Generating government buy-in: a crucial element of standing up a new, sustainable school feeding program in sub-Saharan Africa

• In Event: Crucial elements of standing up a new, sustainable school feeding program in sub-Saharan Africa

Proposal

Along with co-presenters Counterpart International and Nascent Solutions, the US Department of Agriculture offers advice on one crucial element needed to begin and sustain a large-scale school feeding program in a developing nation. USDA offers lessons based on its funding dozens of McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition projects around the world.

USDA suggests that generating government buy-in to own, manage, and fund school feeding efforts is important to standing up a new, sustainable school feeding program. Government (national, regional, local technocrats and politicians) must buy-in to the following, at a minimum:
• Cost-free importing of commodities
• National and sub-national legislation committing to school feeding efforts, with commensurate funding
• Assigning operationalization of school feeding to specific department with the national government

USDA has observed its implementing partners generate this buy-in through extensive meetings with government stakeholders at multiple levels and signing of Memoranda of Understanding with them.

USDA has learned the following about generating government buy-in:
• Government is convinced by a blend of data and storytelling. Supporting government officials to attend international school feeding conferences has greatly increased support.
• Government is often willing to draft and pass legislation for school feeding; funding that legislation is the difficult part.

Author

• Alessandra McCormack, USDA