In Bangladesh, a Government Partnership Reflects Policy LINK’s Adaptive Journey
To solidify their commitment to collaboration and shared objectives, the Policy Activity signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Bangladesh National Nutrition Council on May 24, 2023.
By Saeqah Kabir and Ali Iqbal Murshed
Facilitating collaboration among key system actors and institutions to influence policy processes is a complex endeavor, in which adaptability is a crucial trait for success. The ability to learn from past experiences, pivot when necessary, and take adaptive measures quickly is what separates effective policy interventions from the rest. The Feed the Future Bangladesh Policy LINK Agricultural Policy Activity, a USAID-funded project, has embarked on such a journey, drawing valuable insights from its nearly three years of operation in Bangladesh's agriculture and food security space.
The Policy Activity realized that nutrition policies and regulations could only be affected by leveraging an influential agency within the government's ecosystem.
One of the major lessons during this period was that the nutrition sector in Bangladesh is overcrowded with public and development stakeholders, each operating within highly complex power dynamics. The Policy Activity approach to date has been to seek influential coalitions, particularly in the form of non-state actors like private businesses and associations, to support their foundational capacities to drive collective policy action. Guided by the assumption that government entities were heavily constrained by bureaucracy that would delay progress, the Policy Activity attempted to replicate the same approach that had previously yielded positive results in other policy domains. However, this proved to be a misstep, as the team struggled for some time before realizing that nutrition policies and regulations could only be affected by leveraging an influential agency within the government's ecosystem.
This was, in major part, since the nonprofit organizations and their associations involved in the sector lacked necessary clout to engage in the policymaking process. Although nutrition related interventions were first spearheaded by various international nonprofits, most of the tools, methods as well as skills were later adopted by the government in a bid to ensure sustainability and scaling of outcomes. This led to the restructuring and birth of several agencies and wings under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) to take charge of planning, coordination, and oversight of interventions, while the nonprofits were relegated to supporting them in the implementation process.
Memorandum of Understanding
This revelation led the Policy Activity team to the Bangladesh National Nutrition Council (BNNC), the apex Government of Bangladesh (GoB) body for policy coordination, advocacy, and multi-sectoral governance for nutrition. To solidify their commitment to collaboration and shared objectives, the Policy Activity signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the BNNC. The MoU, signed on May 24, 2023, between the Director General of BNNC, and the Country Lead of the Policy Activity, established a formal partnership that would drive joint efforts toward improving nutrition outcomes in Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh National Nutrition Council plays a pivotal role in implementing the Second National Plan of Action for Nutrition.
The BNNC plays a pivotal role in implementing the Second National Plan of Action for Nutrition (NPAN2), which is in implementation from 2016 till 2025 and seeks to operationalize the sub-strategies from the National Nutrition Policy 2015 by specifying prioritized areas and activities to achieve nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive outcomes. It coordinates with 22 GoB ministries and departments, development partners, UN agencies, international NGOs, civil society, and media to advocate for and oversee multi-sectoral nutrition initiatives. By forging a partnership with the BNNC, the Policy Activity gained a strategic entry point to collaborate with key stakeholders and effect meaningful change.
Improving Nutritional Outcomes
Addressing undernutrition remains a significant and complex challenge for Bangladesh despite the GoB's strong commitment to tackling this issue. Alarming statistics reveal that 24 percent of children under the age of five are stunted, while 22 percent are underweight, and 11 percent are wasted (defined as low weight-for-height). To contribute to Bangladesh's efforts in improving its nutrition outcomes and strengthening the overall nutrition policy system, the Policy Activity has identified specific areas of collaboration with the BNNC.
Alarming statistics reveal that 24 percent of children under the age of five in Bangladesh are stunted, while 22 percent are underweight and 11 percent are wasted (defined as low weight-for-height).
First, the partnership aims to uphold Bangladesh's commitment to improving the nutritional status of its over 160 million citizens by aligning policies and initiatives with national priorities. Second, it seeks to improve interagency coordination for nutrition policy review, dissemination, and practice, recognizing that effective collaboration across sectors is essential for sustainable progress. Additionally, the Policy Activity and BNNC will collaborate on advocacy campaigns, such as the Nutrition for Growth and National Nutrition Summit, amplifying the message and urgency of nutrition issues. Lastly, they will co-facilitate events such as policy dialogues, roundtables, and seminars to share learning and foster collaborative action on national nutrition issues.
The collaboration between the Policy Activity and BNNC is already underway. The Policy Activity actively participates in BNNC's review of the NPAN2, ensuring alignment with their shared goals and staying informed about emerging nutrition priorities. Another opportunity for collaboration is on the Bangladesh Nutrition for Growth (N4G) action plan—a global nutrition campaign to which the GoB has committed and which drives greater action toward ending malnutrition.
A Commitment to Learning
By reflecting on past experiences, the Policy Activity's adaptive journey showcases its commitment to learning and pivoting when necessary. With the BNNC partnership established and gaining momentum, the team is much more confident now in designing initiatives with government stakeholders in mind and engaging them wherever the opportunity presents itself. Looking ahead, the Policy Activity intends to remain agile in its facilitative approach and continue building relationships with system actors that have the willingness and capabilities to move the needle, whether that is a private sector-led coalition or a government agency, across multiple other policy domains as deemed necessary for the sake of sustainable outcomes.