Planning national nutrition programs, a suggested approach : v. 1, summary of the methodology

IT WAS DEVELOPED IN ECUADOR BY THE STAFF OF THE AMERICAN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CORPORATION WITH THE SUPPORT AND COOPERATION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF ECUADOR. THE METHODOLOGY SET FORTH IS INTENTIONALLY GEARED TOWARD USE BY EXISTING PLANNING STAFFS, USING EXISTING COUNTRY DATA. IT PRESENTS AN APPROACH TO NUTRITION PLANNING WHICH WILL ASSIST NUTRITIONISTS AS WELL AS NATIONAL PLANNERS IN EVALUATING NUTRITION IMPLICATIONS OF CURRENT DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND DESIGNING NEW INTERVENTIONS TO MEET SOME PART OF THE NUTRITION PROBLEM. THIS MANUAL EMPHASIZES THAT THE POWER AND RESOURCES TO DEAL WITH NUTRITION PROBLEMS ON A NATIONAL BASIS ARE IN THE HANDS OF THE MINISTERS OF FINANCE AND PLANNING AND THE MINISTERS OF THE OPERATING AGENCIES SUCH AS HEALTH, EDUCATION, AGRICULTURE, AND COMMERCE, ALTHOUGH THE ACTUAL COORDINATION OF A NATIONAL NUTRITION PROGRAM MAY BE MOST EFFICIENTLY CONDUCTED BY A SINGLE AGENCY. A NATIONAL NUTRITION INSTITUTE, FOR EXAMPLE, WOULD INFLUENCE PLANNING DECISIONS AND RESOURCE ALLOCATIONS WITHIN THE TRADITIONAL MINISTRIES, SO THAT NUTRITION GOALS BECOME A PART OF THE PLANNING PROCESS, EVEN THOUGH THE MANAGEMENT OF NUTRITION-ORIENTED FOOD PRODUCTION PROGRAMS MIGHT BE BEST LEFT WITH THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE. NUTRITION PLANNERS AND ADVOCATES MUST BE READY TO CUT ACROSS TRADITIONAL BUREAUCRATIC BOUNDARIES TO MAKE CLAIMS ON THE ATTENTION OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT POLICY PLANNERS AND ON THE RESOURCES OF EXISTING AGENCIES. THE FIVE SECTIONS OF THIS MANUAL DESCRIBE THE SYSTEMS APPROACH TO ANALYSIS OF A NUTRITION SYSTEM; THE CONSUMER, FOOD SUPPLY, AND FOOD DISTRIBUTION SUBSYSTEMS IN A NATIONAL NUTRITION SYSTEM; SELECTION OF TARGET GROUPS AND TENTATIVE GOALS; SELECTION OF TYPES OF INTERVENTION AND EVALUATION OF NUTRITION INTERVENTION PROGRAMS; AND THE STRATEGY AND TACTICS OF NUTRITION PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING. VOLUME 2 OF THIS STUDY, SUBTITLED CASE STUDY AND DEALING WITH ECUADOR, IS ALSO AVAILABLE, AS PN-AAC-205.