Monitoring the implementation of nutrition intervention at the local level

Implementing nutrition intervention program requires monitoring to assess the accomplishments of targets, and eventually the program's goals. The nutrition intervention strategy under the Malnutrition Reduction Program [MRP] has the components of complementary feeding among children six months to below three years old and nutrition education among mothers/caregivers. This intervention was monitored and determined the facilitating and hindering factors in implementation. A total of 32 cities/municipalities were included in the monitoring using qualitative and quantitative methods, specifically, in-depth interviews among implementers. Results showed that the implementation of the intervention strategy at the local level was primarily facilitated by the commitment of local chief executives (LCEs) who gave full support to the intervention, presence of local resolution on its adoption, and accessibility of complementary food production facility which provided the complementary food supplies for the intervention. Other facilitating factors to implementation were the presence of manpower and other resources like the active involvement of local nutrition implementers. However, the multiple workload of key implementers and with nutrition program as least priority in the local agenda were challenges in program implementation. From this monitoring study, the commitment of LCEs, consideration of nutrition as a priority program, and active participation of both implementers and participants contributed in effective program implementation.