USAID Advancing Nutrition Tanzania has been working with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and Tanzania Food and Nutrition Center (TFNC) to provide technical support and strengthen coordination of stakeholders for multi-sectoral nutrition including ensuring planning and budgeting of nutrition-sensitive activities among government entities. Using a capacity strengthening approach, the project has assisted the PMO and TFNC in developing tools and strategies such as the second National Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Action Plan (NMNAP II), Resources Mobilization Strategy (RMS) and Planning and Budgeting Guidelines for Nutrition Sensitive Sectors.
From the outset, we have maintained a strong focus on sustainability, placing policy development, implementation and financing for nutrition at the center of our work. With the new NMNAP II and its accompanying RMS, USAID Advancing Nutrition continues to support a variety of technical meetings to assist both the PMO and TFNC in ensuring quality implementation of NMNAP II. For example, we are helping the PMO conduct quarterly meetings of the nutrition-sensitive intervention technical working group. These meetings are designed to ensure both the quality and appropriateness of interventions as well as the accountability of key stakeholders in upholding commitments outlined in the action plan. Additionally, USAID Advancing Nutrition helps TFNC conduct an annual assessment of the RMS, which is an important exercise to highlight progress on nutrition expenditure for NMNAP II by ministries, departments, and agencies.
In its final project year, USAID Advancing Nutrition provided strategic support to the PMO and TFNC to ensure quality implementation of NMNAP II, with a specific focus on nutrition-sensitive sectors. Participating ministries, departments and agencies in the NMNAP II include: President Office Regional Administration and Local Government, Prime Ministers Office, Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre, Ministry of Finance and Planning, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Ministry of Industry and Trade. Others include the Ministry of Water, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Community Development and Ministry of Health.