A substantial capacity strengthening effort is required at national and district levels to fully institutionalize and sustainably implement the priorities of the Zanzibar Food Security and Nutrition Policy and Programme. As the Royal Government of Zanzibar moves forward with Local Government Reforms and decentralization towards districts, planning and implementation of food security and nutrition priorities at local level (as mandated in the Policy) become critical for the realization of the right to food. Local level capacity needs to be strengthened by creating understanding of right to food and good governance principles among district level staff, allowing them to learn what these mean in practice and how they can be incorporated in district development plans, and annual district level budgets.

The project aimed to improve the local level political, social and institutional environment for food security and good nutrition and the realization of the right to food in Zanzibar by means of: (i) prioritizing for public actions the groups most vulnerable to food insecurity and malnutrition through solid understanding of food insecurity and malnutrition problems within the districts; (ii) more effective district level planning, management and monitoring of FSN interventions by applying right to food approaches and good governance principles; and (iii) a strong partnership between shehias and vulnerable population groups for the purpose of planning, implementing and monitoring community projects and the delivery of public services.