<![CDATA[The literature on school meal programs is rich in assessing educational and nutritional outcomes, yet limited in providing a realistic evaluation framework for programs still in their early implementation phase. This article develops a phased evaluation framework for the Free Nutritional Meals Program (MBG) in Indonesia through a qualitative comparative study based on document analysis of MBG, PNAE in Brazil, and PM POSHAN in India. A structured focused comparison method was used to examine the legal basis, division of authority, implementation standards, social control mechanisms, and program linkages to the local economy. The analysis yields four main findings: program performance is shaped by legal institutionalization and clarity of mandates; operational standards determine service stability in the early phase; institutionalized social control strengthens accountability; and linking the program to local procurement expands its public value. Based on these findings, this article proposes an MBG evaluation framework with three time horizons: 0–2 years for implementation effectiveness; 3–5 years for educational, nutritional, and local economic outcomes; and 5–10+ years for human resource development impact and policy sustainability. The novelty of this article lies in the development of a time-horizon-based evaluation matrix that is operationalizable for monitoring and subsequent research.]]>
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