NICE workshop opens options to improve exclusive breastfeeding and better nutrition practices

 
The Nutrition Improvement for Community Empowerment Project (NICE) CPMU successfully organized a Review and Consultative Workshop in the city of Batam on 1 -4 November 2011. The workshop was designed to review the implementation of the project from 1 January–31 October 2011 and to use the results of the assessment to position the Project towards higher levels of performance in the coming year.

More than 80 project and program staff from the six NICE provinces and 24 districts participated in the workshop. In addition, three consultants from the NICE Project Consultant Team (PRIMEX and TIA) and five from the Central Project Management Unit (CPMU) were on hand to help facilitate and moderate the discussions. Dr. Hidayat, Director of Health and Nutrition Directorate from BAPPENAS (the Indonesian National Planning Agency) and Dr. Rooswanti Soewarno, Social Sector Officer from the ADB Indonesia Resident Mission (IRM) were the guests of honor.

The Project Consultant Team provided technical inputs which served to jumpstart the discussions during the workshop. Dr. Jose Rodriguez, Team Leader and Policy and Institutions Specialist, presented the current status of performance of the provinces and districts with respect to the project’s major targets and performance indicators.

Prof. Abdul Razak Thaha, national Institutional Development Specialist, discussed options for improving exclusive breastfeeding practices, utilization of iron tablets by pregnant women, and household use of iodized salt. Ms Adriyani Adam of the city of Makassar, South Sulawesi province presented the results of a data utilization initiative designed by the consultants from PRIMEX and TIA.

Based on the reaction from the participants, the review and consultative workshop succeeded in positioning the project towards the achievement of the Project’s objectives in 2012.