FSMS
“A food security monitoring system
(FSMS) is a tool for monitoring the state of food security of vulnerable households in specific
geographic regions of a country in order to enable WFP and other stakeholders to better anticipate,
prepare and respond to future crises” (WFP headquarters website).
The role of a food security
surveillance system (SSCA or FSMS) is to monitor short and long term food security trends. The overall
objective is to inform changes in the strategic directions of the program or - if the situation
deteriorates - to trigger an Emergency Food Security Assessment (EFSA) and / or preparedness measures.
The main role of the FSMS is to monitor food security outcome indicators at household level, whether
before, during or after shocks.
The FSMS requires that data be
collected regularly among the same groups or areas to allow comparability.
A successful FSMS aims to provide answers to the following key questions:
- -Is the food security and nutrition situation improving or deteriorating (seasonally or from year to year)?
- -What are the determining factors in the evolution of trends?
- -Which groups are most affected?
- -What are the potential future risks?
