National nutrition information systems: technical note: designing effective data

Overview

This series of technical notes is produced on different topics of a national nutrition information system (NNIS) that are included in the first-ever global guidance on NNIS published in 2021. While the fundamental modules of the guidance describe the basics of a NNIS, each technical note deals with a specific topical area and presents details on those topics. The technical notes will help design and implement a NNIS and/or integrate a nutrition information system in the existing health management information system. 

The success of a national nutrition information system depends predominantly on how to transform data into actionable evidence. Data visualization involves the use of graphic displays of data to tell a story in a simpler way. This technical note presents tips for selecting and producing effective data visualizations for a wide range of purposes and audiences. It complements the technical note “The power of nutrition dashboards, profiles and scorecards”.