Open AccessIntroducing a new monitoring manual for home fortification and strengthening capacity to monitor nutrition interventions
Author(s) -
Jefferds Maria Elena D.,
FloresAyala Rafael
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
maternal and child nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1740-8709
pISSN - 1740-8695
DOI - 10.1111/mcn.12118
Subject(s) - monitoring and evaluation , psychological intervention , medicine , context (archaeology) , process management , capacity building , food fortification , sustainability , risk analysis (engineering) , environmental resource management , environmental health , business , nursing , economic growth , population , paleontology , ecology , economics , biology , environmental science
Abstract 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 M anual for D eveloping and I mplementing M onitoring S ystems for H ome F ortification I nterventions 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.