The purpose of the Food Security and Nutrition (FSN) tool is to understand how social assistance instruments and program can achieve a greater positive impact on FSN at country level. It aims to support national and sub-national governments and stakeholders in:

•        Identifying and understanding existing and potential elements of social assistance programmes that contribute to achieving FSN for the beneficiaries, at individual, household and community level.
•    Supporting dialogue and synergies around social assistance programmes and systems, and FSN strategies at national level.
•         Contributing to designing more responsive and adaptive social assistance programmes within a twin-track approach to FSN: (1) addressing immediate, short-term needs of those most vulnerable, and (2) building resilience and longer-term improved food and health systems.
•         Highlighting how social protection approaches could be better coordinated with other relevant sectors across different line ministries in order to contribute to a more enabling environment to achieve FSN.
•         Identifying opportunities for capacity development and technical assistance that can support countries in enhancing the synergies between social protection and FSN outcomes.
•         Contributing to the evidence base for mainstreaming FSN principles in national legal and policy frameworks for a stronger FSN articulation in social protection programmes, and thus strengthen and advocate for a rights-based approach to both social protection and FSN.