The EASYPol Forum has opened the discussion on Defining a consistent policy measures database (23 June till 30 July 2009) for policy monitoring and impact assessment for food security and poverty.
Background
Countries are continuously taking policy decisions and implementing policies that have an effect on the production, consumption and trade. There is no comprehensive mechanism to verify the consistency and coherence of these policies or to facilitate the availability of reliable information from the concerned ministries or stakeholders on the policy decisions made.
Objectives
The primary aim of FAO is to establish a policy monitoring system to help countries track policy decisions and strengthen their capacity to avoid conflict between their policies at national, regional and international level. Policy monitoring and impact assessment for food security and poverty, as one of the strategic objectives, will be carried out collectively with other divisions including TCAS/R, who will be working directly on this monitoring system and methodology.
Policy measures database
Defining a consistent policy measures database is the first step to meet this urgent need and to carry out this mandate. The monitoring system has been created on the basis of the work already carried out by TCAS/R, GIEWS* and by the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (RLC) in 2008. The work focused mainly on monitoring policy measures taken by the governments, as an immediate response to the food security crisis. The food security and nutrition aspects have been further developed by RLC.
The database will enable a global, regional and country analysis of short, medium-long term policy measures and will allow experts to identify and follow up on specific policy issues and packages of measures.
Policy monitoring
The FAO Multi-donor Partnership Programme (FMPP) supports this policy monitoring exercise as a main policy cross cutting issue that can be addressed by the programme in the FMPP focus countries.
Pilot countries
We will work together with the FMPP focus countries: Bhutan, DR Congo, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua and Sierra Leone, to develop the methodology especially for the assessment and monitoring of policies including the use of appropriate indicators.
Forum
The discussion aims to:
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Involve policy experts at field and headquarters level
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Improve the policy monitoring matrix and the methodology
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Reach a common agreement to implement the matrix and methodology in the countries
The discussion will be followed by brain storming sessions (workshop) in mid-July for finalization and validation of results.
The definition of each policy measure is provided in the excel file (the file is also available on On-going forums page) to facilitate the monitoring process.
* Initiative on Soaring Food Prices (ISFP) www.fao.org/isfp
