The World Bank and other developmentpartners have been involved in the implementation ofnutrition programs for over 30 years. While a number ofthese programs have become successful and sustainablelarge-scale operations, many others have been hindered bypolitical and administrative obstacles. The disparateresults of these nutrition programs suggest that generatingtechnically sound knowledge about nutrition and providing itto policymakers is not enough to ensure good results. It isalso crucial to understand the political context, and theconstraints and motivations of politicians, publicofficials, and other relevant players to initiate,implement, and sustain sound policies. In May 2007 the WorldBank held an international workshop on these issues to helpincrease the impact of nutrition programs and policies atthe country level. This paper summarizes the results of thatworkshop. Drawing from the political economy literature, itpresents two frameworks for understanding how to undertakeaction to put nutrition on the agenda and move it forward,as well as insights on how and why political factors derailreforms and how to keep that from happening. Theseframeworks are accompanied by a discussion of the politicsof nutrition policies, including typical obstacles to policydevelopment and implementation, and possible solutions. Tocomplement the political economy approach, the paper alsodraws on the insights that management and organizationalfields offer regarding change promotion. Experiences fromSenegal, Madagascar, Ghana, Tanzania, Benin, and India arediscussed, sketching out the history of nutrition policiesand the factors that promoted change, main obstacles andchallenges. The paper closes with an attempt to encapsulateall elements presented in a single analytical framework, andprovides plans of action for specific countries as preparedby some of the participants.
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