NCC/IMO key challenges and needs GNC Annual meeting September 2014 Rome, Italy

Overview Humanitarian Programme Cycle Information Management Coordination by Cluster Core function

Humanitarian Programme Cycle Challenges (1) Timing- short period of time to do everything and how do you include everyone? Partners at national and regional level- unable to consult with them given short time frames. – Suggestions: – Pre-planning- Pull together analysis before OCHA’s deadline (September), NCC to influence OCHA rather than vice versa – NCC’s push for adequate time for sub-national level to input into guidance documents etc, directly with OCHA or to supervisors in CLA as CLA sits on HCT and also can influence timeline OCHA Guidance – OCHA wants to dictate. Determination caseloads and needs (and composition of analysis using composite index, ie: GIS map) for their purposes to look good. What is the recourse for NCCs? Who/where do they go to complain/raise this issue? How can the GNC support with OCHA at HQ?

Humanitarian Programme Cycle Challenges (2) Government input- How do you engage government in HNO in a context where the government is heavily involved (ie: Ethiopia)? If the government is involved they will have to ‘approve’ and it will take time? OCHA tools- do these actually help us analyse the situation on the ground appropriately? GIS map requires inputs (can be from IPC or others, country specific) results in humanitarian priority.

Support Needed Timeline. Discuss with OCHA how to influence timeframe for feedback/input into guidance documents and analysis (particularly to ensure partner, sub-regional, government involvement)-GNC Organization/analysis of secondary data. How does the cluster organize at country level to do this? If support is not there, how do we ensure this? GNC-CT could pull together experiences from different cluster countries to show the options of how this can/is being done across a range of contexts. Framework for analysis for OCHA. Guidance on analysis framework to allow NCCs/IMOs pull this together to influence the country management team-GNC

Information Management Challenges (1) Capacity. Often there is either no dedicated IM staff lack the capacity/skills set to deliver. Contract issues prevent good IM people from staying (SSA contract, short term etc.) Clarity on how to sustain IM support after initial emergency response has started and link with nutrition surveillance. Define Role of IM within CLA Lack of clarity on the role of IM in terms of their ability to support UNICEF programme as well as cluster- what are the roles of each where there are two? Also clarity on the role of the IMO around the programme cycle (expectations and outputs required) IMO’s responsibility/relationship towards OCHA and IMO working group. Mechanism for technical capacity/oversight provided by NCC to IM staff if IM is outsourced (ie. Yemen).

IM Challenges (2) Transition Arrangements Clarity/guidance on how to maintain capacity in IM when handing over to government. IM Vs KM Which way Fwd Where do NCCs get support for KM? Is it the IMO? No capacity, Skills set, time or support for KM. Data Issues Guidance on how to improve timeliness and quality of data Capacity of partners to do their own nutrition programme analysis Government ownership on data- who owns data collected by cluster partners/cluster?

Information Management Needs (1) Need a dedicated, skilled IM staff person for the cluster GNC-CT & Partners. Guidelines on quality control or how to do quality checks (for partners and NCC) Documenting good practice in the steps and process of information sharing in different contexts (recognizing the wider system/departments that nutrition fits in)-GNC-CT Clarity on who IMOs go to for technical support and mentoring at GNC level-GNC-CT. Toolkit is useful but guidance on how information is presented/analyzed/data based management (how to organize databases, clean databases) is needed-GNC-CT

Information Needs (2) How to calculate the usage of food commodities for main products (F-100, F-75 etc)-GNC-CT Assessments validation flow chart Guidance- how to standardize and validate-GNC-CT Cluster governance structures at country level (SAG, working groups etc.) and TORs-GNC-CT Mobile phone technology for reporting- guidance on how a nutrition cluster could benefit and experiences to date. GNC-CT Costing tool (included in CMAM caseload calculation tool but not for other nutrition interventions and commodities) and cost per beneficiary calculation (standard formula?)- GNC-CT

Cluster Coordination –Support service delivery –Inform the HC/HCT's strategic decision-making –Strategy development –Monitor and evaluate performance –Capacity building in preparedness and contingency planning. –Advocacy –Accountability to Affected populations

Support to service delivery Challenges Capacity mapping No standard management/reporting structures for cluster coordination- some more effective than others. Support needed Need a tool for capacity mapping and bottleneck analysis (GNC) Learning documented and guidance on what management/reporting structures work/don’t work in each context to help national advocacy and planning (GNC)

Inform strategic decision making Challenges Influencing HC/HCT and government in more sector- focused situations. Capacity limitation for nutrition assessments (and for agreement on methodologies ) lack of understanding who is responsible for doing assessments (partners) Lines of communication/influence are not clear or straightforward Government not wanting assessments due to potential political sensitivities. Support needed Guidance on global agreements (if they exist) with partners committed financial or otherwise to support clusters to do assessments /surveys and support to other cluster functions (GNC-CT) Global partners commitments to clusters (partners)

Strategy Development (1) Challenges Get connected to other clusters/other working groups developing other strategies; connecting with other actors  inter-cluster linkages How to cost nutrition activities? We need standard costing tools. How to connect to subnational clusters and engage them in strategic planning How do you bring this type of strategy development into a government system (specifically example of Ethiopia where government is very strong and already has its own mechanisms) Support Needed GNC to update on global OCHA costing tool for clusters (GNC-CT)

Strategy Development (2) Challenges Harmonisation between SRP projects costing and SRP project- less costing OPS  sometimes partners don’t want to include their projects or want to add them mid-year Poor quality of projects submitted in OPS by partners  takes a long time to review. Lack of vetting criteria How does short-term HPC programming fit into longer term country strategies. Support Needed Develop updated CAP/SRP tips. Develop “template” OPS project sheet for partners? Share Ethiopia OPS template-GNC-CT GNC to advocate for OPS- less SRPs? Reviewing OPS projects is too time- consuming (GNC-CT/NCCs. To be determined by HCTs).

Monitoring and Evaluation Challenges CCPM is very rigid. Is there possibility of tweaking questions to better reflect context? CCPM needs to also reflect national and sub- national levels (questions need to be contextualized). A CCPM every 6 months is not realistic Definition of field monitoring visits in terms of tasks (often end up doing technical/programme monitoring and not coordination monitoring) Translation of CCPM questionnaires is not always optimal. Support Needed Provide adequate translation of CCPM documents. GNC-CT to discuss with OCHA about CCPM questionnaire flexibility. Clarify at country level that targets should not necessarily be cumulated (i.e. targets for SRP should separate management of acute malnutrition from IYCF-E etc)-NCC Develop guidance for field monitoring of coordination activities-GNC-CT

CD in CP and Preparedness Challenges Clarify on what a capacity development plan might include. Big challenging trying to merge organisation contingency plans at inter-cluster level Developing stand-by agreements for partners in a preparedness approach has been challenging Challenges in partners being able to quickly respond and at scale Challenges in knowing what type of contingency planning to put in place for the nutrition sector Support Needed Develop guidance on capacity development for a response, along with roles and responsibilities. Clarify/Organize at global level what are the key partners that have these skills- GNC-CT Develop guidance on how to conduct capacity-mapping –GNC- CT Develop guidance on criteria for exit after Emergency response for nutrition partners-GNC Develop guidance on nutrition contingency planning

Advocacy (1) Challenges Definition of advocacy  many different views. How to take into account government advocacy initiatives? Many different levels of advocacy (programme, response etc) Confusion in terms of how to engage with donors for advocacy when there is a lot of bilateral funding. No template/guidance from GNC with regards to advocacy documents/advocacy strategies. Demarcation between advocacy done by NCC and advocacy done by CLA Support needed Disseminate advocacy package and develop country-level guidance on advocacy (GNC-CT) Develop GNC advocacy strategy (pillar one of workplan) and support country strategies dvpt (GNC-CT) Develop guidance on how to engage with other advocacy initiatives, SUN/Post 2015 Agenda etc. GNC Support comprehensive nutrition responses at global level (particularly IYCF-E)-GNC

Advocacy(2) Challenges Challenges in engaging in higher- level advocacy (what channels? What audience?) Development of bulletins is very time-consuming when coordination teams are small No definition at global level on how GNC relates to other global level advocacy initiatives (post 2015, etc) Advocacy to partners in terms of implementing comprehensive nutrition package (not just CMAM) not always very effective Support Needed Develop guidance on channels for advocacy (particularly online media)- GNC-CT Ensure that global partners advocacy trickles down to country-level. How can global-level advocacy be in harmony with country-level advocacy?Partners

Accountability to Affected populations Challenges No guidance on AAP, particularly specific to the nutrition sector. Unpack Activities for the cluster addressing AAP. Humanitarian priorities may overlook other needs in other areas where we are nonetheless accountable. Support Needed Hunger for knowledge on AAP. Unpack AAP for the nut cluster( GNC-CT) Provide Knowledge management on AAP (GNC- CT) Dissemination on best practices (GNC-CT).