DELIVERING FOR NUTRITION IN SOUTH ASIA: TOWARDS IMPACT AT SCALE – AGENDA – ALL DAYS

Learning Session 1a: Social Capital for Scaling Nutrition Equity: Insights from Heifer Nepal’s SLVC Program

Host: Heifer International

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Learning objectives: 

• Share evidence-based strategies from the SLVC Program that improve nutrition outcomes through agri-food systems
• Highlight the role of social capital and cooperative governance in scaling impact
  
• Facilitate dialogue on enabling environments, policy, financing, and partnerships for systemic change
  Engage regional stakeholders in co-creating scalable, locally rooted solutions
  

No. of participants: 40-50

Target Audience: Government and policymakers, development practitioners and NGOs, private sector actors, donors and multilateral agencies, academic and research institutions, cooperatives, and women entrepreneurs

Level: This intermediate-level session is intended for participants with a basic understanding of agri-food systems and development concepts such as nutrition equity, social capital, and community-led development, enabling meaningful engagement in interactive, solution-oriented discussions on scaling impact through collaboration.

Mode: Hybrid

Time: 17:00-18:15 (Nepal time) | Venue: Koshi Hall

Learning Session 1b: Who is being reached? Advancing coverage measurement of multisectoral nutrition interventions

▶︎ Join Zoom: https://bit.ly/Zoom_Koshi

Host: International Food Policy Research Institute

Learning objectives: 

• To share findings from recent research studies that aimed to address measurement challenges by improving questionnaires and methodologies for household survey data collection and developing innovative analytical approaches that facilitate data use;
• To share resources and lessons learned that will facilitate the uptake of these tools and methods; and
• To identify common challenges and potential solutions in South Asia to population-based measurement of nutrition intervention coverage across multiple sectors.

No. of participants: Maximum 50

Target Audience: Government actors, development agencies, program implementers, donors, and researchers (stakeholders interested and involved in the nutrition data value chain)

Level: Intermediate (While no prior knowledge is required, it is helpful for the audience to have a basic understanding about multisectoral nutrition interventions, intervention coverage, and household surveys, so they can benefit from the technical presentations and contribute to discussions).

Mode: Hybrid

Time: 17:00-18:15 (Nepal time) | Venue: Karnali Hall

Learning Session 1c: Leveraging multi-stakeholder co-design approaches to develop scalable nutrition interventions

Host: Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, International Food Policy Research Institute, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka

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Learning objectives:

• Understand the fundamental principles of co-design
• Gain practical insight into the applications of co-design for nutrition interventions in South Asia
• Learn about methods and tools for triangulating diverse sources of data in co-design processes
• Explore best practices for using co-design to balance scalability with localized constraints

No. of participants: 40-80

Target Audience: The target audience for this session includes intervention practitioners, frontline programme delivery personnel, programme designers, and policymakers at national, sub-national, and local levels in South Asian contexts. The Learning Lab will meet the needs of participants by enhancing their knowledge regarding co-design, giving them exposure to practical tools, and enabling them to explore techniques for navigating complex trade-offs.

Level: This session is intended for Intermediate level participants. While the content will be accessible and inclusive for participants of diverse backgrounds and areas of technical expertise, we feel that a basic understanding of intervention design and implementation processes would be vital for attaining the full learning benefits of the session.

Mode: Hybrid

Learning Session 2a: Impact of a Training of Trainers approach to interdisciplinary teaching & learning

Host: ANH Academy

▶︎ In person only – No Zoom link available

Learning objectives: 

• To showcase the impact of a training of trainers programme one year after an in-person learning workshop in Sri Lanka
• Share learnings, challenges, and how others can use a similar model
• To share open access resources for interdisciplinary teaching & learning

No. of participants: Smaller group is ideal for optimal participation

Target Audience: Professors/lecturers in agriculture, nutrition and health

Level: Basic

Mode: In Person Only

Time: 17:00-18:15 (Nepal time) | Venue: Koshi Hall

Learning Session 2b: From Feeding to Nourishing: Rewiring Food Systems for Nutrition and Resilience through Fortification

Host: UN World Food Programme

▶︎ Join Zoom: https://bit.ly/Zoom_Koshi

Learning objectives: 

• Understand how analysis of secondary household consumption data can identify subnational micronutrient gaps and compare practical solutions to fill these.
• Appreciate how fortified staples can move food systems from feeding to nourishing – using country experiences (Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh)
• Explore regional opportunities to integrate fortified staples into social protection programmes (school meals, safety nets, and national food security platforms) and emergency reserves, with models like APTERR.
• Identify the levers for lasting change – policies, partnerships, and operational strategies that can scale fortified staples sustainably through school meals, safety nets, and national food security platforms.

No. of participants: 30-50

Target Audience: Government representatives, program implementers, nutrition and food policy experts, development partners, and researchers working in food systems, social protection, and emergency preparedness. The session offers practical insights and regional experiences on integrating fortified staples into nutrition-sensitive social protection and emergency preparedness strategies and evidence generation, advocacy and partnership building that can support this. It provides a platform for peer learning, policy dialogue, and cross-country collaboration.

Level: Intermediate: Participants should have a basic knowledge of nutrition interventions, food systems, or social protection programming.

Mode: Hybrid

Time: 17:00-18:15 (Nepal time) | Venue: Karnali Hall

Learning Session 2c: Research Communications

Host: Centre for Non-communicable Diseases and Nutrition, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University

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Learning objectives:

• Identify the key principles of effective research communication and explain how to adapt messages for different audiences, including policymakers, funders, and the general public.
• Apply techniques for translating complex research findings into clear, concise, and engaging language through a short written or oral exercise.
• Evaluate and refine a sample research communication product (e.g., abstract, presentation slide, or media pitch) using best practices for clarity, accuracy, and audience relevance.

No. of participants: 25-35

Target Audience: Early and mid-career researchers/academics/post graduate students interested in research and are passionate about communicating research beyond formal platforms to a wider audience. This workshop meets participants' needs by:

1) Equipping them with strategies to translate complex research into clear, audience-friendly messages.
2) Providing practical techniques to tailor communication for policymakers, funders, media, and the public.
3) Building confidence through hands-on practice in both written and oral formats.

Level: Basic or intermediate

Mode: Hybrid

Learning Session 3a: Achieving impact at scale to improve nutrition in South Asia: learnings from consumer-centric approaches

Host: International Food Policy Research Institute

▶︎ Join Zoom: https://bit.ly/Zoom_Bagmati

Learning objectives:

• Create awareness on the importance of diets and food system transformation for nutrition
  Create awareness for the value of a consumer-centric approach as an entry point for food systems transformation that could deliver better diets and nutrition.
• Showcase two distinct approaches towards better diets and nutrition. One which focuses on the whole diet through a policy pathways and market systems perspective, and the other that takes an end-to-end approach, using value chain of vegetables to influence policies in general to improve the whole diet.
• Foster interest and commitment for conference participants to engage in the food systems agenda in their country/regional contexts using their own unique viewpoints.

No. of participants: 50-75

Expected attendees: Researchers, practitioners, policymakers

Level: Intermediate

Mode: Hybrid

Time: 15:30-16:45 (Nepal time) | Venue: Koshi Hall

Learning Session 3b: Strengthening Bottom-up Evidence-Based Nutrition Planning: Community Child Profiling and Local-Level Cost Estimation Tools

Host: Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) and Max Foundation Bangladesh

▶︎ In person only – No Zoom link available

Learning objectives:

• Enable local governments and CSOs to conduct community-led child profiling for tailored nutrition services and bottom-up program planning
• Equip local actors with tools to assess individual and community-level child nutrition status using limited skills and resources.
• Strengthen evidence-based advocacy for resource mobilization and increased nutrition funding at sub-national and national levels.
• Provide local planners with a cost estimation tool to calculate the financial needs for reducing child undernutrition, identify funding gaps, and prioritize nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions.
  

No. of participants: 30-40

Expected attendees: Mid-level mangers of both government and NGOs/CSOs responsible for local level planning and implementation of nutrition programs.

Level: Intermediate (minimum understanding of program planning and budgeting/financing is preferable)

Mode: In person

Time: 15:30-16:45 (Nepal time) | Venue: Karnali Hall

Learning Session 3c: Education and nutrition: Regional implications from global analysis on interlinkages between education and nutrition

Host: M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), UNESCO

▶︎ Join Zoom: https://bit.ly/Zoom_Karnali

Learning objectives:

This side event highlights education as a critical lever for addressing over- and undernutrition, reducing food insecurity, and promoting sustainable food systems in South Asia. Anchored in the Learn to Eat Well paper—co-published by the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine—the session explores how education and nutrition reinforce one another, with education improving health literacy, food choices, and lifelong dietary practices. Drawing on global insights and country perspectives from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, the event will present evidence and actionable strategies linking school-based interventions and nutrition outcomes. By fostering dialogue among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, the session aims to strengthen understanding of the education–nutrition nexus and catalyze policy and financing commitments to scale integrated, multisectoral solutions for better learning, health, and well-being.

No. of participants: N/A

Target Audience: Academics and researchers, policymakers and government officials, NGOs and civil society organizations, nutrition and education advocates, regional and international development partners

Level: N/A

Mode: Hybrid

Time: 16:45-17:00 (Nepal time)

Room Change

Time: 17:00-17:30 (Nepal time) | Venue: Bagmati Ballroom

Conference Closing

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Closing Remarks