I thank you for this opportunity to take part in this eConsultation. First, I want to draw your attention to the recent EU financed study by FOODSECURE project on food and nutrition security (FNS) governance. Please follow this link for the study which, I think might provide important inputs for the design of the proposed study. (http://www3.lei.wur.nl/FoodSecurePublications/WP34_GoverningFNS.pdf)
I believe the proposed draft scope of the HLPE report is good and address a wide range of issues relevant to MSPs, views and values existing stakeholders attached to the concept of MSPs - both from their theoretical perspectives and field experiences –, however, should get greater attention. Then, the study should expand its scope from ‘as much for what it prevents/facilitates MSPs to happen, weaken or sustain, as for what it actually does/doesn’t and under what conditions and forms. All these indicate that the methodology to collect information and insights should combine literature review and field interviews/case studies/ with various stakeholders intervening in the policy and implementation process (i.e. government officers, NGOs, donors, experts, civil society representatives, etc.). Any case study, however, should target cases (countries or institutions) that are carefully selected to address key research questions that could not be answered by other methods like review of literatures. It is also important to put adequate attention to have good samples in a sense that any interviews/case studies or literature review should include countries that found at different stages concerning MSPs, their food and nutrition security (FNS) status, and/or the approach they followed to tackle their FNS problem.
Under many circumstances, food and nutrition security are different both in their concept as well as implementation and financing them both by respective countries and donors. Any study on the challenge of multi- or intersectoral collaboration should, therefore, internalize such differences both at its initial/methodology and review/stages as well as actual conduct and recommendation stages of the proposed study.
The study should also leverage economic, political and institutional arguments/controversies about MSPs in general and to get both assessed and voluntary/potential contributions up or opportunities for the implementation of the MSPs as indicated in the framework of the 2030 Agenda.
Samuel Gebreselassie