Food Security Policies – Formulation and Implementation
Policy Formulation and Implementation
Screen 1 of 21
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Relate Food Security Policies (FSPs) to a framework for
action to combat hunger and alleviate food insecurity in a
country;
• Explain FSPs as link between food security information
and actions aimed at improving the food security situation;
and
• Describe the sequence of steps to be performed in the
process of FSP formulation and implementation.
Food Security Policies – Formulation and Implementation
Policy Formulation and Implementation
Screen 2 of 21
INTRODUCTION
Which are the steps of the policy
formulation and implementation
process?
What are the activities to be
performed in the various steps?
Who are the major stakeholders
involved in the process?
Food Security Policies – Formulation and Implementation
Policy Formulation and Implementation
Screen 3 of 21
RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS
Government Departments and
Organizations
Civil Society Organizations
Non-Governmental Organizations
UN and donor agencies
Food Security Policies – Formulation and Implementation
Policy Formulation and Implementation
Screen 4 of 21
THE CYCLE OF POLICY FORMULATION AND IMPLEMENTATION
Initiation of policy process
Awareness of policy makers of
policy issues to be addressed
POLICY
FORMULATION
• Diagnosis
• Objectives
• Stakeholders
• Selection of measures &
instruments
Feedback
POLICY
IMPLEMENTATION
• Actors and their roles
• Regulations & procedures
• Programmes & projects
Adjustments in policy
implementation
Feedback
MONITORING & EVALUATON
of policy implementation,
outcomes & impacts on FS
Food Security Policies – Formulation and Implementation
Policy Formulation and Implementation
Screen 5 of 21
THE CYCLE OF POLICY FORMULATION AND IMPLEMENTATION
At all stages, the process of policy formulation and implementation
depends on close interaction with the generation, analysis and
presentation of relevant food security information, e.g.:
• Data and info on acute critical problems of food insecurity.
• Food security data and info.
• Continuous monitoring of FS data and info during policy
implementation.
• If the M & E reveals diversions of the data, the information
is fed back into the policy cycle.
Food Security Policies – Formulation and Implementation
Policy Formulation and Implementation
Screen 6 of 21
THE CYCLE OF POLICY FORMULATION AND IMPLEMENTATION
The subsequent steps of the policy formulation and implementation
process.
STEP 1 - Initiation of policy process
STEP 2 - Policy Formulation
STEP 3 - Policy Implementation
STEP 4 - Monitoring and Evaluation
Food Security Policies – Formulation and Implementation
Policy Formulation and Implementation
Screen 7 of 21
INITIATION OF THE PROCESS OF PREPARING FSPs
Initiation of policy process
There are a variety of reasons for governments to take
the initiative for developing food security policies, e.g.:
Awareness of a precarious food security situation.
Pressure on the government.
Needs to change the conditions affecting the food
security situation.
Pursuit of food security objectives as part of the
national programme.
Food Security Policies – Formulation and Implementation
Policy Formulation and Implementation
Screen 8 of 21
POLICY FORMULATION
Policy Formulation
Policy formulation is an iterative process, comprising
various sub-steps and involving all relevant stakeholders.
Stakeholders participation ensures that the policy is
realistic, feasible, widely accepted and supported, and
that can be effectively implemented.
The final outcome of this phase is/are policy document/s,
setting-out the FS objectives, priorities, and an outline of
the policy measures to be taken to achieve the objectives.
Food Security Policies – Formulation and Implementation
Policy Formulation and Implementation
Screen 9 of 21
POLICY FORMULATION
Policy Formulation
The cross-sectoral nature of FS
and FSPs comprises aspects of:
• food availability;
• access to food;
• stability; and
• utilization.
Because of the cross-sectoral nature of FS and FSPs, an
high number of stakeholders from different sectors is
involved in policy formulation and implementation.
Food Security Policies – Formulation and Implementation
Policy Formulation and Implementation
Screen 10 of 21
POLICY FORMULATION
Policy Formulation
There are two options for preparing FSP document(s), and
each of these options has advantages and disadvantages:
Option
Advantages
Disadvantages
Integration of
FSP concerns
into overall and
sectoral
policies
Ensures integration
of food security
concerns in other
relevant sector
policies.
Risk of conceptual
ambiguities and
inconsistencies in the
pursuance of food security
objectives in the different
sectors.
Preparation of
a specific Food
Security Policy
document
Policy document
provides consistent
framework of FS
objectives and
policy measures.
Sector ministries
feel less committed to
make their contribution to
policy formulation and
implementation.
Food Security Policies – Formulation and Implementation
Policy Formulation and Implementation
Screen 11 of 21
POLICY FORMULATION SUB-PHASES
Policy Formulation
PHASE 1
Establishment of a task
force for FSP formulation
PHASE 2
Diagnosis of the
food security situation
PHASE 3
Policy drafting
PHASE 4
Validation
Food Security Policies – Formulation and Implementation
Policy Formulation and Implementation
Screen 12 of 21
POLICY FORMULATION SUB-PHASES
PHASE 1- Establishment of a task force for FSP formulation
The task force should be composed of representatives of
key stakeholders
It may be advisable to form
sub-teams for food security
formulation to deal with
specific food security issues.
Representatives of the ministries
mandated with these issues need
to be represented in the sub-teams.
Food Security Policies – Formulation and Implementation
Policy Formulation and Implementation
Screen 13 of 21
POLICY FORMULATION SUB-PHASES
PHASE 2- Diagnosis of the food security situation
During the diagnostic phase, the following tasks are to be
performed:
• Collecting and analysing relevant FS data and information;
• Reviewing existing policies;
• Stocktaking of existing initiatives;
• Consulting relevant governmental organizations and
NGOs.
During this phase, a first round of FSP formulation workshops
should be conducted at central and decentralized levels.
Food Security Policies – Formulation and Implementation
Policy Formulation and Implementation
Screen 14 of 21
POLICY FORMULATION SUB-PHASES
PHASE 3- Policy drafting
In this phase a first draft of the FSP document(s) will be
produced by the task force.
The document needs to set
out the objectives to be
achieved, and to address all
relevant food security issues
related to access, availability,
stability and utilization where
action is required.
Food Security Policies – Formulation and Implementation
Policy Formulation and Implementation
Screen 15 of 21
POLICY IMPLEMENTATION
PHASE 4 - Validation
The first draft policy document it will be circulated to all
relevant stakeholders for review and comments.
A second-round stakeholder workshop for discussing
the first draft policy document(s) should be conducted.
On the basis of the feed back on the first draft, the task
force will prepare a revised second draft policy document.
This second draft will be presented to the high-level policy
decision makers (Prime Minister, Cabinet, Parliament) who
will have to endorse the FSP.
Food Security Policies – Formulation and Implementation
Policy Formulation and Implementation
Screen 16 of 21
POLICY IMPLEMENTATION
Policy Implementation
On the basis of the measures and priorities defined in the
document, a Strategic Plan of Action for implementing
the policy measures will have to be formulated.
Types of Policy measures:
1. Regulatory type - Rules, regulations and procedures
to be set by public authorities and applied in policy
implementation.
2. Programme type - Policy measures which are
implemented through programme and project type
approaches by government or non-governmental actors.
Food Security Policies – Formulation and Implementation
Policy Formulation and Implementation
Screen 17 of 21
POLICY IMPLEMENTATION
Policy Implementation
Sometimes there is a combination of the regulatory and
programme types of policy measures.
Examples of combination of regulatory and programme measures
• When minimum subsistence levels are established as a
legal right of each citizen, there must be a programme to
put this right into practice.
• If, in order to keep food prices low, food price and/or
consumer subsidy regulations are introduced, there needs
to be a programme to put these regulations in to practice.
• A programme for sustainable resource management may
only be effective if a land reform or new land use
regulations are enacted.
Food Security Policies – Formulation and Implementation
Policy Formulation and Implementation
Screen 18 of 21
POLICY IMPLEMENTATION
Policy Implementation
Example for the structure and contents of the project outlines:
Item
Contents
Title
Subjects and strategy of
intervention
Objectives
Subject of policy measure (with reference to policy measure)
Target group(s)
Direct and ultimate beneficiaries
Indicators for measuring project/ programme progress and
achievements
Actors involved in implementation and their roles
Overall planned project / programme duration, phases of
implementation
Investment and operational costs.
Planned / confirmed / envisaged / possible sources of funding,
co-financing arrangements
Including preconditions for successful project / programme
implementation yet to be established (e.g. necessary studies to
be conducted, laws and regulations to be released, human
capacity building)
Indicators
Institutional
responsibilities
Time frame
Costs
Funding
Assumptions and risks
Brief description of planned intervention
Specific food security objectives to be achieved, planned results
Food Security Policies – Formulation and Implementation
Policy Formulation and Implementation
Screen 19 of 21
MONITORING AND EVALUATION
Monitoring and Evaluation (M & E)
The (M & E) system serves various important functions:
• To provide the government and other stakeholders with
up-to-date information on the state of implementation of
the FSP.
• To assess whether the implementation of the policy is on
track towards attaining the planned objectives.
• To identify any flaws in the design or implementation of
the policy that need to be corrected to ensure effective
policy implementation.
• To make proposals for respective policy adjustments.
Food Security Policies – Formulation and Implementation
Policy Formulation and Implementation
Screen 20 of 21
MONITORING AND EVALUATION
Monitoring and Evaluation (M & E)
The establishment of an M & E System for the FSP should be guided
by the following principles:
• M & E should be performed at all levels of policy implementation
and by the different stakeholders.
• Monitoring activities by different organizations need to be
harmonized.
• Monitoring should be performed at all levels of policy
implementation.
• A central M & E unit is responsible for the compilation and analysis
of the M & E results of all food security-related interventions.
• At certain time intervals, comprehensive evaluations of the
progress in implementation and achievements of the FSP will need
to be conducted.
Food Security Policies – Formulation and Implementation
Policy Formulation and Implementation
Screen 21 of 21
SUMMARY
The policy formulation and implementation process involves a high number of
stakeholders (all governmental and NGOs institutions, organizations and groups
that are affected by a policy or that play a role during policy formulation,
implementation or monitoring).
The policy formulation and implementation process comprises four typical and
interlinked steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Initiation of policy process;
Policy Formulation;
Policy Implementation; and
Policy Monitoring & Evaluation.
Ideally the Policy Formulation step is structured in the following four sub-phases:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Establishment of a task force for food security policy formulation;
Diagnosis of the food security situation;
Policy drafting; and
Policy validation.