Special focus on nutrition-sensitive programming

E Phiri, Zambia
Children
attending
CSO-SUN
Global Day of
Action
decision-makers can lead to government commitments
that have the potential to improve
nutrition programming and accountability.
rough strategic lobbying, increased resources
(financial and otherwise) are allocated to nutrition
interventions. For nutrition interventions to be
properly planned and implemented, there must
be a good understanding of nutrition among
political players, policymakers, policy implementers
and the general public. Advocacy and
communication play the unique role of creating
demand and building consciousness about the
importance of nutrition at all levels and among
all key stakeholders in nutrition development.
Sensitisation and demand-creation are key components
of the story of change that has seen
community mobilisation around nutrition
progress, thereby creating a symbiotic relationship
between the population and its leaders and fostering
accountability and involvement.
CSO-SUN is the first and only nutrition advocacy
platform for civil society in Zambia and
has so far engaged 75 members of local and international
non-governmental organisations
(NGOs) and civil society groups. ese members
form the General Assembly (GA) of the Alliance
and, guided by the CSO-SUN constitution, are
the supreme authority of the Alliance. e GA
elects a board at the annual general meeting
(AGM) who are responsible for supervising the
day-to-day activities of the CSO-SUN Secretariat.
e AGM reviews the performance of the Alliance,
evaluates audit reports, plans for the
next year and appraises the Board and Secretariat’s
performance. e Secretariat comprises fixedterm,
employed staff charged with the responsibility
of coordinating the efforts of the Alliance
members. Members are organised into different
technical committees to leverage their competencies
for effective programming. e technical
committees are organised under the following
thematic areas:
• Research and policy analysis – deals with
matters of policy and research on nutrition;
• Advocacy and communications – spearheads
the implementation of the Advocacy
and Communications Strategy and deals
with strategic engagement and lobbying;
• Networking and coalition-building – <strong>focus</strong>es
on creating smart partnerships with organisations
and individuals and fosters relationships
with national and sub-national nutrition
champions;
• Governance and institutional capacity
building – provides direction on governance,
management and administrative issues,
institutional strengthening and resource
mobilisation.
Field Article
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has structures at district level that are coordinated
by the District Focal Point Organisation (DFPO).
e Alliance currently operates in three districts
of Zambia: Samfya (Luapula Province – northern
Zambia), Mumbwa (Central Province – central
Zambia), and Lundazi (Eastern Province –
eastern Zambia). Each DFPO coordinates a network
of local CSOs and community-based organisations
(CBOs) who form part of the larger
membership of the CSO-SUN Alliance. e DF-
POs are supervised by the Advocacy and Communications
specialist based at the CSO-SUN
Secretariat. e specialist leads the Advocacy
and Communications agenda for CSO-SUN and
serves as a key point of contact to engage the
Alliance members. He/she is responsible for coordinating
nutrition communications and advocacy
activities for all members, ensuring that
programmes are well-integrated and non-duplicative,
and supporting the priorities of the
national nutrition programmes at national and
district level.
CSO-SUN activities
Civil society plays a crucial role in creating demand,
securing political commitment and ensuring
accountability in efforts to scale up nutrition.
e work of the CSO-SUN was necessitated
by the fact that civil society involved in nutrition
was uncoordinated and fragmented. Furthermore,
there was weak participation of civil society in
advocacy for nutrition. CSO-SUN has therefore
championed the campaign to raise awareness
and create demand for knowledge on nutrition
through the following key activities:
Building political will for nutrition
The role of civil society in the
CSO-SUN has worked successfully with politicians
to build political will to combat malnutrition.
SUN Movement in Zambia
For example, CSO-SUN supported Zambian
Civil society is uniquely positioned to play a
political parties to include nutrition messages
crucial role in advocacy and communications.
in the January 2014 presidential campaigns via
In Zambia, CSO-SUN is the umbrella organisation
a Vote Nutrition campaign that advocated for
under which all civil society actors with a
increased <strong>focus</strong> on nutrition by presidential
nutrition <strong>focus</strong> are coordinated. Established in
candidates during the 20 January 2015 presidential
October 2012, the CSO-SUN Alliance is a movement
election. e Alliance engaged with
of civil society organisations (CSOs) working
several political parties to plan for nutrition ac-
together to raise the profile of nutrition on
tivities should they form office. At the same
the national development agenda. e Alliance
time, the Alliance assembled a team of influential
is part of the global SUN Movement and unites
celebrities to endorse a campaign advertisement
actors from different sectors such as government,
that urged the electorate to vote only for a
the United Nations, donors, the private sector,
party/candidate that had a clear nutrition policy
civil society and researchers, in an effort to scale
and mandate. Also, the Alliance supported the
up nutrition interventions. CSO-SUN’s goal is
televising of the country’s second-ever presidential
to increase coverage of effective and integrated
debate and created a platform for candidates to
nutrition programmes by ensuring political commitment
to tackle malnutrition, increasing financial ber of the CSO-SUN board whose organisation
e technical committees are headed by a mem-
debate nutrition strategies. ese strengthened
commitments from the presidential aspirants
resources and ensuring accountability by government.
In order to achieve this, CSO-SUN mittees regularly interact via email and meet SUN has developed and submitted nutrition
belongs to a specific thematic area. ese com-
and, as a follow up to these commitments, CSOworks
to raise public awareness and national on a quarterly basis to plan and review tasks for ‘quick wins’ to the President of Zambia; a set of
consensus about the problem of and solutions to the quarter. ey also convene in extraordinary nutrition policy alternatives that the President
malnutrition through contributing to policy, legal situations where their expertise may be required. should <strong>focus</strong> on during his tenure. For 2016, in
and budgetary frameworks that address the needs For example, the Advocacy and Communications preparation for the country’s general election,
of the poorest and most vulnerable. Furthermore, technical committee may meet to strategise on CSO-SUN will engage with political parties to
the Alliance works to strengthen in-country accountability
for progress in tackling malnutrition and issues during a big national event. In this a plan for nutrition. e Alliance will also
how to maximise coverage of nutrition news ensure that their party manifestos clearly indicate
and, through networks, enhance learning between way, Alliance members are oen in contact with revamp its Vote Nutrition campaign to ensure
organisations and between countries to maximise each other and collectively contribute to achieving wider coverage. Additionally, the Alliance will
the effectiveness of their efforts.
the objectives of the Alliance. CSO-SUN also engage with the current and aspirant political
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