Strategies

Alive & Thrive's approach features three main strategies informed by ongoing measurement, learning, and evaluation.

Strategy 1. Policy dialogue

Policymakers often fail to recognize the impact of poor feeding practices on infant survival, educational potential, and economic development. The result is a lack of investment in interventions to reduce undernutrition and the absence of supportive legislation and policies.

Action plan

• Raise understanding of Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) issues and achieve consensus, sustained commitment, and support for good IYCF practices in the workplace, marketplace, and health system through targeted advocacy
• Build capacity of organizations and individuals to address gaps in the policy and regulatory environment

Strategy 2. Service delivery and behavior change communication

Alive & Thrive (A&T) applies well-tested marketing principles to improve IYCF practices.

Action plan

• Assess critical feeding problems, constraints, and opportunities for improvement
• Develop and implement targeted communication strategies based on consumer research
• Reach caregivers and those who influence their feeding decisions through individual, community, and mass media interventions
• Strengthen skills and performance of community-based workers

Strategy 3. Fortified complementary foods and related products

Many local diets fail to meet the nutritional requirements of children 6-24 months old. The private sector can help by producing and marketing affordable fortified products.

 Action plan

• Establish partnerships with multiple manufacturers, distributors, and government ministries
• Increase product choice, access, and affordability
• Improve compliance with codes and standards
• Promote public education on good feeding practices and use of local foods and commercial products

Measurement, learning, and evaluation

A&T aims to document impact, cost, and cost-effectiveness of IYCF interventions and generate learning on how to achieve and replicate the project’s impact.

Action plan

• Use rigorous mixed-method impact evaluations for major community, media, and private sector interventions
• Evaluate policy advocacy and private sector partnerships using qualitative methods
• Conduct operations research and implementation monitoring
• Conduct cost studies

Click on the attachments below to learn more about A&T's strategies and theory of change and its measurement, learning, and evaluation approach