West African decision makers will have a powerful new tool in devising new policies and evaluate existing initiatives for resilience building. CILSS has signed a memorandum of understanding with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for a technical Platform for the analysis and measurement of resilience of populations in the Sahel and West Africa (PTMR-SAO). The aim of the platform is to produce harmonised and consensual information and analysis of resilience at the national and regional levels. On the recommendation of the Food Crisis Prevention Network (RPCA), the platform will be implemented through inclusive process under the framework of the Global Alliance for Resilience (AGIR) – Sahel and West Africa. "To develop a methodology and tools, both consensual and adapted to the regional context, is crucial for decision makers," CILSS Executive Secretary Djimé Adoum said. "Our objective is to provide the necessary information to adequately guide the policies aiming to reinforce population's resilience in the Sahel and West Africa." The platform also seeks to promote synergies among regional and international partners working in the field of resilience. A series of consultations will be organised at national and regional levels to identify the necessary data and define the analytical framework for measuring resilience in the region. While the aim is to cover all 17 ECOWAS, UEMOA and CILSS member states, the initial phase of the project will focus on Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal. The new platform is a long-standing collaboration between CILSS and FAO within the framework of the European Union-FAO partnership programme “Information for Nutrition Food Security and Resilience for Decision Making” (INFORMED). The two organisations have previously worked, together  with other partners, on the development of the Cadre harmonisé  to identify areas and populations facing food and nutrition insecurity in West Africa and the Sahel.