Meeting of the Global Nutrition Cluster Information Management and Knowledge Management Task Force
25th February 2015
Minutes and Notes
Background and summary
In July the GNC work plan for the next 2 years was presented and it included the KM and IM activities that this Task Force will supervise. The KM, IM and indicators activities are being developed at the moment the purpose of this meeting was to update the task force on the scheduled activities and next steps.
Meeting objectives:
· Update on KM activities, progress and input needed from the TF partners
· Update on the indicators working group.
· Update on the IM Toolkit review
· Preparation of the partners meeting in March
· Suggestions and inquires
Participants
The following were present in this skype meeting
· Jose Luis Alvarez, ACF UK
· Valerie Gatchell, ENN
· Charlotte d´Elloy, ACF-UK/GNC-CT
· Gavin Adam Wood, Inter-Cluster Information Management Specialist
· Rebecca Brown, CMAM forum
· Sarah Carr, World Vision
· Erin Boyd, USAID
The following members of the TF were not able to join this time and excused themselves
· Julie Tanaka, Samaritarian 's Purse
· Josephine Ippe, GNC-CT
· Gwenaëlle Garnier, ACF France
The call lasted around 45 min and we thank everyone for the efforts and patient to go through every point. The next bullet points summarize greatly the discussions and the next steps to follow
Update on Knowledge management activities
Val explained how the current PCA covers the first two activities of the KM working plan: the scoping exercise and the development of 4-6 case studies. The rest of the activities require extra funding.
A survey has been developed to share these themes and get feedback from NCCs/IMOs and identify countries with relevant experience around each theme. The survey will be sent out tomorrow and it is hoped that there will be significant feedback before the GNC face-to-face meeting so that a synthesis can be prepared for discussion. 12 potential themes have been identified. Each theme has a set of questions that a case study would aim to address (see annex 1)
If you have any feedback on the list of potential themes or what you would like to see in terms of the overall learning coming out of the process relevant for the global level/HQ please get in touch with Val.
There will not be a specific tool develop on how to build and prepare these cases studies. The case studies will be developed in a case by case mode.
Update on the Review of the IM toolkit
Charlotte will share the conceptual IM framework with the TF before Monday 2nd. Please send your comments as soon a possible so feedback can be given at the GNC partners meeting in March
It is important that NNC and RRTs get involved as soon as possible with the toolkit review. It was pointed out that in order to get a well consolidated toolkit additional time and expertise in information management might be needed according to experiences form other clusters
The nutrition cluster indicators
IYCF indicators have been reviewed and finalized. The capacity indicators are having a final review and will be finished early March, before the partners meeting.
It was agreed that all the indicators should be part of the Humanitarian Register as soon as they are finalized. It is clear that a more “friendly package” is needed as well as a “minimum set” of indicators for NNCs to report. It was agreed that as part of the IM toolkit review, the point of view of the NNCs will be gathered and the consultant will propose a way to deal with this tasks.
There is currently a review of the guidelines for the Humanitarian Register of indicators. It is important that comments from the nutrition sector are reflected in the guidelines. During the partners meeting in March we will decide on the best way to influence this guidelines
Finally, it was agreed that the next meeting will be a face to face meeting in Geneva during the partners meeting. We kindly request the GNC-CT to provide the space in the agenda for a side meeting of the IM/KM TF.
Annex 1:
Potential KM Case studies themes and key questions to answer under each
1. Cluster activation
o What were the activation criteria used to activate the Nutrition Cluster (NC)?
o Who was consulted in the process of activating the NC?
o What are the constraints and lessons learnt around activation?
o What is the role and mandate of nutrition working groups vs. official Nutrition Clusters?
o What other important aspects of NC activation should be highlighted in this exercise?
2. Cluster deactivation or transition
o What are/were the deactivation/transition criteria for the NC?
o Who was consulted in the process of deactivating the NC?
o What are the constraints and lessons learnt around deactivation?
o What other important aspects of deactivation should be highlighted in this exercise?
3. Leadership (government engagement)
o How has the role of the MoH vis-à-vis the NC changed over time and how this has impacted leadership for coordination? (Experiences in S Sudan, Pakistan, Yemen, Philippines?)
o What are the defining characteristics and catalysts for strong government co-leadership for nutrition coordination? (Kenya and Ethiopia characterised as strong government co-leadership vs. Somalia and S Sudan characterized as less strong leadership)
o How does the NC build government ownership/leadership for nutrition coordination throughout the response and where does the impetus for this come from? What capacity is required for this?
o How does co-leadership on nutrition coordination for the emergency response transition to government ownership as the emergency is downgraded? Who is responsible for/active in supporting government in sector coordination?
4. Coordination (NC/SUN/REACH inter-face)
o Is there any link between the NC and SUN?
o Is there any link between the NC and REACH?
o How do NCs protect, build or enhance sector coordination throughout an emergency so that sector coordination is stronger?
o How do NCs identify partner capacity and coordinate training and capacity building in Nutrition in Emergencies?
o What is the experience of the NCC in inputting/influencing the nutrition sensitivity of other clusters in their work (i.e.: ensuring the strongest linkages possible are made with nutrition and that nutrition objectives are explicitly identified and therefore included in design and monitoring)?
o How has the NC engaged with long-term nutrition coordination and planning mechanisms (SUN/REACH or national plans of action) during an emergency?
o How has the NC engaged with and potentially influenced the Common Results Framework for Nutrition being led by in-country SUN mechanisms?
o What is the experience between SUN and the NC in an emergency (sudden onset or protracted) - in terms of coordination of response, assessment and planning?
o What is the experience between REACH and the NC in an emergency (sudden onset or protracted) - in terms of coordination of response, assessment and planning?
o What are the experiences with transitioning nutrition coordination (and leadership) to (or back to) national coordination mechanisms and what has been/is the role of the NC, UNICEF and SUN (in countries that have signed on to SUN) in this?
5. Governance around country NC
o What types of staffing, management (including TOR for the cluster), SAG, working groups, technical groups, task force arrangements have been employed and what works best for a given situation?
o How to ensure communications, engagement and coordination of activities between sub-national and national clusters?
6. Assessment, information management and data use
o How to engage with multi-sectoral assessment teams (OCHA, MIRA, government etc.) to ensure timeliness of data, selection of relevant indicators and a comprehensive and objective nutrition analysis?
o How to ensure that the wide range of nutrition issues are reviewed (during situational analysis and assessment) and data are used to design an appropriate response?
o How are assessments used to prioritise needs?
o How to ensure/access the required capacity for assessment?
o How to ensure quality, timeliness and use of programme data/reports?
o How do NCs engage with other information management bodies like the Assessment Capacities Project (ACAPS)?
7. Planning
o How to ensure the development of the Strategic Response Plan (SRP) is consultative at sub-national level and that it reflects sub-national context?
o How to rationalise/prioritize meetings and circumnavigate administrative protocols to expedite the response process?
o How to embed knowledge management and learning into the planning of the response?
o How to effectively engage in cross-sectoral strategic planning and implementation? What skills, capacities, mechanisms and structures are required to facilitate cross sector planning/operations?
8. Preparedness
o How can the GNC and UNICEF Nutrition staff on the ground before cluster activation influence the development of effective nutrition preparedness?[1]
o How NCs can collaboratively develop and regularly update contingency plans?
o How do national nutrition plans reflect emergency preparedness?
o What role does SUN and REACH play in fostering nutrition preparedness with Governments?
9. Programme delivery and coverage (including contexts of scaling up)
o How to ensure all areas needing services are covered?
o How to access necessary human resources for scaling up programming? (NC and NC partners)
o How to ensure the coordination of emergency supplies and their accessibility for scale up in a timely manner (Philippines)
o How to advocate for increase in capacity and programme scale up with a cluster?
10. Ensuring adequate human resources for effectively addressing nutrition coordination functions
o In Level 3 and high profile protracted emergencies, how to avoid double hatting of CLA Nutrition staff for cluster functions?
o How to ensure proper handover of staff?
o How to leverage cluster partners as cluster co-leads/deputy coordinators?
o How to access technical expertise to support assessment, planning, implementation and transition?
11. Capacity development of government and local actors as part of the cluster response
o How to effectively identify government and local capacity for the technical and coordination skills required?
o How to access and engage with national institutions, cluster partners to support capacity development activities?
o How do NCs influence and support NC partners to build capacity in Nutrition in Emergencies?
o What are effective strategies to embed capacity development (for coordination and technical issues around nutrition in emergency) in the response, including how to ensure clear roles and responsibility for capacity building?
o How to ensure funding for capacity development during emergency response? (While included in SRP in several countries, what does this amount to in terms of capacity building funding and how are these activities prioritised?)
12. Funding for Nutrition
o What is the role of CHF funding on nutrition vs. other funding mechanisms? (Possible countries with experience: S Sudan, Pakistan, Yemen, and Philippines?)
o How to advocate and secure more predictable funding for nutrition in protracted emergencies (such as CAR, Somalia, S Sudan, Syria)
o How to advocate, secure and link more predictable funding for transition out of emergency funding mechanisms (Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nepal, Philippines)?
o How do NC protect emergency programme investments beyond the emergency? For example how do NCs work to ensure that programmes scaled up during the emergency – such as CMAM or other programming- are not downsized due to lack of funding?
o Has donor funding for the emerging resilience agenda and resulting programming in the country had any impact on funding allocated to nutrition, and if so, how?
5
[1] It is recognized that this question is also found in theme 2. As this is a list of potential themes from which 3-5 will be selected, all relevant questions under each theme are included so as not to miss out any questions once themes are selected.