Supporting SMARTer Commitments for Stronger Nutrition Accountability

A key finding from the 2021 Commitment Progress Report was that commitments which are SMART—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound—are more likely to be reported on. With the 2025 Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit concluded and the submission window for new N4G commitments closing on 30 June 2025, the Global Nutrition Report (GNR) has released a technical brief highlighting its work to support commitment makers in registering SMARTer commitments while ensuring comparability with previous data.

Informed by feedback from stakeholders and commitment makers, the GNR revised the 2021 commitment registration form and launched the updated version in December 2024 for use at the 2025 N4G Summit and beyond. The new brief, “Improving the Registration of SMART Commitments: A Comparison of the 2025 and 2021 NAF Commitment Registration Forms”, outlines the changes GNR has introduced.

The 2025 commitment registration form features a clearer structure, moving from a goal-level to a commitment-level design, with refined fields to capture equity dimensions and financial details. Improved formatting, such as drop-down menus and conditional questions, further enhance usability. Explanatory text and availability in multiple languages help ensure that all commitment makers can navigate the form confidently. A sensitivity analysis presented in the brief shows that the updated form and SMARTness methodology preserve comparability with earlier data while strengthening the quality and clarity of the submitted information.

These revisions represent a meaningful step towards more robust, trackable commitments, enabling consistent monitoring of progress over time. They provide a stronger foundation for analysing trends, assessing accountability, and identifying areas of greater need. Together, the updates in the 2025 commitment registration form position the GNR and the wider nutrition community to better monitor progress towards nutrition targets and hold commitment makers accountable for delivering on their pledges.