years 2010–2013 was done using an a priori coding checklist. The quality of PPNs improved from 2010 to 2012 with greater changes observed in the central and southern regions than the north. There was significant improvement in the use of data (8/15 provinces) and local context (10/15 provinces) as the evidence base and in articulation of joint actions with other sectors. These improvements have led to more feasible goals, objectives, and prioritized nutrition interventions. Resource mobilization remains a challenge due to rigid budget guidelines and insufficient skills at provincial levels to advocate for resources. Continued technical support to improve capacity for nutrition planning at decentralized levels is essential to ensure translation of national guidelines to programmatic action on the ground. Funding: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, through Alive &Thrive, managed by FHI360.