SPRING Quarterly Report, October 1 – December 31, 2011

Agency for International Development (USAID) to provide technical support and facilitate country-led programs to improve the nutritional status of women and children. SPRING works at the intersection of the U.S. Government's Global Health Initiative (GHI) and Feed the Future (FTF) initiatives, across sectors including health, HIV/AIDS, agriculture, and economic growth. The project aims to facilitate the design and implementation of country-led nutrition strategies and provide targeted technical support to ensure high-quality, multi-sectoral nutrition programs are taken to scale. SPRING is managed by JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI) and is implemented in collaboration with Helen Keller International (HKI), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Save the Children (SC), and the Manoff Group (TMG). The project has a strong focus on country-led approaches, with a goal of improving country capacity to design and implement effective nutrition programs. SPRING will work closely with other USAID and non-USAID nutrition and health initiatives to achieve its objectives. In the first quarter of 2011, SPRING made significant progress in launching its Bangladesh field support program. The project undertook a rapid analysis and mapping exercise to select 15 focus upazilas (subdistricts) in Barisal and Khulna, including basic demographic and geospatial attributes of target upazilas. SPRING also reviewed existing nutrition and agriculture activities to determine which components were feasible for scaling up. The project proposed an initial set of interventions to roll-out for Household Food Production (HFP), social and behavior change communication (SBCC), Essential Nutrition Actions (ENA), and Essential Hygiene Actions (EHA). In addition to the Bangladesh field support program, SPRING also made progress in launching its Haiti field support program. The project was informed that USAID/Haiti had obligated $471,000 in fiscal year 2011 funds, with a focus on two specific technical areas: support for activities begun under the Infant and Young Child Nutrition Project (IYCN), and support for the introduction and implementation of nutritional assessment, counseling, and support (NACS). SPRING met with the AOTR team and key stakeholders in Haiti to discuss potential activities and learn about the IYCN Project's accomplishments. The SPRING project has a strong focus on country-led approaches and is committed to improving country capacity to design and implement effective nutrition programs. The project's progress in the first quarter of 2011 demonstrates its commitment to achieving its objectives and improving the nutritional status of women and children in Bangladesh and Haiti.