• The IPC Quality Compliance Review aims at supporting  countries implementing IPC v2.0 Acute Food Security Classification to evaluate the quality (i.e. technical validity) of analyses, review the inclusivity and transparency of IPC processes, and determine the sustainability of country-level IPC governance structures. The IPC Quality Compliance Review directly contributes to the achievement of Outcome 3 of the IPC GSP (2014 – 2018).

In January 2015, IPC GSU conducted an IPC Quality Compliance Review of the IPC Acute Food Insecurity Analysis carried out in Afghanistan in September 2014. The Review was conducted upon request of country’s stakeholders, due to technical differences between the IPC analysis and those carried out by other partner agencies, as well as gaps in the use of IPC to inform decision making and OCHA Consolidated Appeal Process. 

From 2 to 5 February 2015, IPC GSU visited Kabul to present the preliminary findings of the Quality Compliance Review to Government counterparts, the EU Delegation, representatives of the Food Security and Agriculture Cluster (FSAC), County Technical Working Group (TWG) members, and UN representatives.  

• The IPC Strategic Engagement Plan (SEP) aims at facilitating the identification of current constraints to conduct and use IPC analysis in order to inform food security policy and resource allocation and to engage institutional partners in  overcoming such constraints by developing tailored plans at country and regional level. The IPC Global SEP is being developed by the IPC GSU through consultations with multiple partners at various levels. The IPC SEP directly contributes to the achievement of Outcome 4 of the IPC GSP (2014 – 2018).

Moreover, in the framework of the IPC Global Strategic Engagement Plan (SEP), IPC GSU also carried out strategic engagement planning consultations in the country to reassess and strengthen the overall quality of the IPC process and analysis. IPC GSU also worked to reach stakeholders’ consensus on the key components of a five-year strategy for institutionalizing IPC Technical Standards and Governance Protocols within the Afghanistan Government. As a result, the IPC Country Team in Afghanistan has agreed to immediate actions and longer-term strategic priorities for improving IPC analysis and governance structures. Key outcomes of the consultation include:

• Ongoing exchange between IPC Afghanistan and the IPC GSU regarding the Terms of Reference for the newly-formed IPC Afghanistan Steering Committee and Technical Working Group;
• Provision of guidance for ensuring data availability for future IPC Acute and Chronic Food Insecurity Analyses in Afghanistan;
• Plans to build the technical capacity of those involved in IPC Analysis; and
• Negotiations to ensure that IPC Analyses are deliberately timed to inform key food security policy and programming decisions.