PARTNERSHIPS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO STRENGTHEN AND HARMONIZE ACTIONS FOR NUTRITION IN INDIA (POSHAN)

Objective:
POSHAN aims to build evidence on effective actions for nutrition and support the use of evidence in decision-making in India by bringing diverse stakeholders together and actively facilitating dialogue that moves knowledge into practice.  POSHAN will build on existing initiatives, action networks, consortia and coalitions, with the primary goal of strengthening evidence-based dialogue and action. POSHAN has two major objectives:  (1) Analyze direct and indirect nutrition-relevant interventions to generate knowledge on optimal approaches that address major bottlenecks to improve maternal and child nutrition outcomes in India; (2) Mobilize evidence-based and actionable knowledge to inform policy formulation and support program planning for nutrition at the national level and in 3-4 key states.

Approach:
Proposed activities under objective 1 include the following:  development of a framework for analysis, review of key program successes and synthesis of program experiences that can be replicated; field assessment of 4-6 program innovations judged to be the most transferable with the highest potential for impact; experimental studies of 2-3 core operational innovations to rigorously pressure-test them in current implementation systems. Proposed activities under objective 2 include the following:  engagement with State and Central Government level policy makers, and a core of strategic partners in early consultations, program reviews, field assessments, and field experiments; convening of a wide knowledge mobilization and learning community for stakeholders implementing or evaluating actions to accelerate the reductions in undernutrition; establishment and maintenance of a knowledge management system to bring together, in one virtual space, critical learning about program successes and failures in India.

IFPRI’s monitoring and evaluation approach will have two main focus areas. First, will routinely monitor progress on activities together with primary stakeholders and advisory members using a variety of project specific documents, reports, and network evolution. Second, IFPRI will ensure a keen focus on learning regarding processes through which networks of policy and program stakeholders engage with evidence and move evidence into practice, and on how behaviors are influenced. IFPRI will use state-of-the-art methods from the policy sciences to build this learning into the project, also engaging with eminent researchers in the nutrition policy sciences and health policy.

Timeline: 2011-2015

Geographical Coverage: India