Implementing an Integrated Nutrition Programme - Health Systems ...

Chapter Four: Contribution of other sectors
Intersectoral collaboration has been a problem in the Lower Orange district. This is partly
due to the fact that a number of departments are not as decentralised as the health
department and, although all departments (with the exception of education) use the same
sub-divisions, some departments remain very centralised and are run directly from
Kimberley.
In addition, in the past each department funded one or two development projects, but there
was little co-ordination between the departments. This resulted in a situation where, for
instance in the Kakamas sub-district, both the Health Department and the Agriculture
Department were involved in projects which encouraged vegetable gardening, but there was
no communication between the two projects. Co-ordination between Health and Welfare
which until recently was one department has also been poor.
The provincial government has attempted to address this issue. All funding from the
provincial department has been combined into one fund known as the Alleviation of Poverty
Fund. All projects funded through this fund in the Lower Orange district are shown in
Appendix E.
An intersectoral committee has been established in the Lower Orange. The committee is
responsible for overseeing projects funded by the Alleviation of Poverty Fund and
encouraging collaboration both between government departments and between government
and other organisations.
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