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Evaluation of the Key to the Government’s Success in the Free Nutritious Meal Program

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By Dwita Amalia )*

The Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG) initiated by the government has entered the evaluation stage after almost a month. This evaluation is the main key in ensuring the sustainability and increasing the effectiveness of the program which aims to improve student nutrition and health through the provision of free nutritious food in schools.
Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka emphasized that the provision of menus in this program has been directly monitored by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) and is considered quite good. However, the government remains open to input from the media and the public to further evaluate the food menu provided. This shows the government’s commitment to ensuring that every aspect of this program truly meets optimal nutritional standards for students.
In its implementation, the MBG program in Minahasa Regency and Manado City received strict supervision through monitoring and evaluation from various parties. The Head of the Education Quality Assurance Center (BPMP) of North Sulawesi Province, Febry Dien, stated that this program was running well based on reports from meetings with recipient schools, coordination with MBG implementers, and monitoring by the Nutrition Monitoring and Supervision Unit (SPPG) in Langowan. The monitoring report has been submitted to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) for further follow-up.
Full support from Kemendikdasmen is also an important factor in the success of this program. The government has assigned BPMP to continue to provide assistance in verifying data on the number of beneficiary students. The accuracy of this data is crucial so that in implementing the program nationally, the distribution of nutritious food can be carried out in a targeted and efficient manner.
In addition to the monitoring and assistance aspects, the evaluation of the MBG program also includes adjustments to the food menu provided. The government wants to ensure that every food provided not only meets nutritional standards but also suits the tastes and eating habits of children in each region. Therefore, community involvement in providing feedback is a very important factor in improving this program.
Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said that President Prabowo Subianto gave a positive assessment of the implementation of the MBG program that has been running. Based on the results of his visit to the implementation location, the President concluded that most of the programs had run well. However, evaluations are still being carried out to increase their effectiveness. This evaluation will then be submitted to the National Nutrition Agency to be followed up with the necessary improvements.
President Prabowo’s commitment to perfecting the MBG program is a guarantee that this program will not only stop as an initial initiative, but will continue to develop to be able to reach all Indonesian children. With more accurate data and ongoing evaluation, the MBG program is expected to be expanded to more areas with a more mature distribution system.
The success of this program also depends on the synergy between the central government, local governments, schools, and the community. Schools as program implementers must ensure that the food provided meets standards and is on time. Local governments are responsible for supporting effective supervision and distribution. Meanwhile, the community has a role in providing input and overseeing the implementation of the program at the local level.
In the long term, the MBG program can be one solution to addressing the problems of malnutrition and stunting in Indonesia. Through continuous evaluation, this program can be refined so that it not only provides short-term benefits for student health, but also contributes to improving the quality of human resources in the future.
The government must ensure that every evaluation result is followed up with concrete steps, such as adjusting the menu based on local needs, improving the quality of food ingredients, and optimizing the distribution system so that no school is missed in receiving benefits. Thus, the MBG program can continue to run sustainably and provide a real impact on the nation’s next generation.
In addition, the aspect of funding sustainability must also be considered. The government continues to strive to design a clear financing mechanism so that this program does not only last in the short term but also continues in the long term. The involvement of the private sector, philanthropy, and funding schemes from various institutions can be a solution to ensure the sustainability of MBG without relying entirely on the state budget.
As part of the evaluation, the monitoring and transparency system in the implementation of MBG must also be strengthened. An open and participatory reporting mechanism will allow the community toparticipate in supervising the program. With strict supervision, the potential for deviations or inefficiencies in food distribution can be minimized.
The MBG program has brought significant benefits to students, especially in ensuring that they get sufficient nutritional intake to support the learning process. However, challenges in implementation must still be overcome so that this program can run better in the future. Comprehensive evaluation and involvement of various parties are key to perfecting this program so that its benefits can be felt optimally by all Indonesian children.

)* the author is a social policy observer

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