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1 13 th & 14 th February 2019, Nairobi East and Southern Africa MHPSS Community of Practice Meeting
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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
