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Learning Route Program Overview

Cecilia Ruberto, SUN Civil Society Learning Route Program Coordinator

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SUN Networks align their efforts behind country led plans for nutrition

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39 SUN countries with established Civil Society Alliances (CSAs)

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Areas of intervention of the SUN Civil Society Alliances

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General coordinates

• Funded by the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF)• Two learning routes, one in South East Africa (Rwanda), one in Asia,

at least 14 Civil Society Alliances (CSAs)• Timeframe: 2nd February 2015 to 31st January 2018 (2015 inception

phase, 2016-2017 implementation)• Cost: £1,009,038 • Coordination: SUN CSN Secretariat• Best practices systematization and learning exchanges facilitation:

PROCASUR Corporation

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What is a Learning Route?

• A Learning Route is a capacity building tool, developed by Procasur Corporation, designed as a facilitated planned journey with specific learning objectives.

• A LR is an on-going peer-to-peer training process that makes room for discussion, analysis and reflection, while encouraging an active and mutual knowledge exchange between participants and their hosts.

• Best Practices: the process that led to the success constitutes the heart of the Learning Program

• Key people in the host country (we call them ‘Local Champions’) lead the learning routes and act as the trainers.

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Learning themes

• Policy review, policy tracking, participatory and democratic processes;

• Engagement and stimulation of multi stakeholder platforms• Budget tracking, data collection and sharing • Advocacy• Social mobilization and campaign/ Communication• Good governance

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Learning Route objectives

• To enhance CSAs Social Mobilisation, Advocacy and Communications skills to become stronger nutrition advocates and support the delivery of national nutrition priorities

• CSAs use budget tracking and advocacy skills to hold governments accountable for delivering on nutrition commitments.

• Learn from the CSAs and share learning with the SUN community of practice.

• Increase national government understanding and prioritisation of nutrition

CIFF Outcome: “Nutrition policies, plans and strategies for improved delivery and accountability on nutrition commitments are operationalized”

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Learning targets

• At least 14 CSAs involved in 2 learning route• At least 60 individuals representing 14 CSAs participate

to the LR (50% women)• At least 200 CSOs are aware of innovation plans/new

ideas discussed during LR and 100 CSOs are “gaining” from the participants’ learnings and new ideas (action plan).

• At least 50% of the innovation plans are implemented• At least 5 CSAs are actively supporting each other • At least 10 CSAs participating, recognize benefits

associated to the Theory of Change expected outcomes

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Africa Learning Needs Survey

More about: Learning Route survey

• Unpack the macro-learning areas identified during the inception phase

• To define learning route core learning areas: matching needs and expertise

• Sets the baseline of the project, profiling CSAs intervention (complemented by Annual Survey)

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Survey findingsAnglophone Africa

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Learning needs and expertise matching (Anglof Africa LR)

This is a snapshot: complete learning matching available here

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Learning Route Anglophone Africa

• Foster regional hub (South-East region)11 CSAs applied in Africa

• Rwanda selected as Learning Route Country Host

EthiopiaKenyaMalawiRwandaSierra Leone

NamibiaNigeriaTanzaniaUgandaZambiaZimbabwe

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Learning Route in Rwanda: Why?

• The young Alliance is increasingly getting stronger and influential within member CSOs & Governmental institution.

• The Alliance has clear governance tools that ensures CSOs participation, representation and decentralized intervention with clear overall strategy.

• Successful experiences that match with the Learning Route audience needs

• Great proactivity and receptiveness of the CSOs leads in sharing and discussing limits, gaps, challenges of the Alliance  and interest in learning from other CSAs.

• Great interest of Donors and UN in having a strong and visible CSAs that collectively advocate and engage at national and decentralized level for effective strategies to eliminate malnutrition.

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Areas of learning Rwanda

• Policy review • Advocacy• Campaign and social mobilization• Governance• Multi-stakeholders platform engagement• Integrated approach to eliminate malnutrition• Collaboration among multi-actors: gov, non gov, international and

small ngos

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Milestones

Year Month Africa Asia2016 February Workplan, Kickoff Africa LR & Planning

(info)  

2016 March-April CSAs Learning Needs, and expertise to offer survey (info)

 

2016 June LR hosting country selection (info)  2016 July Systematization of the best practices

(LR Africa)Kickoff Asia LR

2016 July-August Learning material preparation Technical report, participants selection

CSAs Learning Needs, and expertise to offer survey

2016 October SUN Learning Route in Rwanda. LR country host selection

20162017

October-February

Action plans implementation and CSA mutual support.

Systematization of the best practices ( LR in Asia)

2017 February-March

Participatory Evaluation. Learning Route Asia

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Thank you!Cecilia Ruberto, SUN Learning Route Program Coordinator

Join the facebook community: SUNCSNLearningRoute

More info on the LR webpage:http://suncivilsocietynet.wix.com/learningroute