The Council ensures high-level political decision making on food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture, inter-ministerial coordination where policies concern more than one ministry, and resource mobilisation for development financing. The Working Group considers strategies, policies and interventions for possible follow-up at ministerial level, reviews and develops national priority goals and interventions, and exchanges information on initiatives. Together they monitor physical and financial progress, report results, and advocate for policy or regulatory change.

The Council and the Working Group together are tasked with the following roles (building blocks):

• Agenda setting: advocacy and dialogue; deciding on goals and strategic priorities

• Policy formulation and decision making: providing technical advice; coordinating policy development; developing policies for consideration by the relevant authorities; deciding and enacting them

• Implementation: coordinating financial resources and the budget

• Monitoring and evaluation: tracking progress, evaluating and reporting