Presentation roadmap. Why do alliances emerge? Why was a nutrition alliance needed in West Africa? How did the alliance develop, and what did it do?

Presentation roadmap Why do alliances emerge? Why was a nutrition alliance needed in West Africa? How did the alliance develop, and what did it do? What of it today? A few words about my career in development

What Alliances have I been a part of? Function Members My role REACH Technical working group (Mauritania) Developing National Nutrition Action Plan Fund-raising and advocating for child nutrition National representatives of Ministries, NGOs, UN Agencies, Donors Establish Facilitate Today s focus Nutrition working group (West Africa) Advocacy, coordination, research, capacity building Regional representatives of UN Agencies, and Donors Establish Facilitate Roll-out REACH in West Africa Regional representatives of FAO, UNICEF, WFP, WHO Programme Managers

Why organizations resort to partnerships To enhance efficiency and effectiveness through a reliance on comparative advantages and a rational division of labor. This entails incremental (though possibly dramatic) improvements in the delivery of development initiatives. To provide the multi-actor, integrated solutions required by the scope and nature of the problems being addressed. Without this approach, the effort would be impossible. To move from a no-win situation among multiple actors to compromise and potential win-win. It may be possible to continue without a partnership but stakeholders would remain dissatisfied and continue to incur losses. To open decision making processes to promote the public good. The normative dimension seeks to maximize representation and democratic processes; the pragmatic perspective views this as ensuring sustainability. Brinkerhoff, 2002

Why else are alliances particularly popular in development? Collaborative instruments and entities like joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions are less available Policy, bureaucracy and structures are rigid Fear of commitment, or the ephemeral client organization beneficiary relationship Global geyser of development initiatives

West Africa needed an Alliance on child nutrition Motivation Situation in West Africa in 2007-8 Enhance efficiency and effectiveness through a reliance on comparative advantages and a rational division of labor Provide the multi-actor, integrated solutions required by the scope and nature of the problems Move from a no-win situation among multiple actors to compromise and potential win-win. Open decision making processes to promote the public good. Maximize representation and democratic processes, and ensure sustainability. Relative capabilities of NGOs and UN Multitude of actors Poor coordination across actors High and stagnant malnutrition rates Causes of malnutrition are multisectoral Solutions can be regional, eg. fortification Advocacy objectives differed and missed Tense Agency and individual relations Remote actors absent, broken networks High rotation discontinued projects

Slow progress towards MDG 1 Underweight in West Africa Mauritania Mali Niger Cape Verde Senegal Chad Gambia The Burkina Faso Guinea-Bissau Guinea Sierra Leone Liberia Côte d Ivoire Togo Ghana Benin Nigeria Cameroon Central African Republic Equatorial Guinea no progress or getting worse insufficient progress on track Sao Tome and Principe Gabon Congo Congo Dem. Rep. Insufficient evidence Source: UNICEF Progress for Children, http://www.unicef.org/progressforchildren/2006n4/map/index.html

The complex chain of causes and solutions to malnutrition Source: The Lancet, 2013

Low exclusive breastfeeding from 0 to 5 months (%,2000 2007) Source: http://www.childingo.org 50 % or more 20-49% <20% Data not available

Large and complex problems create vast landscapes of actors Source: World Bank 2006

A recent example of the initiative geyser Global Launched: Rio, June 22 2012 Signed: Davos, January 23, 2014 Africa Launched: Addis, July 2013 Signed: Addis, 13 January, 2014 West Africa Approved: July 2013 Re-affirmed: Septembrer 2013 11

Objectives of Nutrition Working Group Roles Advocacy and communication Partnership and coordination Research and knowledge management Capacity building Description Strengthened advocacy and communication efforts and capacity to ensure a high profile for Nutrition Support effective regional and national coalitions Regular and up to date analysis of the extent of the problem, gaps and opportunities Generate Human resources, and strengthen institutional frameworks Objectives Raise awareness and harmonize communication Governments incorporate Nutrition in planning Mobilize resources for scale-up from government Ensure effectiveness of coordination mechanisms Implement REACH facilitated process Facilitate creation of regional coalitions Drive or support diagnostic processes Drive regional research activities Organize, discuss and disseminate knowledge Support initiatives to foster research and education Drive long-term initiatives for development of HR Strengthen institutional frameworks for research

The Alliance was active across several of its objectives Roles Advocacy and communication Partnership and coordination Research and knowledge management Capacity building Objectives Raise awareness and harmonize communication Governments incorporate Nutrition in planning Mobilize resources for scale-up from government Ensure effectiveness of coordination mechanisms Implement REACH facilitated process Facilitate creation of regional coalitions Drive or support diagnostic processes Drive regional research activities Organize, discuss and disseminate knowledge Support initiatives to foster research, education Drive long-term initiatives for development of HR Strengthen institutional frameworks for research Significant activity

Evolution in membership and scope Membership 2009 FAO HKI Micronutrient Init. UNICEF WFP ECHO Steer IYCN research First workplan Save the Children UK Roll-out REACH WHO Coordinated presentations Second workplan ACF Counterpart CRF Joint Resolutions World Bank USAID EU CRS Nutrition training for journalists (Burkina Faso, Niger, Mauritania, Senegal) Scope (commitment, scale, funding) Nutrition Advocate for West Africa Food Security and Nutrition linkages workshop 2012 Capacity development initiative

Joint presentations at CILSS, AHM and ECOWAS CILSS Meeting focused on Food and Nutrition situation in West Africa Group is lobbying for integration of Nutrition into the agenda Presentation to be prepared and validated by the group and presented by one member Assembly of Health Ministers Group is lobbying for the inclusion in the agenda of a session on Status of Dissemination and Implementation of Nutrition Resolution of July 2009 Presentation will be based on a mini-survey to be run by group and completed by country level Focal Points ECOWAS Nutrition Forum Theme of technical component will be Planning and Fundraising ECOWAS asked UNICEF to act as technical lead partner Group members will discuss approach, and prepare and validate modules Participation at events was coordinated across partners, in terms of defining themes, preparing content, and delivery

Resolution of the 10th Ordinary Assembly of Health Ministers of ECOWAS, Yamoussoukro - July 2009 Vitamin A supplementation for child survival Infant and Young Child Nutrition Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition Capacity building for public health nutrition Universal VAS coverage Institutionalize twice-yearly child survival events Ensure coordination of other programs Include VAS coverage into key performance indicators Scale-up effective breastfeeding promotion Develop models to make complementary feeding interventions more effective Put into place high-level and effective coordination mechanisms for nutrition Integration of training on management of acute malnutrition into health curriculum Therapeutic nutrition products included in supply chain Health clinics screen children for malnutrition Assembly of Health Ministers calls on the West African Health Organization to host the Coordinating Center for the West Africa Public Health Nutrition Initiative

Recruitment of a Nutrition Champion for West Africa Identify an individual with the capacity to engage governments in serious dialogue regarding: the need for empowered governance structures for Nutrition the benefits of increased investment in Nutrition the multi-sectoral nature of Nutrition It was agreed candidates should be eminent leaders from the spheres of: Politics Science Business And the Champion should accept the position pro-bono A 2-year process for selection of the individual: Agencies compiled a long-list of candidates Participating partners analyzed potential legal and financial modalities A short-list of three candidates was developed The first candidate was approached by the UNICEF Country Office and was not receptive The second candidate will be approached by the OCHA Regional Director

The launch of the Advocate

The Advocate spoke at the2011 UN General Assembly, in addition to visiting Burkina Faso and Niger Network effects: Burkina Faso accepts invitation Network effects: A phone call offering him a place at the table Je suis Antonio Mascarenhas Monteiro, ancien Président du Cap Vert, mais je parle aujourd hui en tant qu Emissaire de la Nutrition pour l Afrique de l Ouest. Il est urgent d agir maintenant si l on veut briser le cycle vicieux de la pauvrete et accelerer le developpement economique et social. D autres pays dans le monde qui etaient dans notre situation il y a deux decennies, telle la thailande, ont pu sortir la grande majorite de leur population de la pauvrete en investissant dans le secteur social, y compris la nutrition. Pendant ces trois minutes de parole ; 3 enfants sont décèdes en Afrique de l Ouest a cause de la malnutrition. Des centaines d autres vont souffrir de dommages irréversibles tout le reste de leur vie. C est pourquoi la nutrition doit devenir et demeurer une priorité nationale, régionale et globale.

Roll-out of the REACH initiative in West Africa Since 2008 UN, ECHO, others 2010-2012 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Mauritania Sierra Leone Mali Since 2012 CIDA Burkina Faso Ghana Since 2012 CIDA funding Since 2012 EU funding Niger Chad Since 2013 EU funding Network effects: WHO speaks out a conference The Advocate s visit briefs the President ECHO leads to the EU

Three major growth challenges : Relationships, relationships and relationships Type of organization Donors versus NGOs v. UN Large v. small Operational v. normative Quick v. slow Disparate locations Flag waving Mostly among UN Agencies Personalities Mandates Conflicting messages from above and below

Some lessons for the future Lack of formal financial procedures Rotation of members Changes in the context and mission

Global initiatives have now taken the lead on advocacy and inter-agency collaboration