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and briefing for journalists, social media publicity, and the creation of data visualization maps. Rising food prices were also a hot topic in 2010,


and IFPRI responded with research publications, including a policy brief (The Role of Emerging Coun- tries in Global Food Security) and a food policy report (Halving Hunger), a policy seminar, a book (Reflec- tions on the Global Food Crisis) that is also available in an interactive online format, and an expanded food prices section on the IFPRI website. The fifth edition of the Global Hunger Index—


which measures individual country hunger levels using three indicators—was produced, marketed, and distributed by IFPRI in collaboration with Welthung- erhilfe and Concern Worldwide in 2010; it garnered much media attention and received a Mercury Grand Award for excellence in professional communications. The 2010 Global Hunger Index report focuses on the importance of maternal and early childhood nutrition during the thousand-day window of opportunity from conception to the age of two. Finally, IFPRI produced a series of research


papers, a professional documentary film, and a website for the 2010 Bangladesh Food Secu- rity Investment Forum. The Forum was a suc- cessful, high-profile event facilitated by IFPRI that helped bring about IFPRI’s current Bangladesh Policy Research and Strategy Support Program.


PARTNERSHIPS, IMPACT ASSESSMENT, AND CAPACITY


STRENGTHENING As IFPRI’s mandate makes clear, in order for the Insti- tute’s well-communicated, evidence-based research to inform sound food policy decisions and have a lasting effect on the ground, the capacity to imple- ment those policies and replicate research methods must be strong. The Partnership, Impact, and Capac- ity Strengthening Unit was formed in mid-2010 to streamline IFPRI’s activities in these areas and reinforce the Institute’s commitment to collaboration, accountability, and results.


PARTNERSHIPS In 2010, the new partnership team began develop- ing an institutewide Partnership Strategy to facilitate the development of impact-enhancing partner- ships. In collaboration with FAO and the World Food Programme, the partnership unit also engaged in preparations to construct a food security informa- tion network aimed at enhancing the coordination and impact of food security information systems. Still in its early stages, this initiative is envisioned as a multistakeholder working group that facilitates full access to data, best practices, and collaborative action across borders by providing incentives to country and regional entities. The partnership unit also focused on ways to improve smallholders’ access to markets and mitigate the effects of climate change through its continued partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Finally, to support IFPRI’s interest and presence in the Middle East and North Africa, the partnership team met with represen- tatives from both government agencies and nongov- ernmental organizations in Saudi Arabia and Egypt to explore areas of collaboration.


IMPACT ASSESSMENT As the demand for IFPRI’s high-quality research on improving food policies in developing countries increases, so, too, does the need to know whether that research actually leads to the desired policy changes and whether those policy changes, in turn, bring about their intended economic, social, or envi- ronmental outcomes. In order to strengthen objectiv- ity, an external coordinator was appointed in 2010 to oversee IFPRI’s ex post impact assessments, and a full-time researcher was appointed to develop staff training activities and help research teams build an evidence base over the life of a project. In the past year, impact assessments on the Priorities for Pro- Poor Public Investments global research program and the Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators initiative were completed; two new assessments—on the influences of (1) the Regional Network on AIDS, Livelihoods, and Food Security (RENEWAL) and (2) the 2020 Vision Initiative “Leveraging Agriculture for Improved Nutrition and Health” conference—began. The impact assessment team is developing a work


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