ADDIS ABABA – April 07, 2024 (NIPN/EPHI) - A two-and-a-half-day workshop on Theory of Change (ToC) was conducted last week with the objective of helping the National Information Platforms for Nutrition (NIPN) - Ethiopia develop a serial change for its program.
According to sources, a comprehensive review was conducted last year on all NIPN programs for nine member countries. The review called for the need to demonstrate individual program changes in order to show what they are doing.
A consultant of the workshop and Director of the Nutrition for Development (N4D), Jeremy Shoham said that after the said review of the programs of NIPN member countries, it was felt that each country needs to have own program change to show what NIPN does in that particular country. This recommendation has made the ToC workshop significant, as per Jeremy.
“Each country is different. Some countries have not progressed as fast as others. Countries that have done well, like Ethiopia and Niger, will have a lot to share with other countries,” Jeremy said.
Advisor to NIPN-Ethiopia from Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Dr. Archana Sarkar said that the ToC workshop was conducted with the objective of setting a conceptual framework on how the NIPN-Ethiopia will change nutrition landscape across the country.
“We will have conceptual outcomes, include new ones on which the country is expected to focus and contribute on humanitarian development, on monitoring of food and nutrition strategy (FNS) and the sub national roles,” Archana said.
During the ToC workshop, participants thoroughly discussed the conceptual outcomes, institutional and operational outputs, activities, and added points that enriched the framework.
Jeremy Shoham from N4D has stated that NIPN-Ethiopia is thus expected to draft its own ToC. This draft will then be reviewed and assessed by relevant parties from Global NIPN before receiving its final approval. The revised document will help people better understand the exact operations and future plans of NIPN-Ethiopia, according to him.
Jeremy praised the workshop participants for their high level of engagement, drive, and intelligence.
Dr. Archana has also commented that there was excellent participation from the attendees. “The team members were engaged. They contributed so much. I appreciate their invaluable involvement, and this is exemplary,” she said.
Having observed the progress of the workshop, Director of Food Science and Nutrition Research Directorate (FSNRD) with the EPHI, Dr. Masresha Tessema, provided feedback on the draft ToC document developed by the workshop participants.
Jeremy said that the feedback provided by the Director of FSNRD was excellent and of good value. “Dr. Masresha was positive and valued the ToC,” he said.
Dr. Archana Sarkar also said that Dr. Masresha’s contribution was very encouraging and supportive.
The ToC workshop, the first of its kind for Global NIPN, was organized by Global NIPN in coordination with GIZ. The next ToC workshop will be conducted in Niger in May 2024. Then either Kenya or Zambia will follow, as per Jeremy.
Seventeen people drawn from NIPN-Ethiopia, International Food Policy and Research Institute (IFPRI), GIZ, N4D and EPHI attended the ToC workshop conducted at the premises of EPHI. (NIPN/EPHI)
