The IPC Global Event, which will be held on 1-2 July 2014 at FAO-HQs, will serve as a platform to present the new IPC Nutrition Classification initiative.

The piloting and adaptation of a complementary Nutrition Phase Classification to be integrated in the IPC analysis is one key component of the IPC Global Strategic Programme (2014-2016). So far, the IPC has focused primarily on the analysis and classification of food insecurity situations and outcomes. Although nutrition is integrated within the IPC analysis, currently the IPC does not incorporate a full nutrition situation overview in terms of considering malnutrition caused by other factors than food insecurity.

With the constant expansion of IPC, a new interest has risen to finding ways to complement the standard IPC analysis with a comprehensive nutrition component. In response to this demand from countries and governments, the IPC Global Partnership has committed to developing Nutrition Classification tools and procedures based on the FSNAU Nutrition Classification framework. The objective is to refine the tool drawn from the FSNAU Nutrition project in Somalia, in order to make it applicable in different country contexts. The new IPC Nutrition tools and procedures will be compatible with whatever nutrition data collection systems, methodological approaches, and institutional arrangements exist in-county, allowing comparison of findings over time and across countries.

The resulting fully integrated IPC Food and Nutrition Security Phase Classification will include the analysis of malnutrition caused by non-food related factors, such as inadequate caring practices and disease-related causal factors. This particular framework will support decision-makers in understanding both underlying and direct factors that affect nutritional vulnerability.

Development Process

The piloting and development process started in February 2014 with the establishment of an IPC Global Nutrition Working Group (IPC NWG), which includes experts from the global food security and nutrition communities and aims at building technical consensus around the tool.

As of today the membership of the IPC Global Nutrition Working Group is composed of the IPC Partnership, FSNAU, Institute of Child Health/Univerity of London, Standing Committee on Nutrition (WHO), Unicef, FANTA, WHO, and th World Bank.  

  
This year, the development process will include five country pilots, respectively in East and Central Africa (with the support of IGAD/FSNWG), Southern Africa (with SADC), West Africa (with CILSS), Central and Latin America (with SICA-PRESANCA and INCAP) and in Asia (with SAARC/ASEAN). The first pilot will be conducted in Kenya, in late July.

The IPC NWG will also hold three technical development workshops in 2014, and several consultative meetings, following the usual IPC multi-partner inclusive and consultative approach. The process is expected to continue in 2015 with further pilots, meetings and technical consultations. The final prototype is expected to be presented to the IPC Global Steering Committee for endorsement in the first quarter of 2016.