Capacity-Building and Oversight on Nutrition Policy (BR0103)

Commitment 4: Implement training actions for public officials and civil society, in order to increase the recognition of the Human Right to Adequate Food as well as to strengthen public oversight towards the Food and Nutrition Security Policy.
Lead government institution Ministry of Social Development - MDS
Civil servant in charge for implementing at lead government institution Elcio de Souza Magalhães
Position - Department General Coordinator for the Department of integration of Public Agri-food Systems - DEISP
E-mail elcio.magalhaes@mds.gov.br
Telephone (61) 2030-1161
Other involved actors Government Ministry of Social Development - MDS
State Department of Science, Technology and Social Development from Rio de Janeiro
Ministry of Transparency and Comptroller General of Brazil – CGU
National School of Public Administration - ENAP
Presidents Commission of State CONSEAS
Civil Society National Council for Food and Nutrition Security
Federal University of Santa Catarina - UFSC
Status quo or problem/issue to be addressed Difficulties faced by managers and civil society to work the nutrition security issue as well as to materialize it on intersectoral actions
Main objective Increase the participation and public oversight over the Nutrition Security Policy
Commitment short description The commitment intends to increase the participation and public oversight over the Nutrition Security Policy by state’s support (CAISANS and State CONSEAS) for the construction and monitoring process of Food and Nutrition Security Plans at local levels.
OGP Challenge addressed by the Commitment Support civic participation
Commitment relevance Increase knowledge of the public administrators about Human Right to Adequate Food (DHAA) as well as a greater incidence of civil society on the planning of the SAN Policy
Ambição Promote a greater orientation of the Food and Nutrition Security (SAN) plans to the society demands.
Situation Initiated in October 2018
Results description Not available
Implemented until July/2020

Verifiable and measurable milestones to fulfill the Commitment Start date: End date: Responsible:
Mapping of existing distance learning actions in execution
10/01/2018
12/31/2018 MDS*
CONSEAS
Construction of a converging agenda for qualifications on Food and Nutrition Security (SAN) and Human Right to Adequate Food (DHAA)

03/01/2019

06/30/2019

CONSEA*
MDS
CONSEAS
Execution of two rounds of state seminars about public oversight over Food and Nutrition Security (SAN)

03/01/2019

07/31/2020
CGU*
MDS
CONSEA
Offer 3 distance learning courses over Food and Nutrition Security (SAN) and Human Right to Adequate Food (DHAA)

12/01/2018

12/31/2018
MDS*
ENAP
CONSEA
Availability of courses on a virtual platform
12/01/2018
07/31/2020 ENAP*
MDS
Inclusion of subjects about Food and Nutrition Security (SAN) and Human Right to Adequate Food (DHAA) on courses provided by ENAP

03/01/2019

07/31/2020

ENAP*
MDS
CONSEA

Design Report

4. Strengthening Public Oversight over the Food and Nutrition Security National Plan – PLANSAN

Language of the commitment as it appears in the action plan:

“Increase the participation and public oversight over the Nutrition Security Policy.”

4.1. Mapping of existing distance learning actions in execution

4.2. Construction of a converging agenda for qualifications on Food and Nutrition Security (SAN) and Human Right to Adequate Food (DHAA)

4.3. Execution of two rounds of state seminars about public oversight over Food and Nutrition Security (SAN)

4.4. Offer 3 distance learning courses over Food and Nutrition Security (SAN) and Human Right to Adequate Food (DHAA)

4.5. Availability of courses on a virtual platform

4.6. Inclusion of subjects about Food and Nutrition Security (SAN) and Human Right to Adequate Food (DHAA) on courses provided by ENAP

Start Date: January 2018                                                                           End Date: July 2020

Editorial note: to see the complete text, visit https://www.opengovpartnership.org/documents/brazil-national-action-plan-2018-2020/.

Context and Objectives

This commitment aims to increase public participation and oversight of nutrition security policy, address difficulties faced by public servants and civil society, and promote intersectoral solutions. Participants in the consultation stages voiced a need for increased civic participation in the monitoring of nutrition security policies and the promotion of national and subnational collaboration. [27] Academic analysis supports civic participation in nutrition security plans and has linked it to improvements in such plans. [28] It should also be noted that the Nutrition Security Councils—participatory councils mandated by law—have been linked to an increase in nutrition public service delivery. [29]

Academics echo a need to increase public participation in the creation and implementation of nutrition security policies across the country. [30] One municipal employee from Rio de Janeiro argues that nutrition security policies, particularly those at subnational levels, are struggling to sustain previous levels of civil society and government collaboration. [31]

This commitment proposes raising awareness around Food and Nutrition Security (SAN) and the Human Right to Adequate Food (DHAA)  policies through seminars (Milestone 4.3) and through the design and implementation of distance learning courses (4.1, 4.4−4.6). Additionally, it seeks to create a converging agenda for the development of training related SAN and DHAA through the National Council for Food and Nutrition Security (CONSEA) (4.2). Made up of civil society and government representatives on a two-to-one ratio, respectively, CONSEA provides an institutional space that inherently requires and yields significant influence to civic participation in the creation of this agenda. [32]

The commitment is verifiable, and its milestones promote increased awareness of nutrition security policy. However, the commitment has a minor potential impact. It focuses on the creation and strengthening of capacity building programs, and it does not measure how this focus will increase citizen engagement and oversight of the country’s nutrition security policy.

Next steps

If fully implemented, the commitment does not need to be included in the next action plan. The commitment’s potential impact could be magnified by ensuring that civic participation is prioritized through its multiple activities, as it is the case for Milestone 4.2. The distance learning courses, for instance, could be designed and delivered in collaboration with civil society and could be targeted to broader audiences. Additionally, there is an opportunity to promote and support best practices for civil society and government to collaborate in the design and delivery of policies. Too, getting the right actors and a sufficient number of them is critical. So there must be adequate proactive outreach to ensure sufficient participation.

Transitional Results Report

Commitment 4. Strengthening public oversight over the Food and Nutrition Security National Plan (PLANSAN)

Completion: LIMITED

This commitment aimed to enhance participation and public oversight over the Food and Nutrition Security Policy (PLANSAN) by implementing training initiatives for public officials and civil society to raise awareness of the human right to adequate food and the role of public oversight to strengthen food and nutrition security.

Commitment 4 was established in accordance with the Organic Law of Food and Nutrition Security (Law nº 11.346 of 2006), [52] which created the National Food and Nutrition Security System (SISAN), a public, intersectoral, and participatory system that facilitates coordination among all levels of government and society for the implementation and execution of food and nutrition security policies. [53]

CONSEA was an essential institution envisioned under SISAN to facilitate effective public oversight and citizen participation in the formulation, monitoring, and evaluation of food and nutrition security policies, with the goal of progressively realizing the human right to adequate food. [54]

However, the issuance of Provisional Measure No. 870/2019 [55] meant the initial dissolution of CONSEA, as a collegiate body, alongside other administrative changes in the structure of participating organizations involved in the commitment. This normative measure significantly impacted the commitment's implementation as CONSEA played a central role in four out of the six agreed-upon milestones. [56] Nevertheless, it was soon re-established with the conversion of Provisional Measure No. 870/2019 into Law No. 13.844/2019 [57] as an immediate advisory body to the President of the Republic, as initially required in Law No. 11.346/2006. [58]

The circumstances arising from CONSEA's initial dissolution involved reviewing and renegotiating some actions, normative adjustments, and redefining civil society representations. The Ministry of Citizenship, the lead institution of the commitment, worked with other stakeholders to overcome these challenges by organizing implementation meetings and establishing partnerships with universities. [59] Despite these efforts, Commitment 4 did not meet most of the deadlines and failed to fully implement some of its milestones. The completion level of commitment was reported at 62%. [60]

According to the government self-evaluation report, only 2 out of the 6 milestones were fully completed. [61] Milestone 1 mapped the existence of distance learning resources related to food and nutrition security and the human rights to adequate food. [62] Milestone 3 was completed with the realization of two rounds of state seminars on social oversight in food and nutrition security in a webinar format.

Milestone 2 was reported as 70% completed. [63] Its objective was to build a convergence agenda for training in Food and Nutrition Security (SAN) and the Human Right to Adequate Food (DHAA) through various activities. In 2020, agreements were formalized with six state governments (Acre, Amazonas, Distrito Federal, Goiás, Mato Grosso, and Pará), totaling approximately 3 million reais allocated to the management, training, and structuring of SISAN. Eleven further agreements were subsequently signed, covering 17 states in total. [64] As part of this milestone, the Federal University of Pernambuco, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, and Federal University of Paraíba launched a booklet on DHAA and an introduction to SAN Policies. [65]

Milestone 4 was reported as 60% completed with the provision of 3 distance learning courses on SAN and DHAA despite being impacted by the dissolution of CONSEA and COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, an extension course on productive rural promotion for food security and nutritional education was developed for family farmers. [66]

Only 20% of the objectives of Milestones 5 and 6 were achieved. [67] The self-evaluation report mentioned initial negotiations regarding the offering of courses on a virtual platform (Milestone 5) and the inclusion of courses on the subject in the National School of Public Administration (Milestone 6).

Owing to its marginal potential impact, the commitment milestones were mostly to educate and socialize the concept without increasing measures for public participation and oversight. Thus, it represented only a foundational step in this sector. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic and the initial dissolution of participatory bodies such as CONSEA limited the planned diffusion and development of the various training activities.