District Stunting Prevention and Integrated Nutrition Counselling in Chiang Mai

Programme Overview

Chronic childhood undernutrition remains a critical barrier to human capital development across Southeast Asia, particularly in remote and agrarian communities.⁣​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​⁣ This four-day professional course equips public health practitioners with the technical competencies required to address stunting systematically at the subnational level. Operating within primary healthcare networks, participants examine evidence-based interventions that span maternal nutrition, exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding, and infection control, ensuring that early growth faltering is identified and managed before irreversible physiological and cognitive deficits occur.

The curriculum bridges normative global guidelines and field-level operational realities. Participants review operational frameworks from the World Health Organisation and UNICEF, adapting standard protocols for infant and young child feeding counselling to rural healthcare environments. Through practical district-level simulations, delegates evaluate operational interfaces between village health committees, health centres, and district hospitals. Special attention is directed towards streamlining growth monitoring systems and institutionalising targeted social and behaviour change communication across underserved linguistic and ethnic groups.

Convened in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the programme provides an immersive learning environment for technical cadres leading front-line delivery. Delegates work collaboratively to analyse operational bottlenecks, establish referral mechanisms, and structure intersectoral linkages with agriculture, social protection, and water, sanitation, and hygiene initiatives. By concluding with the formulation of district-specific nutritional care pathways and community outreach plans, the course ensures that delegates return to their duty stations with immediately applicable tools for subnational health systems strengthening.

Subnational health authorities face urgent operational demands to align service delivery with multi-sectoral nutrition frameworks, particularly where targeted social assistance and rural health systems are being scaled up simultaneously.⁣​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​⁣ In contexts such as Lao PDR, investments aligned with the objectives of the Health and Nutrition Services Access Project II and the Reducing Rural Poverty and Malnutrition Project II require district teams to converge cash transfers, nutrition counselling, and primary care access directly at the community level. Without robust district referral pathways, synchronised outreach, and accurate growth monitoring, these large-scale operations risk service fragmentation. Building practical implementation capacity at the district level is therefore essential to translate national policy commitments and international development financing into sustained reductions in childhood stunting.

Delivered by Risalat Consultants International in Chiang Mai, Thailand, it combines expert-led sessions, real cases and group work, so that participants can apply what they learn in their own institution.

The Programme Strengthens Institutional Capability

• Global and regional epidemiology of child undernutrition: WHO child growth standards and biological windows of vulnerability
• The multi-sectoral causal framework: Analysing direct, underlying, and basic determinants of childhood stunting at district level
• Maternal nutrition interventions: Micronutrient supplementation, adolescent health, and gestational weight gain monitoring
• Convergence planning: Coordinating health sector inputs with rural poverty reduction, social protection, and social cash transfers
• Subnational bottleneck analysis: Diagnostic tools for identifying implementation gaps in rural service coverage
• Operationalising WHO and UNICEF infant and young child feeding counselling guidelines in resource-constrained clinics
• Counselling techniques for exclusive breastfeeding: Overcoming lactation difficulties, myths, and early food introduction
• Age-appropriate complementary feeding: Dietary diversity, meal frequency, nutrient density, and safe food preparation
• Theory of change and results chains
• Logical frameworks and results frameworks
• SMART indicators, baselines and targets
• Data collection methods and tools

It is designed for district health officers and district medical directors, subnational nutrition programme coordinators and focal points, primary healthcare centre directors and senior clinical supervisors and others who want practical, current skills in monitoring and evaluation.

The Growing Importance of District Stunting Prevention and Integrated Nutrition Counselling in Chiang Mai

Governments and financiers want to know what changed, not only what was spent. Results frameworks, indicators and credible evidence now decide how programmes are judged and whether they receive further funding.

Many teams collect large amounts of data but struggle to turn it into decisions. Strong monitoring and evaluation links activities to results, shows progress early and supports learning across the institution.

Organisations increasingly require professionals capable of:

• Design results frameworks with measurable indicators
• Collect and check data that can be trusted
• Analyse progress and explain variances
• Plan and manage evaluations
• Use evidence to adjust plans and report results

Strong monitoring and evaluation systems help organisations:

• Show results clearly to financiers and citizens
• Detect delays and problems early
• Improve the quality of decisions
• Meet reporting and evaluation requirements

This District Stunting Prevention and Integrated Nutrition Counselling in Chiang Mai programme brings these elements together in a practical format, so that participants understand not only what good practice looks like but also how to introduce it in their own setting, with the people and resources they have.

Who Should Attend This District Stunting Prevention and Integrated Nutrition Counselling in Chiang Mai Training?

This programme is designed for:

• District health officers and district medical directors
• Subnational nutrition programme coordinators and focal points
• Primary healthcare centre directors and senior clinical supervisors
• Maternal and child health coordinators within district health offices
• Public health planners managing donor-funded primary healthcare projects
• Community health outreach supervisors and senior public health nurses
• Health and social development project managers from international development agencies
• Monitoring and evaluation officers tracking subnational nutrition indicators
• Social protection programme coordinators working on nutrition-sensitive cash transfers
• M&E officers and managers
• Project and programme managers
• PIU staff responsible for reporting

The programme suits experienced professionals as well as those moving into new responsibilities. Groups that mix institutions and countries are encouraged, because participants learn a great deal from each other’s experience.

District Stunting Prevention and Integrated Nutrition Counselling in Chiang Mai Training Objectives

Upon successful completion of this District Stunting Prevention and Integrated Nutrition Counselling in Chiang Mai Training, participants will be able to:

• Appraise multi-sectoral determinants of childhood stunting and maternal undernutrition using national and global surveillance frameworks
• Analyse infant and young child feeding guidelines to strengthen one-to-one and group counselling protocols in primary care facilities
• Evaluate community-based growth monitoring and promotion mechanisms to enhance early identification of growth faltering
• Formulate integrated district nutritional care pathways linking village volunteers, health centres, and secondary referral hospitals
• Design community outreach coordination plans that converge health, social assistance, and sanitation interventions at village level
• Establish standard operating procedures for the management of uncomplicated severe and moderate acute malnutrition within primary care networks
• Develop subnational monitoring, supportive supervision, and data verification routines for routine nutrition information systems
• Build a theory of change and results chain for a programme
• Design a results framework with SMART indicators
• Set baselines, targets and means of verification

Each objective is practised during the programme through exercises, cases or group work, so that participants leave able to do it, not only to describe it.

Programme Contents and Structure

District Stunting Prevention and Integrated Nutrition Counselling in Chiang Mai Training Methodology

The training applies adult-learning methodologies structured around practical problem-solving, institutional case analysis, and simulated district planning exercises.⁣​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​⁣ Delegates engage with international guidelines through guided scenario work, evaluating real-world operational challenges encountered in rural Southeast Asian health systems. Sessions combine technical presentations with small-group break-out tasks, protocol drafting, and role-play counselling simulations. Every module culminates in applied outputs, allowing participants to progressively build comprehensive district-level micro-plans and supportive supervision frameworks tailored to their administrative contexts.

The programme combines:

• Expert-led sessions on current practice
• Regional and international case studies
• Group work and practical exercises
• Simulations and role plays where relevant
• Discussion of participants' own challenges
• Peer learning across institutions and countries
• Practical tools and templates to take back to work
• Daily reflection and action planning

Before the programme, a short pre-assessment helps the facilitators understand each participant’s role and priorities, so that examples and exercises can be adjusted to the group. Each day ends with a short reflection in which participants note what they will apply at work.

Expected Outcomes

Upon completion of this District Stunting Prevention and Integrated Nutrition Counselling in Chiang Mai Training, participants will be able to:

• Demonstrated mastery of international anthropometric standards and accurate identification of early growth faltering in children under five
• Capability to conduct and supervise high-quality infant and young child feeding counselling sessions in primary care settings
• Formulation of a validated district nutritional care pathway that standardises screening, counselling, and clinical referral protocols
• Production of a village-level outreach micro-plan converging primary healthcare services with community-based social protection measures
• Competence in designing and executing supportive supervision checklists for community health workers and health centre staff
• Improved ability to track, audit, and report subnational nutrition performance indicators within routine health information systems
• Design results frameworks with measurable indicators
• Set baselines and targets that can be tracked

Participants leave with a personal action plan and practical tools they can use in their institution from the first week back. Institutions that send several participants can use the programme to agree shared methods and templates across teams, which makes improvements easier to sustain.

Institutional Application of District Stunting Prevention and Integrated Nutrition Counselling in Chiang Mai Training

This programme supports organisations in strengthening:

• Results frameworks
• Indicator systems
• Data quality
• Evaluation planning
• Results reporting

Participants return with practical tools to improve:

• Indicator reference sheets
• Data collection tools
• Progress reports
• Evaluation terms of reference
• Learning reviews

The programme is built so that learning moves from the classroom into the institution. Participants work on their own processes and documents where possible, and leave with an action plan that their managers can review and support.

Regional Relevance & Application

Europe

European institutions apply monitoring and evaluation within detailed regulatory frameworks and reform agendas. Participants from Europe can compare their practice with colleagues from other regions and test how established methods work under different conditions.

Africa

Across Africa, ministries, agencies and project teams working in monitoring and evaluation increasingly operate alongside donor-financed programmes that expect clear systems and evidence. The programme helps participants adapt good practice to the institutions and resources they work with.

Middle East

In the Middle East, national development strategies and diversification plans place growing demands on monitoring and evaluation. Participants explore how to build the capability these plans need inside public bodies and companies.

Asia

Institutions across Asia combine rapid growth with ambitious modernisation programmes. Participants from Asia can share their experience of scaling systems quickly and learn from approaches used elsewhere.

Pacific

Small island and Pacific states face particular constraints of size, distance and capacity. The programme highlights practical, proportionate approaches to monitoring and evaluation that suit smaller institutions.

Holding the programme in Chiang Mai, Thailand brings participants together away from their daily pressures, so they can compare how monitoring and evaluation is handled in different settings. The same programme can also be delivered in-house for one institution, in its own country or online, with cases taken from its current work.

Host Country Profile – Thailand

Training programmes and study tours in Chiang Mai suit professionals working in public administration, community development, environmental resource management, and regional tourism planning.

Studying away from their own country gives participants time to focus, a fresh view of their own institution and the chance to build a network with colleagues from other countries.

District Stunting Prevention and Integrated Nutrition Counselling in Chiang Mai Training Deliverables

Participants receive support before, during and after the programme, so that preparation, learning and follow-up form one continuous experience.

Before the Programme

• Participant Pre-Assessment
• District Stunting Prevention and Integrated Nutrition Counselling in Chiang Mai Readiness Assessment
• District Stunting Prevention and Integrated Nutrition Counselling in Chiang Mai Resource Pack
• Preparatory Reading Materials
• Complimentary Visa Support & Advisory

During the Programme

• Airport Pickup & Welcome Assistance
• Accommodation with Breakfast
• Welcome Networking Dinner
• Risalat Training Kit (Bag, Bottle, Mug, T-Shirt, Cap, Passport Cover, Pens, Notebook, Magnet & Keychain)
• Comprehensive District Stunting Prevention and Integrated Nutrition Counselling in Chiang Mai Training Manual
• Theory of Change Template
• Indicator Reference Sheet Template
• Data Quality Checklist
• Evaluation Terms of Reference Template
• Practical Workshops & Simulations
• Group Discussions & Peer Learning
• Daily Lunch and Refreshments
• Full Access to Training Venue Facilities
• Mini Pad / Tablet with Digital Learning Materials
• Field Visit (where applicable)
• Entertaining City Tour

After the Programme

• Certificate of Completion
• Risalat Programme Participation Recognition Award
• Post-Training Reference Materials
• Results Framework Review Guide
• Progress Report Template
• Post-Training Support & Follow-Up Guidance
• Programme Report

Institutions can also request a tailored in-house version of this programme, delivered at their premises or online. Request a proposal.

Common Challenges in District Stunting Prevention and Integrated Nutrition Counselling in Chiang Mai, And How This Training Helps

How can institutions design results frameworks with measurable indicators?

The programme addresses this directly on the first day (Day 1: Multi-Sectoral Stunting Epidemiology and the First 1,000 Days), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions collect and check data that can be trusted?

The programme addresses this directly on the second day (Day 2: Clinical Nutrition Counselling and Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF)), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions analyse progress and explain variances?

The programme addresses this directly on the third day (Day 3: Growth Faltering Detection, Acute Malnutrition, and Care Pathways), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions plan and manage evaluations?

The programme addresses this directly on the fourth day (Day 4: Subnational Convergence, Outreach Planning, and Programme Supervision), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions use evidence to adjust plans and report results?

The programme addresses this directly on the first day (Day 1: Multi-Sectoral Stunting Epidemiology and the First 1,000 Days), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where does the District Stunting Prevention and Integrated Nutrition Counselling in Chiang Mai programme take place?

It runs from 15 Nov 2027 to 18 Nov 2027, in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The registration deadline is shown at the top of this page.

Who should attend?

The programme is designed for district health officers and district medical directors, subnational nutrition programme coordinators and focal points, primary healthcare centre directors and senior clinical supervisors, maternal and child health coordinators within district health offices, and others who want practical skills in monitoring and evaluation.

Will I receive a certificate?

Yes. Participants who complete the programme receive a Certificate of Completion from Risalat Consultants International.

Can this programme be delivered for our institution only?

Yes. We can deliver a tailored in-house version at your premises, in another city or online, built around your own cases. Use the proposal request on this page.

Do I need prior experience in monitoring and evaluation?

No specialist background is required beyond experience in a related role. A short pre-assessment helps the facilitators adapt the sessions to the group.

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