Page 21 - GUIDELINES FOR FOOD SYSTEMS ISSUES PRIORITIZATION, ACTOR AND ACTION MAPPING at sub-national levels in Vietnam

• The facilitator begins with a 5-minute explanation of objectives and principles for
identifying food systems issues. The principles ensure that the identified issues
should: (i) be based on the current state of food systems at the provincial and local
levels, as examined in provincial food system profiling activities, (ii) be aligned,
to some extent, with national concerns as reflected in the Decision 300, (iii) be
focused on intersectoral issues, addressing at least two components of food
systems (e.g., production, processing, distribution, retailing, food environment,
diets, etc.)

• Then, the facilitator guides the group members to address key questions regarding
“What food system issues can be recognized at the province level?” and “What
components of food systems are related to those issues?” The participants have
around 20 minutes for brainstorming and discussing the answers.

o Each participant writes down on post-it notes at least one food systems
issue that they think are important in the real-life provincial food system
contexts.

o Group members should stick the post-it notes with food system issues
they had written down on the food system concept framework (see Annex
1). The issues are related to only single components of food systems
are placed in row 1, the issues related to more than two components are
placed in row 2, while those relevant to entire food systems are in row 3.

• The group discusses and reviews the identified issues in 15-20 minutes. The
facilitator assist the group in revising the issues as follows:

o Cluster the identified food systems issues, according to the components
or outcomes that they are related to. Merge similar food systems issues if
necessary.

o Clarify and discuss rationale for selecting those issues and the causes of
the issues if possible.

o Correct the names of the identified food systems issues. The revised
names will replace the previous names if the group agrees.

• Lastly the group deliberates and selects between three (minimum) and ten food
systems issues (maximum) for the next step on scoring and prioritization.

20 Guidelines for food systems issues prioritization, actor and action mapping at subnational levels in Vietnam