screen 1 of 29 unit: food security information systems and networks lesson 3: improving food...
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this lesson you will be able to:
identify the steps needed to assess different information systems concerned with food security analysis, in terms of their relevance and performance; and
understand how to take advantage of identified strengths and how to address weaknesses in the food security information systems (FSIS).
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
INTRODUCTION
Decision makers need access to reliable and up-to-date information on the overall food security situation.
This lesson will help you to assess key aspects of the different information systems concerned with food security analysis.
It also presents a ‘process’, which can be adapted to take into account the country specific context.
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
PLANNING THE ASSESSMENT
Information needs are continually changing:
the depth of information needs has increased. (There is more awareness of the linkages between nutrition, food security and livelihoods).
The need to understand the dynamic aspects of food security has also increased.
The assessment process needs to examine the links between the provision of information and its use.
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
PLANNING THE ASSESSMENT
Now it is also important to understand:
the institutional context and capacities within which information systems or networks operate;
the relationship between information generation and action.
INFORMATIONGENERATION
In the past, the major focus of the development of Food Security Information Systems has been on the technical aspects of information systems.
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
PLANNING THE ASSESSMENT
In order to understand the relation between information generation and action, an assessment should also explain:INFORMATION
GENERATION
The decision making processes around food security actions
Who the key stakeholders and decision makers are
If and how information is used for making those decisions
To what extent the information provided is demand-driven, which is an essential aspect for the sustainability of the FSIS.
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
PLANNING THE ASSESSMENT
Are in-country food security information systems efficient, effective and relevant to changing circumstances?
The assessment process should answer important questions such as:
Do they meet information needs?
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
PLANNING THE ASSESSMENT
1) Assessing the demand for food security information
3) Comparing demand and supply to identify limitations, overlaps and gaps
2) Assessing the existing supply of food security information
4) Assessing the institutional environment
5) Developing a strategy to strengthen the food security information systems
Steps in this assessment process are:
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
PLANNING THE ASSESSMENT
Example.
The creation of a team to assess the national food security information systems leading to the definition of a strategy and operational work plan at country level.
This action plan should:• focus on the key strengths and opportunities in the existing systems that need to be protected and promoted, and• prioritize the key weaknesses and constraints that need to be addressed.
Who should be invited to participate in the team?
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
PLANNING THE ASSESSMENT
The assessment will provide.
a common vision for the future orientation and policy linkages of the information network;
options for coordination mechanisms.
This should lead to a consensus on:
how to improve the quality of information; and
how information can be better used. (to guide the actions most relevant to different country contexts).
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
ASSESSING THE DEMAND
STEP 1: Assessing the demand for food security information
Example: droughts and poverty – short term versus long term concernsNote: Different food security interventions may be needed in countries where food insecurity is primarily the consequence of recurrent shocks (such as drought) as opposed to countries where chronic poverty is a primary cause of hunger.Different types of food security information will be needed to support decisions on interventions.
Starting point: an analysis of the national food security situation.
By reviewing the incidence, nature and causes of food insecurity and vulnerability, you should understand the priorities for food security policy and programme formulation.
You should then identify the related information needs.
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
ASSESSING THE DEMAND
Different stakeholders may interpret and see food insecurity differently..
The needs expressed by the stakeholders highlight different food insecurity concerns.
It is necessary to establish a consensus that accommodates all valid perspectives.
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
ASSESSING THE DEMAND
The analysis of the national food security situation should help to identify key areas of concern, where food security interventions may be needed.
The assessment team must now determine:
who the key actors in responding to the food security situation are; and
what their primary information needs as users of the food security information system might be.
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
ASSESSING THE DEMAND
For more information, please see the Annex “Stakeholder analysis”. It can help to identify and rank the main user groups.
• Policy makers & their advisers in government• Government officials, parliamentarians and their technical
staff at the national/sub-national level• Local government authorities• Civil society• The donor community• Mass Media• Researchers • Training institutions• Private sector
Who are the primary users of a food security information system?
The demand for information comes from a diverse group of stakeholders:
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
ASSESSING THE DEMAND
The team will then need to identify and prioritize the major types of information that these user groups require.
Information priorities for different user groups
User groups Information priorities & frequency
How adequate and accessible is current information
Primary Users e.g. Policy makers
Secondary Groupe.g. Mass Media
Tertiary Group e.g. Civil Society
The information captured during the discussion can be presented in a table:
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
ASSESSING THE SUPPLY
You need to assess:
quality, timing, and format
in which food security information is made available in the country.
STEP 2: Assessing the existing supply of food security information
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
ASSESSING THE SUPPLY
Make a general inventory of existing food security data and information.
In fact, each country will have different types of information systems, generating different information products, which need to be described.
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
ASSESSING THE SUPPLY
For each of the providers of food security-related data and information identified, the following assessment criteria should be covered:
Purpose for which data and information is collected or analyzed
Coverage and level of disaggregation
Types of data collected
Periodicity and coverage of data collection
Data management procedures
Information products
Means of communication
Main users
Financing arrangements
Strengths and weaknesses
Please see Annex “Data Sheet”, to look at an example on how to record this information.
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
COMPARING INFORMATION DEMAND WITH SUPPLY
The assessment team should analyze the information produced against the articulated users’ information needs. This analysis should answer the following key questions:
STEP 3: Comparing demand and supply to identify limitations, overlaps and gaps.
Is data/information missing and/or overlapping?
What are the limitations of the information supplied to the users?
Is the data/information appropriate to the users’ needs?
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
User-Producer Matrix
Name of information system
Output generated
What are the user groups’ information needs?
Is it appropriate to the users’ needs?
Identified Information systeme.g. Nutrition
Identified Information systeme.g. Health
A matrix can bring together the results of the demand side analysis with the supply side analysis:
COMPARING INFORMATION DEMAND WITH SUPPLY
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
ASSESSING THE INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT
The team looks at institutional roles and responsibilities. An analysis of the institutional environment should consider:
STEP 4: Assessing the institutional environment
The institutional mandates
Mechanisms for Information sharing
The degree of integrated analysis among institutions
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
ASSESSING THE INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT
An assessment of institutional mandates and inter-institutional linkages will reveal gaps and/or duplication in roles and activities.
Please see Annex “Institutional Mechanisms and Mandates ”, for a checklist of questions can help you analyze institutional mandates and inter-institutional linkages.
Which institutions have a mandate for food security policy development and implementation of food security activities?
Is there is an institution that has the mandate to serve as the focal point for food security activities?
Is inter-sectoral work seen to add value to the work of individual institutions?
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
Given the cross-sectoral nature of food security issues, information should be shared among institutions for integrated food security analysis.
ASSESSING THE INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT
Mechanisms for Information sharing
Please see Annex “Information sharing among institutions and organizations ”, for a checklist of questions can help you analyze the degree of information sharing and the constraints to improved cooperation.
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
Even if there is a culture of information sharing, there is still a requirement to provide an integrated analysis.
ASSESSING THE INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT
Integrated analysis
Please see Annex “Integrated analysis for food security information ”, for a checklist of questions can help you assess the current arrangements for joint analysis and identify opportunities for improving this collaboration.
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
DEVELOPING A STRATEGY
All the previous steps in the process should provide the basic material to develop a strategy to strengthen national food security information systems.
STEP 5: Developing a strategy to strengthen food security information systems
Please see Annex “SWOC analysis ”, for more information.
One useful tool for synthesizing the evidence gathered and drawing out recommendations is to conduct a SWOC analysis.
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
Recurrent themes from assessments in many countries have been identified. These include:
Institutional constraintsInstitutional constraints
Technical constraintsTechnical constraints
Financial constraintsFinancial constraints
Lack of political commitmentLack of political commitment
Examples of possible activities might include:
•Institutional changes to achieve greater integration within and across sectors and ministries•Initiatives in the areas of data collections & management•Use of new technology •Human capacity building•Investments in new equipment and software
DEVELOPING A STRATEGY
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
The successful implementation of such a strategy for strengthening food security information systems is highly dependent on
the commitment of key political decision-makers to provide adequate and continued support.
DEVELOPING A STRATEGY
Key components of a strategy to strengthen FSIS include defining:
• A priority set of data and information outputs, coverage, and periodicity
• An institutional framework and coordination mechanisms
• An action plan, budget and identification of available resources
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
EXAMPLES OF FSIS ASSESSMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
A typical assessment report might include the following sections:
Background and introduction
Summary of situation analysis of food security and vulnerability concerns
Users’ information needs
Institutional mandates for food security and vulnerability information
Inventory of stakeholders: information producers and users
Priority gaps and weaknesses in meeting priority information needs
You may look at examples from Lesotho, Samoa, Fiji (pdf documents) to see how food security information systems have been analyzed, and the type of recommendations that have been made.
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
SUMMARY
An assessment of a food security information system should start by analyzing the overall food security situation in the country and identifying the range of stakeholders with the power and interest to improve food security.
You need to examine what data and information these users need to support their decision making.
Next you should make an inventory of data and information provided by existing information systems, assessing quality, timing and format.
A comparison of the users’ information needs with the supply of data and information will identify gaps, overlaps and redundancies.
You should also consider institutional mandates and inter-institutional linkages, and the opportunities for integrated analysis.
This assessment should then form the basis for developing a strategy to strengthen the food security information systems and/or networks.
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Unit: Food Security Information Systems and Networks Lesson 3: Improving Food Security Information Systems
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE...
Suggested references:
McEwan, M (2003) Assessing National Information Systems: Analysis for Action. FIVIMS, FAO, Rome.
FIVIMS Guidelines: To conduct an assessment of a national FIVIMS leading to the definition of a strategy and operational work plan, FAO, Rome 2003.
FAO. 2001. Handbook for defining and setting up a Food Security Information and Early Warning System (FSIEWS). FAO Agricultural Policy and Economic Development Series. FAO-UN.
FIVIMS, 2000. Guidelines for National FIVIMS. Background and principles. IAWG-FIVIMS. FAO-UN.
FAO (2005) Formulation of a National FIVIMS Strategy. End of Workshop Report. Matautu-uta, Apia, Samoa, 30 September – 4 October 2002.