“Technical Capacity Building for Nutrition Programming”
Objective of the Call for Proposals
LIFT are searching for qualified organisations[1] to implement a project that provides technical support to LIFT Implementing Partners (IPs) to improve the quality of effective nutrition programming under the LIFT strategy 2019-2023. Further, the selected organisation would be required to implement activities (elaborated below) during the first year to provide technical support to Access to Health Fund IPs in areas where there is overlap with LIFT IPs. If successful, the scope of this component may be increased in collaboration with the organization and subject to Fund priorities.
Planned start date is April 2020. Duration of grant will not exceed 36 months.
Background to the Call
Nutrition has been part of the LIFT strategy since 2014, investing in programmes that implement nutrition-sensitive interventions to address the multi-faceted and interlinked drivers of malnutrition.
LIFT programmes use global evidence and international recommendations to prioritise the first 1000 days as a crucial window of opportunity to intervene, addressing issues of access and availability of diverse diets, as well as knowledge on infant and young child feeding practices, hygiene and sanitation practices, access to health services, income and food security. This approach has been combined with a move to increase the potential nutrition sensitive agriculture potential of LIFT and LIFT IPs as well as to support innovative MCCT (Maternal and Child Cash Transfers) programmes, which have served as a learning platform for the government of Myanmar as they move to adopt statewide MCCT programmes.
The nutrition policy agenda in Myanmar continues to gain momentum at the national level with the endorsement of the Multi Sectoral National Plan of Action for Nutrition (MS-NPAN) in 2018 and the national roll out which starts with 6 prioritised states and regions in 2019, supported by LIFT, Access to Health and other partners.
Achieving impact on nutrition is a goal level indicator of the LIFT logframe 2019-2023 in recognition of the impact LIFT aims to have on the resilience, livelihoods and food security of the target communities through investment in agriculture and rural markets, financial inclusion and decent work. LIFT’s strategy refresh reflects the changing economic, political, rural development and conflict context by incorporating a greater focus on inclusion and social cohesion, increased support in areas affected by conflict engaging with government and civil society organisations.
Since 2012, LIFT has supported the Leveraging Essential Nutrition Actions to Reduce Malnutrition (LEARN) Project in integrating or “mainstreaming” nutrition into its food security and livelihoods programs and projects. Save the Children International (SCI) has supported Phase 1 and 2 LEARN for the past five years supporting nearly 40 Partners (IPs) to integrate quality nutrition programming into cross-sectoral projects. LEARN Phase 1 and 2 contributed towards LIFT achieving its nutrition outcomes, primarily by assisting LIFT IPs to effectively implement quality evidence-based nutrition-sensitive projects.
Moreover, LEARN capitalises on a broadening network of partners both within and beyond the LIFT community, actively collaborating with LIFT, SUN Movement Networks, and other partners to create an enabling environment for nutrition-sensitive programming and more effective advocacy by increasing capacity, improved networking, and systematic sharing of the evidence base. LEARN focuses on organizations working closest to beneficiaries, to design and deliver effective nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive projects, supporting families and communities during the First 1,000 Days—the critical intervention period for achieving positive nutrition outcomes
Nutrition forms part of Access to Health Fund Integrated Maternal, Newborn and Child Health programmes, delivered by implementing partners under a strategy to build long-term capacity in Myanmar’s health response. Though many of the existing ACCESS IPs have extensive years of experience in MNCH, they often have limited resources or capacity in supporting the delivery of nutrition interventions. Consequently, nutrition has not been a major component of the previous 3MDG fund and therefore there is also a need to strengthen the technical expertise at the FMO in order to support IPs.
Under the new phase of LIFT and Access to Health Funds there is a shift under both funds to work more in conflict affected areas, focusing on IDP and returnees with a focus on inclusion and social cohesion. These shifts are leading to collaborations with new partners including Ethnic Service Providers and CSOs to support the delivery of nutrition services in reaching the most vulnerable.
This joint initiative will provide technical capacity building support to these new partners, reflecting the new phase and supporting collaborative approaches in delivering the nutrition sensitive and specific interventions needed to have an impact on the nutrition outcomes.