INCAP'S policies and strategies for training and capacitation of human resources in food and nutrition

The activities of the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP), are focused according to the present food and nutrition situation of the Central American and Panamanian population, their conditioning factors and the prevailing political, economical and social context. According to the mandate of its Directing Council, INCAP has developed teaching activities in the field of food and nutrition at the subregional level, as a priority function. This function falls within the initiative of the plan of priority needs in health, promoted by the countries that integrate the Contadora group, the Central American area Governments and PAHO/WHO. The INCAP's human resources policy is centered on formation and training, which are closely linked to aspects such as holistic planning, recruiting, utilization and evaluation of human resources according to guidelines set up by the Central American countries and PAHO/WHO, in regard to the development of human resources in health and allied fields. The document herein discussed responds to the institutional objective of possessing an explicit guide to orient INCAP's technical cooperation in the programmatic area of human resources, pointing out priorities and fundamental aspects really effective in supporting the institutional development of the countries, thus contributing to the improvement of their food and nutrition situation. The experience accumulated by the Institute and the countries, in formation and training activities oriented to benefit the communities have also been considered in the present document. Likewise, strategies that guide the present and future actions according to the reality of the subregion have also been considered.