Performance Assessment and analysis of Specialized Nutrition and Food Security Working Group in Achiveing Strategic Goals of National Nutrition and Food Security Document in Iran

Performance Assessment and analysis of Specialized Nutrition and Food Security Working Group in Achiveing Strategic Goals of National Nutrition and Food Security Document in Iran Mona Pourghaderi1, Fatemeh Mohammadi-Nasrabadi2, Behzad Damari3*, Zahra Abdollahi4, Shiva Mafimoradi5,6, Sareh Edalati7, Nasrin Omidvar8** 1Ph.D. Candidate in Food and Nutrition Policy, Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2Assistant Professor, Department of Food and Nutrition Policy and Planning Research, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 3Associate Professor, Department of Governance and Health, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 4Ph.D. of Nutritional Sciences, Nutrition Department, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran 5Ph.D. Candidate in Public Policy Making, Secretariat of Supreme Council of Health and Food Security, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran 6Ph.D. Candidate in Public Policy Making, Institute for Management and Planning Studies, Tehran, Iran 7Ph.D. Student in Food and Nutrition Policy, Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 8Professor, Department of Community Nutrition, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Abstract Introduction: Formulation of the National Nutrition and Food Security Document (NNFSD) is an important effort in the field of operationalizing Iran’s upstream food and nutrition documents. This study aimed to assess and analyze the performance of the Specialized Nutrition and Food Security Working Group in achieving strategic goals of NNFSD. Methods: Qualitative content analysis was carried out on existing documents of the Supreme Council of Health and Food Security. The executive quality of the sessions was assessed on the basis of three indicators, including existence of evidence-based reports, clear approvals, and follow-up of approvals. The main themes were presented separately for the strategic objectives in the form of three broad categories, including challenges, approaches, and related actions. The qualitative analysis of data was performed using MAXQDA software. Results: Most of the Specialized Working Group’s sessions only focused on five of the seventeen strategic goals, including decreasing the main risk factors of agricultural and food products, decreasing the amounts of salt, sugar, and fats in foods and drink, while increasing average intake of the basic items in food basket, stablishing food fortification, and increasing nutritional literacy of target groups. Of 71 sessions held, the quality of 16 sessions (22.5%) was acceptable and only 43 approvals (31.2%) out of 138 in working group’s sessions were followed up and performed. Conclusion: The need for serious and documented follow-up of approvals, improving presented reports with referring to sufficient evidence, and also more comprehensive coverage of issues and problems in the field of food and nutrition confirms the necessity of revision, strengthening performance and management of the mentioned working group. Keywords: National Nutrition and Food Security Document; Performance Assessment; Supreme Council of Health and Food Security; Iran Please cite this article as follows: Pourghaderi M, Mohammadi-Nasrabadi F, Damari B, Abdollahi Z, Mafimoradi SH, Edalati S, Omidvar N. Performance assessment and analysis of Specialized Nutrition and Food Security Working Group in achieveing strategic goals of National Nutrition and Food Security Document in Iran. Hakim Health Sys Res. 2019; 22(4): 261-272. *Corresponding Author: Department of Governance and Health, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Email: [email protected] **Corresponding Authors: No. 7, Shahid Hafezi St., Farahzadi Blvd., Shahrak Ghods, Tehran, Iran. Tel: +98-2122357484, Fax: +98-2122360660, Email: [email protected]