SUN CSN Learning Route, highlights from the Scoping visit (June 2016) - C.Ruberto

1. SUN Civil Society Network:
Learning Route Scoping Visit Highlights
(6-10 June 2016)
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2. Country host identification process
1. (2015) CSAs manifested needs for cross learning, during gatherings and
through annual survey, identifying their favourite macro-learning areas.
2. SUN CSN submitted a project proposal. CIFF funds the SUN CSN LR program
3. LR Kickoff meeting (February 2016)
4. SUN Alliances were called to apply to participate to the LR in Africa (March
2016): 14 CSAs were nominated to participate, 11 applied filling the LR Survey.
5. The LR survey showed for each CSA: 1) Current intervention strategy ; 2)
Expected intervention in the next 5 years; 3) Expertise able to offer; 4) Learning
needs priorities; 5) main KM channels; 6) economical and time efforts for each of
the macro-learning areas; 7) example of successful experiences
6. A call for application to become LR country host was launched and 5 CSAs
responded (April-May 2016)
7. Based on the matching of learning needs and expertise to offer, the Rwanda
CSA was selected for a scoping visit
8. All the CSOs member of Rwanda Alliance were asked to share best practices,
that could be used for the peer to peer learning exchange. 14 experiences where
collected and analysed, 8 of them with leading CSO others only reading th
9. The scoping visit took place from the 6 to the 10th of June 2016
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3. Rwanda Scoping visit: Objectives - Results
Main objectives Results
- Understand context
and feasibility of the
LR
Meeting with 18 stakeholders (SUN CSOs, Donors, UN – no
meeting with governmental representatives)
- Good practices
review and
identification of
options for LR
15 experiences collected and analysed, 7 discussed with
CSOs that submitted them
Defined and discussed justification for implementing the LR in
Rwanda. Proposed learning objectives and tentative learning
program (in this presentation) for approval of executive board
members, PROCASUR and SUN CSN secretariat.
- Logistical
arrangements for
LR implementation
2 applications position of Logistical coordinator
5 Focal person
2 Technical coordinator - * need for more CVs
Interviews will be held from the 18th to the 23 June (panel: LR
coordinator, CSA Chairperson, Procasur).
CVs available for the CSAs (also for future events)
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4. Agenda of the Scoping visit (6-10 June 2016)
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Day Time Meeting
Monday
9.00 Alice Land O’lakers
9.00 CiSA secretariat: visit objectives, work plan, LR project overview, BP.
14.00 1. CiSA executive committee: Brief intro to learning route principles, goals, expected results. Overview of
actors involved and roles responsibilities. Learning route methodology.
2. CiSA presents context, objectives, structure, intervention areas, and evolution over the time.
18.00 ADECOR
Tuesday
10.00 USAID, Mary de Boer, M.Sc.
11.30 Save the Children, Edwin Kuria, Rwanda Country Office
15.00 CRS, Kimball, Bridget, Head of Programs, Rwanda and Burundi
16.30 SFH Rwanda, Wandera Gihana Manasseh
Wednesday
9.00 DUHAMIC ADRI , Benineza Innocent
Executive Secretary
12.00 SNV, Nsabimana, Elie, Senior Advisor, Agribusiness Development
GAIN, Daniel Alberts, Senior Manager, Agriculture and Nutrition
17.00 EU, Arnaud de Vanssay
Thursday
9.00 WHO: Chantal
WFP: Jeanette
FAO: Gaetan
12-14 CiSA’s Secretariat or meeting with key stakeholders
14.30 World Relief, Rhona Murungi, Director of Programs
16.00 UNICEF Kristine Dandanell Garn
Friday
10.00 SDC, Tabet Tommaso
11.30 Wrap up conclusions next steps
17.00 ADECOR, Alphonse Karabaranga

5. Rwanda Scoping visit
• Country host selection process
• Scoping visit objectives and results
• Scoping visit agenda
• Options for implementing the LR in Rwanda
• Areas of learning
• Learning objectives
• Good practices
• Milestones and key dates
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6. Justification for LR in Rwanda
The SUN Alliance in Rwanda has elements of unique value and offers key points of inspiration and
discussion given the targeted learning audience (SUN Alliance)
• The young Alliance builds on a wide range of experiences of other CSA alliances (e.g. Tanzania),
and is increasingly getting stronger and influential within member CSOs & government.
• The Alliance has clear governance tools that ensure CSOs participation, decentralized intervention
with clear overall strategy.
• As empathized during the meeting with executive members: “young alliance but with old CSOs,
decennals experience”.
• SUN alliance opportunity to have a platform 100% led by CSOs (not by government and/or donors)
that engage in many other multistakeholder platforms.
• The development of the LR can also be an opportunity to foster sense of belonging, identity and
ownership of the same alliance members.
• In this specific context a hosting the LR could accelerate the CSAs efforts and capacities
• Great proactivity and receptiveness of the CSOs leads in sharing and discussing limits, gaps,
challenges of the Alliance and interest in learning from other CSAs.
• Great interest of Donors and UN in having a strong and visible CSAs that collectively advocate and
engage at national and decentralized level for effective strategies to eliminate malnutrition.
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7. Areas of learning Rwanda
• Multistakeholders platform
• Policy review
• Advocacy
• Campaign and social mobilization
• Governance
Integrated approach to eliminate malnutrition
Collaboration among multi-actors: gov, non gov, international and small
ngos
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8. Preliminary Learning objectives - Rwanda
• Coordination: Ensuring nutrition on the national, districts and
community agenda as well as households through decentralized
advocacy, sensitization, and Communication.
• Collaboration: Integrated approach to address malnutrition: multi
sector and multi-institutional approach to scale up nutrition backed by
increased financial investments
• Decentralization: civil society organizations that through
decentralized and coordinated efforts aligned to national objectives
effectively raise and address beneficiaries and consumers rights to
nutrition, productivity, hygiene, health and income
• Effective Policy review, advocacy, social mobilization mechanisms:
Community and district level social mobilization and policy review
mechanisms to address gaps and overcome structural inefficiencies
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9. LR Rwanda proposed learning practices
The following experiences are proposed as key areas of learning for the LR program.
Each experience will be systematized, documented.
National level:
• CSA structure/governance: systematized for LR context (not BP but key contextualization for LR –
organize a focus group discussion with exec board members and other CSOs).
• Mapping exercise (Best Practice1): CSAs contributed to UN –Reach efforts
• Duhamic + SOSOMA business (Best Practice 2): synergies and complementarities between CSOs
and private sector + CSOs and social marketing (examples WASH or Kuzaneza) and ADECOR
(product quality standards and consumers rights)
Dep level (3 BPs all connected)
• District committee Gisagara efforts (Best Practice 3a) - SUN committee district level: policy review
for effective SUN operationalization
• Ongera campaign- Gisagara - Concern (Best Practice 3b) :campaign, social mobilization
• Product safety and raising quality standards at community level strengthening producers economical
power, sensitization, trainers of trainee ADECOR- (Best practice 3c)
Community based
• Promote the consumption of milk among children under five, pregnant mothers, and breastfeeding
mothers to eliminate stunting, malnutrition and maternal deaths. Land o’lake (Best practice 4)
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10. Learning Route Systematization
“Systematize” means: to organize information in a systematic way.
The process of systematization aims to:
a. Identify and analyze the key of success of the experience, its good
practices and innovations;
b. Extract lessons that can be applied for scaling-up the experience to other
similar contexts;
c. Facilitate appropriation of the learning by the actors of the experience and
enhance their ability to share their knowledge.
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 IMPORTANT: What we do it is not documenting technical innovations but to explain
the PROCESS (the how, who, what) in order to be able to promote the scaling up of
these innovations.
 It is conducted with focus group discussions, actors who have been involved in
achieving the success will be called to participate the systematization, to collectively
share and analyze the process and agree how to best share/train LR participants

11. Other areas of learning
• The learning Route will create space for thematic focus discussions.
Each CSA group (3 participants max), will prepare and lead 2 hours
discussions on one of what they consider a strength of their CSA.
• Knowledge fair: On the first day of the Learning Route each Alliance
will present their intervention strategy, goals and the mechanisms to
get there. We might decide to ask focus also on CSAs governance
mechanisms during the first day… it will be discussed during the
preparatory webinar.
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12. Key milestones - dates
• Scoping visit: 6-10 June 2016
• Communication of good practices selected, and invitation to share
contacts and details of stakeholders involved in the successful
experience: 20 of June
• Systematization: 4-9 July or 11-15 July
• Before the beginning of systematization of experiences: meeting with
Rwanda CSA Alliance executive members (and other interested
CSOs) : production of Alliance governance/strategy document (to
contextualize the LR)
• Learning Route: 26 September – 2 October 2016 or 3-8 October
2016 (TBC)
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13. Selection of experiences for Rwanda LR
• 14 experiences have been shared by 11 different CSO
• Some CSOs provide the experience in the template suggested some
others general documentation about the experience
• 9 experiences where discussed more in depth with the proposing
organization
• All the experiences have been discussed and reviewed based on the
following criteria:
– Matching with the CSAs priority learning areas
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14. Experiences collected
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Proposing organization Topic Main learning areas Selected for LR
Duhamic
Water harvesting for wash
and gardening
Resilience
Duhamic Cooking competition Advocacy, social mobilization
Duhamic+ SOSOMA
CSOs sustainability by
business inclusion
Governance, Fundraising Yes
Land o’lake Social and BCC Advocacy, social mobilization Yes
CRS FFLS Social mobilization
Adecor Products quality standards
Advocacy, data collection,
social mobilization
Yes
World Vision VCNCs Advocacy, social mobilization
SFH
Social marketing of
WASH products
Advocacy, communication
District Gisagara
Research based social
mobilization
Policy review, social
mobilization
Yes
District Gagenke Same as
Campaign, data collection,
collaboration
Concern MNPs Advocacy, social mobilization Yes
UN-Reach mapping
CSA contribution to
mapping
Governance, collaboration,
multistakeholders
Yes
SUN Alliance
governance/structure
SUN Alliance structure
Governance, collaboration,
multistakeholders
Yes

15. Local Champions and Best Practices
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Characteristics of a best practice (for the SUN CSN
LR)
1. EVIDENCE of SUCCESS: the best practice has proved
successful in addressing local challenges
2. REPLICABLE APPROACH: even if developed and
implemented in a specific context it contains elements
that can be replicated (or adapted) for different
contexts/countries
3. The best practice MEET NEEDS and is relevant to the
beneficiaries of the activities
4. INNOVATION/CREATIVITY are shown in the specific
context: the success is the result of something done in
a different way and for that brought success (innovative
not in absolute terms)
5. COLLABORATION among different
organizations/actors (within SUN and outside)
6. SUSTAINABILITY (social, environmental, economical,
and technical), the BP or its results are lasting.
7. Relevance to the key learning areas identified by the
CSA in the learning needs survey
Local Champions
‘Champions’ are people with
valuable knowledge, usually
practical, that are known within their
organization or community for their
ways of doing things, their
knowledge and innovative
leadership on development
initiatives that positively impact their
own context. Their knowledge and
skills make them key players in the
Learning Route experience since
they become training providers

16. Thank you!
• For any clarification or suggestion:
Cecilia Ruberto: c.ruberto@savethechildren.org.uk
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