Nutrition component of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF)

What does this indicator tell us?

This indicator describes the strength of nutrition in the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), the strategic programme framework for UN country teams. In 2019, the UNDAF was renamed as the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF). UNDAFs usually focus on three to five areas in which the country team can make the greatest difference, in addition to activities that are supported by other agencies in response to national demands, but fall outside the common UNDAF results matrix. For each national priority selected for UN country team support, the UNDAF results matrix gives the following outcome(s); the outcomes and outputs of other agencies, working alone or together; the role of partners; resource mobilization targets for each agency outcome; and coordination mechanisms and programme modalities. The nutrition component of the UNDAF reflects the priority attributed to nutrition by the UN agencies in each country, and gives an indication of how much the UN system is committed to helping governments improve their food and nutrition situation.

How is it defined?

The indicator is "strong", "medium" or "weak, depending on the degree to which nutrition is being addressed in the UNDAF's expected outcomes and outputs.

UNDAF documents follow a predefined format, with a core narrative and a results matrix. The matrix lists the high-level expected results (“the UNDAF outcomes”); the outcomes to be reached by agencies, working alone or together; and agency outputs. The results matrix in the UNDAF document was used to assess commitment to nutrition, because it represents a synthesis of the strategy proposed in the document and is available in the same format in most country documents. The most recent UNDAF documents on the United Nations Development Group (UNDG) website were used, with outcomes and outputs specifically related to nutrition identified and compared with key areas in nutrition. The method and scoring are described in detail by Engesveen et al. (2009).

What are the implications?

A strong nutrition component in the UNDAF document means that the UN agencies consider nutrition to be a joint priority. A weak nutrition component in the UNDAF document does not necessarily imply that no UN agency is working to improve nutrition in the country. However, unless such efforts are mentioned in strategy documents such as the UNDAF, they may receive inadequate attention from development partners to ensure the necessary sustainability or scale-up to adequately address nutrition problems in that country. The multisectoral nature of nutrition means that it must be addressed by a wide range of actors. Basing such action within frameworks for overall development ensures the accountability of UN partners.

Source of data

WHO. Global database on the implementation of nutrition action (GINA) (https://extranet.who.int/nutrition/gina/).

Further reading

Engesveen K, Nishida C, Prudhon C, Shrimpton R. Assessing countries’ commitment to accelerate nutrition action demonstrated in PRSPs, UNDAFs and through nutrition governance. SCN News. 2009;37 (https://www.unscn.org/web/archives_resources/files/scnnews37.pdf).

Internet resources

UNSDG. United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. (https://unsdg.un.org/2030-agenda/cooperation-framework).

UNDG. Completed United Nations Development Assistance Frameworks (UNDAFs). (https://undg.org/about/un-country-level/).

WHO. Landscape analysis on countries' readiness to accelerate action in nutrition. (http://www.who.int/nutrition/landscape_analysis/en/)