Afikepo Nutrition Advocacy Project Final Evaluation Survey Report

This report presents the findings of an evaluation study for the AFIKEPO advocacy project implemented by Save the Children and CISANET with funding from EU. An independent consulting firm, GIC led the exercise with support from Save the Children. Data was collected from 28th October to 18th November 2022.

Methodologically the survey employed various study tools to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. Key informant interviews, field visits and desk review were mainly used to collect the data for the study. The combination of different methods helped to triangulate data and more importantly increased the robustness, confidence and validity of the findings. The data was analysed using content analysis. The survey results revealed the following findings in line with the goal and outcome of the project:

• The national nutrition budget has sharply risen from 0.5% (2016/17FY) to 3.7% in 2020/21FY. At district level, they ranged from 0.2% to 1.6%, with only one district, in one financial year, exceeding the 1.5% target for district level nutrition budget allocations. However, this was below the recommended rate of 5% (IFPRI, 2022).
• Over 90% of the regulatory frameworks and policies integrate nutrition as priority area and are particularly implemented in the Ministries of Health/DNHA, Agriculture, Gender and Education. The policies and regulatory frameworks are challenged by limited financial and human resources
• At least 600 key members of parliament and other national stakeholders were
  reportedly active in the previous engagements on nutrition advocacy.
• The district budgetary allocation to nutrition programs doubled from 1.2% (Baseline, 2018) to 2.7% (2022) In turn 40% of the districts managed to meet the recommended 1.5% of the national budget allocation for nutrition activities an improvement from 10% recorded during baseline (2018).
• 100% of the districts had reportedly done budget analysis to track nutrition programs. This was an improvement from 20% recorded during baseline (2018).

It is evident that Save the Children and CISANET have made commendable strides and set a pace for increased nutrition programmes at national and district levels. Department of Nutrition, HIV and AIDs (DNHA) may need to take over and undertake renewed effort for increased budget allocation to nutrition programmes in Malawi.

CISANET and CSONA are advised to keep their partnership live and continue collaborating with other relevant stakeholders to drum up support for meaningful nutrition budgetary allocations, enactment of Food and Nutrition Bill and effective implementation of nutrition related policies. Efforts should also be made to lobby the Ministry of Finance to adhere to the disbursement plans for districts to undertake nutrition programmes on time.