Joyce Njoro, Senior Programme Officer, REACH/UN Network for SUN
- 1. Assessing Functional Capacity- Areas of consideration June 2015 Joyce Njoro
- 2. Overview of the REACH approach – 2015 2 Agenda 1. Introduction 2. Functional capacities Elements • Engaging in multi-stakeholder dialogue • Assessing a situation and creating a vision and mandate • Formulating policies, strategies and action plans • Budgeting, managing and implementation • Monitoring evaluation and learning 3. Developing a capacity strengthening plan
- 3. Overview of the REACH approach – 2015 3 Functional Capacity for nutrition governance Capacity development includes both technical and functional capacities. Functional capacities are defined as essential management skills that enable actors to plan, manage, change and sustain technical capacities- regardless of the sector or organization1. Technical capacities, on the other hand, vary and are closely related to the sector or organizational context in focus. They are associated with particular areas of professional expertise. In nutrition these may include; infant and young child feeding; disease prevention and control; agriculture; food security; education1. REACH is working in 15 countries where it supports the development of functional capacities related to nutrition governance. These include capacities for effective multi- sector and multi-stakeholder coordination for the elaboration, management and implementation of the national nutrition policies, strategies and plans at both national and sub-national levels. 1 FAO (2010). “Corporate Strategy on Capacity Development.” Rome
- 4. Overview of the REACH approach – 2015 4 Infantandyoungchildfeeding Functional capacities enable the sustainable development of technical capacities Adapted from FAO Corporate Strategy for Capacity Development, 2009. FUNCTIONAL capacities TECHNICAL capacities Engaging in multi-stakeholder dialogues Assessing a situation and creating a vision and mandate Formulating policies , strategies and action plans Budgeting, management and implementation Monitoring, evaluation and learning Waterandsanitation …andmanyothers Householdfoodsecurityand sustainablelivelihoods Diseasepreventionandcontrol Healthsystemsstrengthening Dietdiversification
- 5. Overview of the REACH approach – 2015 5 Functional Capacities can be assessed at three different levels Enabling Environment • Do policies and legal framework facilitate multi- sectoral/multi-stakeholder action? • Is the socio-political environment facilitative? Organisational level • Which organisations are relevant to nutrition? • Are the organisations goals, mission and vision aligned to the national nutrition priorities? • How is nutrition articulated/mainstreamed within the institution? • How do the organisations interact with each other and how do they build synergies and meaningful partnerships? Individual level • Do individuals have relevant skills, knowledge and attitudes to achieve their organisational/institutional goals? • What are the incentives that facilitate staff performance? • Are staff adequately supported to perform their roles?
- 6. Overview of the REACH approach – 2015 6 Capacity needs differ depending on where countries are Mobilisation phase Planning phase Roll-out phase • Countries require support in setting up a multi-sectoral bodies (e.g. Secretariat, working group) to coordinate the scale-up • Support with stock taking and joint advocacy, visioning • and require minimum support • Develop/review policy and plan • Scale-up discussions • Multi-sectoral platform exisits but requires some support for full operations • Putting in place M&E systems • Developing sub-national plans • Resource mobilisation • Multi-sectoral platforms are operational and require minimum support Level of complexity
- 7. Overview of the REACH approach – 2015 7 Agenda 1. Introduction 2. Functional capacities elements • Engaging in multi-stakeholder dialogue • Assessing a situation and creating a vision and mandate • Formulating policies, strategies and action plans • Budgeting, managing and implementation • Monitoring evaluation and learning 3. Developing a capacity strengthening plan
- 8. Overview of the REACH approach – 2015 8 1. Engaging in Multi-stakeholder dialogues and partnerships • Engage and build consensus on nutrition issues among all stakeholders • Coordinate stakeholders and establish collaborative mechanisms; • Create partnerships and networks; • Advocate and raise awareness around nutrition issues; • Develop an enabling environment that engages all relevant stakeholders; • Mediate divergent interests and build trust. Nutrition Secretariat Technical Level Coord. Mech. High Level Coord. Mech. Measurable Results Sector Coord. Mech. SUN networks Sub-national Coord. Mech. SUN FP
- 9. 9 Nutrition Governance Mechanisms in countries where REACH is present High Level Supra Ministerial OP, VP, PM Planning Comm. Chair: Host or Minister Membership: Mostly all government Line Ministry (LM) Ministry of Health or Agriculture Chair: Host Working/Technical Level Supra ministerial or LM Chair: Supra ministerial body or Line Ministry May have co-chairing arrangements Nutrition Secretariats Supra ministerial body or LM May have technical nutrition responsibilities and/or coordination role Members Mostly all gov., includes S/H in few countries Members Gov., & S/H SUN MSP 4-100 staff Policy & Strategic Direction Support implm. & advice High level comm. Support M/S coordination SFP The mechanisms have varying capacity needs to attain full function
- 10. Overview of the REACH approach – 2015 10 Aligning nutrition coordination architecture to existing structures- Ghana Proposed nutrition coordination structure CSPG Large s/H groups convened by NDPC with membership from national to sub-national level e.g. CSPG Nutrition has > 60 members Mandated to meet on a quarterly basis but in practice are convened on need basis (e.g. to validate policy) Roles and resp. of this group not clearly defined , however, 6 working groups with TOR for specific tasks Secretariat functions not fully integrated into the NDPC functions and therefore have a resource capacity gap (staff, finances etc)
- 11. Lack of high level multi-sectoral nutrition coordination mechanism Level Degree of multi- sectorality Sector Working Groups (e.g. Agric, Educ, Health, Social Welfare, WASH) Agriculture Nutrition Coordination NCHCB NANUPACC CSPG* Sectoral Multi-sectoral TECHNICALDGMinisterialPresidential No multi-sector high level mechanism exists for nutrition Ensuring political and technical level leadership for multi-sectoral nutrition actions
- 12. Health Sector Sector Working Group (SWG) Ministry of Health Director General General Administration Finance HR for Health Development Policy Planning Monitoring & Evaluation Other Directorates Ensuring effective engagement at the sector level DP Group Note: NANUPACC - National Nutrition Partners Coordinating Committee, CSPG – Cross-Sectoral Planning Group Ghana Health Services Director General National Child Health Coordinating Body (NCHCB) Public Health Policy Planning Monitoring & Evaluation HRFamily Health Other Divisions Nutrition Health Promotion Geriatric Care Reproductive and Child Health NANUPACC Disease Surveillance Disease Control
- 13. Overview of the REACH approach – 2015 13 2. Assessing a situation and creating a vision • Define a common vision on how to address the nutrition problem with buy-in from all stakeholders; • Ensure that the common vision translates into a rallying call for action – political, financial, technical, organizational etc; • Effective communication of the common vision to all stakeholders; • Use of evidence to understand and respond to issues holistically, to design evidence-based policies and programmes and to anticipate long-term needs as well as risks through effective synthesis of information.
- 14. Overview of the REACH approach – 2015 14 Defining and sustaining a common vision in Nepal Mobilising S/H and defining common vision Policy strategy and action plan dev. Implementation and scale-up In Nepal, stakeholders worked together to define a common vision for nutrition and develop a policy, strategy and action plan The country is having challenges sustaining the common vision, which can be attributed to: • Turn-over of leaders and nutrition champions • Entry of new members • Increased demands and responsibilities as the country moves to implementation Scaling up nutrition
- 15. Overview of the REACH approach – 2015 15 3. Formulating policies and strategies • Capacity to formulate a common results framework that binds all the actors into a common purpose • Facilitate formulation of multi-sectoral legislation, policies, strategies; • Lead, manage and coordinate participation of key actors in a transparent manner • Analyse a range of development parameters that may affect needs and performance; explore different perspectives; long-term strategizing; and setting common objectives. • Aligning of sector policies and strategies to national nutrition priorities • Clarity of mandates, strategies, inter-sectoral collaboration, processes etc.
- 16. 16 Ghana – NNP finalisation and sector policy / strategy alignment National Nutrition Policy Implementation Plan Multi-sectoral Lead Sector: Ministry of Health Health Agriculture & Food EducationHealth Agriculture Education Other Sectors Sector Policy / Strategy informs Current Status: Finalisation of Implementation Plan Next steps: Alignment of sector policies/ strategies to NNP
- 17. Overview of the REACH approach – 2015 17 4. Budgeting, managing and implementing • Ensure that nutrition actions are integrated into the sector/ sub-national medium term and annual work plans • Mobilise resources from government and development partners to fund nutrition actions • Project management capacities at different levels to coordinate, manage and implement nutrition plans in a multi-sector way. • Manage and coordinate intra/inter-sectoral linkages at implementation and to ensure alignment by all stakeholders • Foster linkages and communication lines between sectors, stakeholders, national and sub-national structures • Project management capacities at different levels to coordinate, manage and implement nutrition plans in a multi-sector way. • Foster linkages between sectors, stakeholders, national and sub-national structures
- 18. Overview of the REACH approach – 2015 18 National Medium-Term Development Policy Framework and opportunities to integrate nutrition National Development Planning Commission Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda Health Annual Work Plan Food & Agriculture Annual Work Plan Education Annual Work Plan Ministry X Annual Work Plan Health MTDP Food & Agriculture MTDP Education MTDP Ministry X MTDP Note: MTDP – Medium-Term Development Plan Supplementary guidelines for nutrition developed Nutrition integrated into national budget framework 4-5 years 4 years 1 year National Development Vision20 years Implementation coordinated by respective Sector Working Groups How to integrate nutrition actions into MTDPs? Ministry of Finance Opportunity to mobilise resources and align partner support and programmes to government priorities How to ensure nutrition is prioritised in annual plans? Extent to which nutrition is integrated into the national Planning framework
- 19. Overview of the REACH approach – 2015 19 District Planning District Planning • In Nepal, NPC has the mandate to manage implementation, and through the NNFSS, capacity of districts to develop nutrition plans has been developed starting with 6 districts prioritised for scale-up. • These 6 districts have developed multi-sectoral nutrition plans that are aligned to the national budget cycle and have received funding from the MOF following lobbying by the NPC • The next step is to scale-up this support to other districts
- 20. Overview of the REACH approach – 2015 20 5. Monitoring, evaluation and learning • Monitor progress, commitments, evaluate outcomes and accurately measure results for learning, feedback, decision making and accountability • Draw lessons and link to policy dialogue, planning and improved management of implementation • Identify and agree on indicators to be tracked to measure change • Link M&E results to policy dialogue, planning and management of implementation of the nutrition action plan.
- 21. Overview of the REACH approach – 2015 21 Nepal has advanced significantly in developing its M&E capacities • Through the M&E working group, all sectors have participated in developing a consolidated and sector M&E framework including identifying of indicators. • A common M&E platform is being designed and will be hosted and managed by the NFNSS (NPC). • National M&E guidelines for the MNSP have been developed to guide sectors and districts. • An online information portal to disseminate reports to wider stakeholders and decision makers has been defined. • A national nutrition dashboard has been developed. Each line ministry also has in place its dashboard for nutrition. • Leadership to operationalize the M&E framework at sector level. • Definition of reporting and communication lines between the district and the NNFSS for M&E. • Definition of modalities to share information to the district and community level without internet The information portal, while a good platform for knowledge sharing, is not easy to access by districts and communities without internet access. • M&E staff capacities are weak, most M&E focal points at sector and district level do not have the relevant M&E skills FUNCTIONAL capacities developed Areas that need strengthening
- 22. Overview of the REACH approach – 2015 22 Agenda 1. Introduction 2. Functional capacities elements • Engaging in multi-stakeholder dialogue • Assessing a situation and creating a vision and mandate • Formulating policies, strategies and action plans • Budgeting, managing and implementation • Monitoring evaluation and learning 3. Developing a plan
- 23. Overview of the REACH approach – 2015 23 Functional Capacity strengthening The essence of assessing capacity gaps is to support countries to take action to strengthen the weak areas. The country stakeholders can therefore: • Identify and prioritise strategies to address existing gaps. These strategies can range from a more strategic long term to short term actions. • Develop a costed functional capacity development plan with clear roles and responsibility • To the extent possible, this should be incorporated into the national nutrition action plan • Resource mobilisation for capacity development
- 24. Overview of the REACH approach – 2015 24 Excerpt of a functional national capacity development plan- Ghana Capacity need Indicators Timeline Responsible Support Engaging in dialogues, partnerships and networks Define the nutrition governance structure for nutrition at national, regional and district level, indicating linkages, membership, roles and responsibility and include in national nutrition policy/implementation plan. - Endorsed coordination framework Short term SUN Secretariat CSPG nutrition, SUN networks Advocate for establishment and operationalization of a nutrition inter-ministerial and a nutrition technical committee. - TORs - No. of meetings Short term NDPC- SUN focal point SUN Focal Point, CSPG, UN, CSO, Donor network Operationalize CSPG thematic working groups, identify leadership roles from NTCC, action plans and reporting. - TOR - No. of meetings Short term NDPC- SUN focal point SUN Focal Point, CSPG, UN, CSO, Donor network Establish and operationalise the SUN secretariat and fully integrate its functions in NDPC. - Organogram & org. profile - Staff job descriptions - Performance contracts - Nutrition governance budget line Medium term NDPC SUN Focal Point, CSPG, UN, Donor network Document lessons from existing pilots in three regions and few districts and scale-up nutrition coordination mechanisms at regional and district level. - % of regions and districts with functional nutrition coordination mechanisms Long term CSPG, NDPC NTCC, UN, CSO Develop TORs for each SUN Network and strengthen the networks internal organisation to better engage with government. - TORs for each network groups - Documented SUN Network deliverables and support Short term SUN network groups NTCC and SUN Secretariat
- 25. Overview of the REACH approach – 2015 25 THANK YOU