There is one famous quote on timing which says “Things come suitable to the time” (Enid Bagnold) and this holds true with the very timely conduct of Information Management Trainings just before the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in Luzon on March 16, 2020.
A month prior to issuance of Proclamation No. 922 on “Declaring a State of Public Health Emergency throughout the Philippines” by President Rodrigo R. Duterte, the Department of Health (DOH) Central Luzon Center for Health Development (CL CHD) and National Nutrition Council (NNC) Region III spearhead two (2) batches of Training for Local Government Units on Information Management (IM) on Nutrition in Emergencies on 18-20 February 2020 and 26-28 February 2020 at the Otel Pampanga, Skye Plaza, City of San Fernando, Pampanga.
The three-day trainings were aimed at building the capacities of provincial and city/municipal nutrition cluster members on nutrition information management. Developing capacities at the local levels will facilitate better processing, analysis, and flow of information for use in decision making.
The prompt and successful response by the nutrition cluster during disasters and emergencies, however, requires correct and reliable and recent data about the areas and the people affected and inherent capacities of the areas to respond, generated through an information management system. Such information are essential in planning and providing appropriate, adequate and timely nutrition interventions, and in formulating comprehensive recovery and rehabilitation plan. Review of nutrition cluster responses and gaps is also vital to improve future nutrition response.
Specifically, the two trainings also aimed at 1) developing competencies on nutrition cluster information management components including data collection, processing, analysis, visualization and dissemination; and 2) developing knowledge and skills on using the six (6) Nutrition Cluster Information Management tools for nutrition planning, program implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of IM activities.
The training consisted of four (4) modules – Module 1 on Overview of Information Management in support to Nutrition in Emergencies in the Philippines; Module 2 on Information Management Concepts and Tools; Module 3 on Roles of the Information Management Officer (IMO) in the Humanitarian Context and the Data Privacy Act; and Module 4 on Planning for a Functional Information System for Nutrition in Emergencies.
All seven (7) provinces and 14 cities in Central Luzon were represented and expressed their gratitude during the commencement of the training and mentioned how they learned and realized the importance of information management and how it can effectively help them in the activation and management of their respective nutrition clusters.
The first batch was attended by Health Officers, Provincial and City Nutrition Action Officers, District and City Nutrition Program Coordinators, and two (2) Nutrition Officers from the NNC-Region III team while the second batch consisted mostly of Development Management Officers of the DOH and Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officers from selected provinces and cities.
Various concerns were raised in both trainings by the participants, such as: 1) clarifications on the limitations of the supplies that should be included in the supply section of the capacity mapping tool; 2) individuals who should be included in the human resource section of capacity mapping tool; 3) clarifications on confusion which arises during data collection and data utilization of the Nutrition Initial Needs Assessment (NINA) Tool as the age groups identified in the tool are different from the ones being provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), among others.
The success of the two batches of training became possible with the able and technical guidance of trainer-facilitators composed of Ms. Margarita Santos-Natividad and Ms. Rosanna Russell from DOH CHD, Ms. Angelita M. Pasos from NNC-Region III and Ms. Leah Felismino who also shared valuable information about NINA Tool.
True enough, and with the aid of technology, NNC-Region III was able to generate reports from the LGUs. Not as fast as we expected, but the timely conduct of IM on NiEm had hastened the process of data generation on COViD 19 supplies and nutrition cluster’s 4Ws – supplies given, barangays and families targeted, vulnerable groups targeted, kind and type of food included in the food packs, when started and problems encountered. Data or information pooled from the LGUs were shared during the meeting of the National Nutrition Cluster as reference to determine appropriate response to needs of the vulnerable members of the society.
Author:
Antonette Gail D. Garcia
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