CATIE and the Secretariat of Food and Nutritional Security of Guatemala strengthen knowledge on public policies

• Public officials will be trained through a course on public policies and strategies for food and nutrition security

March18, 2021. On March 16, 2021, a course on public policies and strategies for food and nutrition security was inaugurated for public officials in Guatemala, in coordination with the Secretariat of Food and Nutrition Security of the Presidency of the Republic (SESAN, its Spanish acronym) and the National Information Platform on Nutrition (PiNN, its Spanish acronym) project, which is funded by the European Union and implemented by CATE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center).

One of the objectives of the course is to strengthen capacities in monitoring and evaluation of policies and strategies related to food and nutrition security, in order to improve decision-making aimed at reducing malnutrition.

In his opening remarks, Julio López, CATIE representative in Guatemala, indicated that one of the challenges facing the country in terms of food and nutrition insecurity is to identify and analyze the most cost-effective interventions related to the reduction and prevention of chronic malnutrition, in order to improve public policies and national strategies related to this issue.

He also added that although in Guatemala there have been favorable advances in reducing food and nutrition insecurity, it is important to know the processes that have been implemented to monitor and evaluate the interventions carried out in these areas, as well as to learn about international experiences and references related to the design and definition of new indicators and tools to provide decision-makers with the necessary capacities to increase the effectiveness of public policies designed in response to these development challenges.

María Eugenia De León, secretary of SESAN, indicated that some processes and strategies are being led, such as the updating of the National Food and Nutritional Security Policy, which will allow a space for the inclusion of everything that governs this issue at the national and international level, such as the Sustainable Development Goals, the K'atun 2032 Plan and the general government policy, a process that will give the opportunity to include all actors and interventions to address the issue of nutrition and food security.

De León added that the Great Crusade for Nutrition, as a government strategy, has allowed for lines of action and strategic axes, including social and behavioral change, which is a priority issue for SESAN.

The Secretary also took the opportunity to invite the participants to continue to develop knowledge and get involved in the learning process.

Karina Barrios, deputy general director of evaluation of the National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (CONEVAL, its Spanish acronym) of Mexico, closed the event with a general presentation on the methodology they use to monitor and evaluate public policies, programs and interventions, within the framework of the law and social development policy.

Eduardo Say, PiNN project coordinator, thanked the European Union, SESAN, public institutions, CONEVAL, the CATIE Graduate School in Costa Rica and the project's technical team for their support in developing the course, as part of the teaching staff.

Finally, he thanked the participants and students of the course, who are members of the Departmental Commission for Food and Nutritional Security (CODESAN, its Spanish acronym), the Municipal Commissions for Food and Nutritional Security (COMUSAN, its Spanish acronym), the Municipal Directorates or Offices for Food and Nutritional Security, members of the Inter-Institutional Technical Liaison Committee (CTI, its Spanish acronym) and the National Council for Food and Nutritional Security (CONASAN, its Spanish acronym) for their interest and commitment to participate in knowledge management processes on public policies. 'The effects will be seen in their contributions to the process of updating Guatemala's National Food and Nutrition Security Policy,' concluded Say.

More information:

Martha María Pacay
Public Policy Advisor
PiNN Project/CATIE
martha.pacay @catie.ac.cr

Written by:

Ninoshka Lou
Communicator
PiNN Project/CATIE
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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