In this podcast, Amanda Zongrone from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) presents the results of a study assessing the feasibility of an integrated nutrition program (The PROMIS program) in peri-urban and urban Senegal and demonstrates how feasibility evaluation can provide insights to improve implementation and increase potential for impact. In addition, the role of feasibility studies in the larger portfolio of implementation science methods is discussed.

The PROMIS program, implemented by Helen Keller International (HKI), integrated a package of preventive services with monthly screening and referral for acute malnutrition within the community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) model.  A one-month supply of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements for children 6-23 months of age served as an incentive to attend screening and behavior change communication on nutrition, health, and hygiene.  The program was adapted for peri-urban and urban Senegal where neighborhood nutrition sites run by community volunteers, affiliated with government health centers, were used as the program platform. The feasibility of implementing the PROMIS program in this peri-urban and urban context was assessed using Bowen’s (2009) seven “key areas of focus” along the program’s theory of change.

Our sincere thanks to Amanda Zongrone for this insightful presentation. We are pleased to share this podcast recording with you. We hope that you find it informative and thought-provoking. We welcome your thoughts, comments and questions. Please send any feedback (including additional case study examples) to: implementnutrition@gmail.com. We also encourage you to share this podcast with anyone who may find it of interest.

Presenter Bio: Amanda Zongrone is an Associate Research Fellow in the Poverty, Health and Nutrition Division at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).  Her research interests include the process by which programs work to achieve change, the social context in which these programs operate, and the role of non-nutrition factors in nutrition outcomes.  In her current position at IFPRI she has engaged in implementation science research using both qualitative and quantitative methods for maternal and child nutrition and social protection programs.  Amanda has a PhD in International Nutrition from Cornell University, a Master’s in Public Health from Emory University, and a BS in Nutritional Sciences from Cornell University.

Permission for Use: This podcast may be copied in any form and used for non-commercial purposes provided that the content of any copy is not altered and, it is clearly indicated that SISN is the originator of this material. Please cite as Society for Implementation Science in Nutrition (SISN) Podcast: Assessing the Feasibility of an Integrated Nutrition Program in Peri-Urban and Urban Senegal. Available from https://www.implementnutrition.org/podcast-promis/