National Food Policy Plan of Action
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To provide programmatic guidance in implementing the National Food Policy, the Government formulated the National Food Policy Plan of Action (PoA). The Plan identifies 26 strategic areas of intervention and priority actions that cover all dimensions of food security. The Plan, which is in line with the Millennium Development Goals, stretches over the period 2008-2015. |
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Twin-Track Approach
The Plan of Action adopts a twin-track approach to hunger reduction. Apart from providing immediate access to food to the most vulnerable households through targeted cash and food transfers, the Plan also includes actions aimed at developing production capacity, income generation and nutrition through investments and accompanying policy measures. The Plan of Action is a dynamic document that is adjusted based on the results of monitoring activities, the experiences gained in the process of its implementation as well as possible changes in the key factors impacting on the development prospects of Bangladesh.
Focus on coordination
To facilitate implementation and monitoring, the Plan of Action also identifies responsible actors (government and non-government) and suggests a set of policy targets and indicators to monitor progress. The document provides a set of guidelines regarding inter-ministerial coordination, sectoral planning and budgeting and includes an outline of the strategy for monitoring progress. Special care was given to align the Plan of Action with Bangladesh’s overall development strategy, thus making it a suitable instrument to align donors’ interventions with government priorities. The Plan establishes collaborative relationships with other monitoring initiatives and sources of information related to food security, especially those linked to the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, the Five-Year Plan and the Millennium Development Goals.
Inter-Ministerial Collaboration
The Plan of Action was drafted based on extensive and iterative consultations with representatives of 12 Government agencies, including selected regional and local representatives, as well as non-government experts and practitioners. As mandated by the National Food Policy, the cabinet-level Food Planning and Monitoring Committee provided overall leadership and oversight to the formulation process. To facilitate cross-sectoral participation in the formulation of the Plan of Action, the government created a Food Policy Working Group. Under the guidance of the Working Group the Food Planning and Monitoring Unit organised consultations around Thematic Teams, each representing a specific dimension of food security. The National Food Policy Capacity Strengthening Programme supported the whole process by providing technical advice, facilitating consultations and financing the costs of the formulation process.
Monitoring
The year 2009 marked the first year of implementation of the Plan. Progress is being monitored by the Food Planning and Monitoring Unit, the Food Policy Working Group, and its Thematic Teams. The monitoring report identifies areas in which progress has been made and where further action is needed. Input and action level monitoring is carried-out by specialised agencies of the Government of Bangladesh, particularly the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division of the Ministry of Planning.
- Click here to download the National Food Policy Plan of Action
- Click here to download the first Monitoring Report of the National Food Policy Plan of Action
