East and Southern Africa MHPSS Community of Practice Meeting The East and Southern Africa MHPSS...
Transcript of East and Southern Africa MHPSS Community of Practice Meeting The East and Southern Africa MHPSS...
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13th&14thFebruary2019,Nairobi
EastandSouthernAfricaMHPSSCommunityofPracticeMeeting
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ExecutiveSummary
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PurposeTheEastandSouthernAfricaMHPSSCommunityofPractice(ESAMHPSSCOP)wasestablishedatameetingheldinNairobiKenyaonthe13thand14thofFebruary2019byagroupofpractitioners,researchersandpolicymakersinterestedinimprovinglearningandexchangeintheMHPSSsectorintheregion.TheESAMHPSSCOPisamember-ledregionalcollaborativewhosepurposeistocreateaforumto
a) contextualizeglobalstandardsandinterventions,b) strengthenthecoordinationofMHPSSactionacrossregionalandnationallevels,
andc) promoteinnovation,researchandgoodpracticeinMHPSS.
MembershiptotheESAMHPSSCOPisopentoindividualsandorganizations.Itseekstobuildalliancesbetweencolleagues,existingnetworksandcollectives,andtofacilitateworkingpartnershipswithcollaboratingorganizations.IthasanactiveCommunityofPracticegrouponMHPSS.net,whichcanbeaccessedforkeyresources,upcomingevents,jobsinformation,andformakingconnectionstoothersintheregion.ThisdocumentoutlinesthekeyelementsoftheESAMHPSSCOPandprovidesasummaryofthediscussionpertainingtothesedecisions.Principles:ThefollowingprincipleswereseenasimportantfactorstoenableacultureoflearningandexchangeattheESAMHPSSCOP.Theyareintendedtoguideitsoperationalization.
• Functionasaknowledgehub• Localidentityandrepresentationenabledby
o Regionalleadershipo Communityinvolvementandengagemento Steeredbyfieldexperiencesandpriorities
• Relevancetomembersandsector• Collectiveresponsibility,benefitsandresourcemobilization• Engenderstrustamongstmembersthrough
o Sharedvisionandspecificcommonobjectiveso Sensitivitytopoliticalandculturalcontextso Effectivedurablesolutionso Continuityofpeopleandorganizationso Sharedterminologyandvocabulary
• Fosterslearningfrompracticethrougho Reflectivepracticeo Provisionofsafespace
StrategicFocusAreasTheESAMHPSSCOPidentifiedanumberoffocusareasthatshouldfallwithinthemandateofthegroup.Memberswhoareinterestedinaspecifictopiccouldleveragetheknowledgeandcollaborativesupportofthememberstoraisetheresourcesandengageindeliverythroughacoalitionofmembersorsingly.Emergingknowledge,insightsandlessonslearntfromtheseandanyotherinitiativescouldbesharedamongstthegroup.Memberscould
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alsoregistertheirinterestintheseareasforupdatesfromcolleaguesorinitiateworkinggroupstoworktogetherinanyonearea.TheESAMHPSSCOPwouldnotbecomeaproviderofservicesintheseareas,insteadfunctioningthroughitsmembershiptoundertakeinitiativesintheidentifiedfocusareas.Thesefocusareasareintendedtoaddvaluetothesectorandimprovethequality,appropriatenessandeffectivenessofservicesatthegroundlevel.Theidentifiedfocusareasare:
• InnovationandResearch• CollaborationandNetworking• InformationandKnowledgesharing• MHPSSadvocacyandhumanrights• Capacitybuildingandtechnicalsupport• Resourcemobilization/fundraising• MonitoringandEvaluationmechanismsinMHPSS• Bridgedevelopmentandhumanitariansectors• Coordination(qualifiedassupportingcoordinationofMHPSSactionbymembers
acrossregion)Structure:ItwasdecidedthattheESAMHPSSCOPwouldbemadeupofmembershipofindividualsandrepresentativesfromorganizations,includingstateandnon-stateorganizations.ThiswasseenasusefulinordertoreflecttherealityofleadershipandservicedeliveryindifferentcountriesoftheEastandSouthernAfricanregion.Thestructureoftheorganizationwouldanumbrellabodyofallmembers,withsub-regionalfocalpointsforEastAfricaandSouthernAfrica,andcountry-levelmemberswhomaywishtocollaborateoninitiativesoftheirchoice.Leadershipwillberotatedamongstthemembers.Thisensuresthattheinitiativeismember-ledand-owned.However,itwasalsodecidedthatrepresentativesfromgovernmentagenciesshouldnotholdtheleadershipposition,duetothesensitivitiesaroundsupportinginitiativesinthedifferentcountriesatnationallevel.Representativesfromregionalbodieshoweverwereseenassuitabletoholdpositionsofleadership.Itwassuggestedthatthesomefocusareasmightbebettersuitedtothedifferentstructurallevels,asisseeninthediagrambelow.
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Membership:PersonsandOrganizationsTheESAMHPSSCOPisopentoallmembers,eitherintheirindividualprofessionalcapacityorasorganizationalrepresentatives,whetherfromstateornon-stateentities,withaninterestinlearningaboutandcontributingtotheimprovementofMHPSSservicesintheregion.Threeissueswerehighlightedinrelationtomembers:highturnoverofmemberswhoareorganizationalrepresentatives,lossofinstitutionalmemoryandinterruptionstoinstitutionalcontinuity.ItwasrecognizedthatindividualswithinorganizationsmightfinditdifficulttoengageintheCOPwithoutorganizationalbuy-in.ContinuitymightbeaddressedbyhavingorganizationsnominatepeopleandbyhavingarolefororganizationstobeinvolvedintheCOP.Membershipisopento:
• Experts• Fieldpractitioners• Academics• Front-linestaff• Volunteers• Policymakers• Donors• Representativesfromorganizations• Representativesfromcollaboratinggroups:theseinvolve:INGOS,UNagencies,
NGOS,CBOS,Faith-basedorganizations,Civilsocietygroups(e.g.peacekeepers)ResourcingItwasagreedthattheESAMHPSSCOPwouldraisefundsforitsownfunctioningandoperationaswellasonbehalfofcollaboratingmemberswhomaywishtoinitiateaprojectinrelationtoanyofthefocusareasatregional,sub-regional,nationalorlocallevels.Keydecisionsrelatingtoresourcingarethat:
• Fundsareneededforcoordinatorsandotherhumanresources,infrastructure,andworkinggroups.
Regionallevel:-Research
-Capacitybuilding-KnowledgeSharing-Resourcemobilization-AdvocacyandHR-Bridgesectors
Sub-regions-Collectfieldinformation
-Lessonslearnt-Challengesofcultural
aspects
Countrylevel:-Bestpractices-Innovation-M&E
-Minimumstandards-Coordination(see
notebelow)
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• Thetimeperiodforfundswoulddependontheactivities.• Collaboratingpartners(suchasresearchinstitutions,universities,independent
organizations)• AstheCOPgrows,itwouldbegoodpracticeformemberstoincludeitintheir
strategyforsustainablefunding.Forexample,linkingobjectivesandactivitiestotheUNDAF/CPREreportingtotheSDGs
• IncludeM&EimpactaspectstothepurposeandpracticesoftheCOPfortheaspectofadvocatingtopartners
• Intheshort-term,necessarytoseekvoluntarysupportfromindividualsandorganizations
Contactdetailsofpointpersons:
• JonasKambale,TPO-DRC([email protected])• MorrisTayebwa,EAC-Tanzania([email protected])• CarmelGaillard,REPSSI([email protected])• MarcioGagliato,MHPSS.net([email protected])• MaleekaSalih,MHPSS.net([email protected])
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KeyActions/Tasks:TheCOPtookthefollowingdecisionswithregardstothekeytaskstoestablishingtheoperationalaspectofthegroups.Immediatenextsteps
• CreategrouponMHPSS.net• Documentsneedtobeuploadedtothegroup:collectionofexistingreportsand
publicationsonresearch,policies,documents,stories,andgoodpracticesintheESAregion
• Draftapushinvitationforallpotentialparticipants• Identifykeyandfocalpointpersons:regional(REPSSIfornow),EastAfrica,Southern
Africa• REPSSIandMHPSS.netaspointpersonforESACOPforshortperiodoftime
Short-termplans
• DevelopandshareaTORforthisgroup• ALLmembersshouldcreateaprofileonMHPSS.net• Creatingabiggernetworki.e.invitingotherpractitionerstojoin• Identifyschedule/timelinefornextsteps-agreeonthese&disseminate• Developacalendarofeventswherethegroupmembersareupdatedtoupcoming
events• Anonlinesurveyofpreferredpurposestatementsandassesswillingnesstotakeon
voluntaryroleforshortperiodoftime• Webinars–end-Feb&end-April• Nextmeeting–online,end-ApriltofinalizepurposeandTORanddeterminenext
steps6-monthactivityplan
• ContinuepushingemailinvitationtoCOPgroupassembledforcontactsandrecommendations(withthelink,toregister),requestforcountrylevelandregionalcontacts(snowballtechnique),andshareonlinelinkswithreferencegroupsandpushtokeyorganizationsthroughnewslettersandmail-outs
• Ensurethattherearepushnotificationsandongoingcommunicationsonemails• Listofkeyinvitees(individuals/organizations/entities),maybemovingtowardsat
leastonefocalpointforeachcountry• Conductwebinarsevery2months• HowdowebegintheconversationforcontextualizationandlocalizationofMHPSS
activities?o Analyticalstudy/situationalanalysisonMHPSSinEAC/SADCo Regionalforumofdutybearers(in)ofMHPSS
• Engagewithgovernmentsanddonors,sothattheycanappreciatewhereMHPSSstandsandseehowdifferentstakeholdersrelatetothesector