Instructions for using the self-assessment tool
What the Global Food Justice Pledge self-assessment tool is
The self-assessment tool is a supporting document to help your locality review relevant actions needed across different themes around food justice. This should help you understand your city’s strengths and weaknesses, identify right stakeholders to engage with to progress action in that area and potential interventions that you can take to work towards more equitable and just food system for your city.
Who should use the self-assessment tool
The self-assessment document is designed to serve as a tool for local authorities, organisations, and stakeholders aiming to assess and improve food justice within their localities in alignment with the principles of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP).
How to use the self-assessment tool
- Understanding the document: The document contains a checklist corresponding to the key food justice themes – governance, social and economic equity, food production, food supply and distribution, and food waste and recycling. Each theme has specific facilitators and assessment questions that you can assign a bronze, silver or gold status. These scales should help you depict levels of development or achievement in that particular area.
- Self-assessment: Go through each question and decide where your locality stands on issues related to each theme. It is important to be honest and unbiased in this evaluation to get a realistic picture of your city's strengths and weaknesses.
- Involving stakeholders: This self-assessment process should ideally be inclusive. Engage diverse stakeholders both in your institution and externally, such as urban planners, community organisations, food supplier and producers, waste management entities, and citizens. This inclusive approach will ensure that the self-assessment accurately reflects the reality on the ground.
- Creating action plans: Once the self-assessment is completed, use the results to prioritise areas for improvement. Develop action plans based on the results. For instance, if 'collaboration across city agencies and departments' scores low, then you can start thinking about strategies and actions to improve inter-departmental and cross-city collaboration, that could include creating a citywide partnership or developing a business case for a dedicated food officer within your locality.
- Iterative use: This document is not meant to be used just once. As your locality progresses and conditions change, it's essential to conduct this self-assessment periodically. This way, you can track progress, make necessary adjustments, and ensure continued alignment with the goals for your city.
- Intervention-based assessment: Once you’ve done self-assessment, return to the resources on this site to explore examples of interventions that could help your locality address areas of weakness. Download the Excel database for an individual theme and filter by relevant geographic area or sub-theme to identify interventions and resources to support you in developing and implementing interventions in your city.
- Learning and sharing: This document also serves as a tool for learning and sharing. By using this tool, you will be able to identify best practices, successes, and challenges in your area. This not only benefits your locality but also contributes to the collective learning within the MUFPP network. Share your findings and learn from others to collectively advance towards food justice.
- Policy influence: The document can serve as an advocacy tool to influence policy. By showcasing where improvement is needed, you can leverage this tool to advocate for the implementation or revision of local food policies. For instance, if 'support for sustainable urban food production' scores low, this can be used to push for more supportive policies in this area.
- Intervention design: The in-depth understanding gained from this assessment can also inform the design of local interventions. Understanding which areas need more focus can help in tailoring interventions that are most relevant and effective for your community.
- Capacity building: This document can be used for strengthening capacity within your team and among stakeholders. The process of conducting the assessment not only enhances understanding of food justice but also builds skills in policy analysis, partnership development, and strategic planning.
Remember that this document is a guide – it can and should be adapted to suit the specific needs and context of your locality. The goal is to facilitate the development of effective food policies and practices that align with global principles but are tailored to local realities.
Page last updated: 18 September 2023
