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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(kambalo.jonas@gmail.com)• MorrisTayebwa,EAC-Tanzania(mtayebwa@eachq.org)• CarmelGaillard,REPSSI(carmel.gaillard@repssi.org)• MarcioGagliato,MHPSS.net(marcio@mhpss.net)• MaleekaSalih,MHPSS.net(maleeka@mhpss.net)

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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