3 month training program in french, in partnership with ACF.

The modules concern the following topics:

- Issues and context of humanitarian interventions

- Essential management of a humanitarian project

- Essential technical skills

-          Session 1: Epidemiology

-          Session 2: Design, implementation and monitoring of malnutrition prevention activities

-          Session 3: Design, implementation and monitoring of programs for the management of acute malnutrition

-          Session 4: Evaluation and monitoring of the nutritional situation and food security

-          Session 5: Wash in Nutrition (together with WASH Project Manager)

Website: http://humanitaire.institutbioforce.fr/node/84

Details can be found in the following pdf (French) trfm_resp_projets_nutrition

For details contact: Henri Meyer - h.meyer@institutbioforce.fr

The next GNC Annual Working (face-to-face) Meeting of partners will take place in New York, USA from 28 to 29 March 2018. The meeting will be organised by the UNICEF HQ. Please mark your calendars:

1. GNC SAG Meeting: 27 March 2018

2. GNC Working Meeting: 28-29 March 2018.

The next GNC Annual Working (face-to-face) Meeting of partners will take place in New York, USA from 28 to 29 March 2018. The meeting will be organised by the UNICEF HQ.

1. GNC SAG Meeting: 27 March 2018

For the draft agenda of the SAG meeting, please  click here (43 downloads)

2. GNC Working Meeting: 28-29 March 2018.

For the Administrative Note about the meeting’s logistics, please  click here (35 downloads)

Meeting materials:

1. Final Agenda of the GNC Annual Meeting:  click here for the final agenda (24 downloads)

2. List of Participants:  click here for the final list (31 downloads)

3. Costed GNC Workplan for 2017-2018: Costed-GNC-WP_Final-16_06_2017.xlsx (23 downloads)

4. GNC Strategy:  click here to download (407 downloads)

Day 1 Presentations, 28 March 2018:

1. Strategic Directions – UNICEF Nutrition:  click here to download (46 downloads)

2. Overview of the GNC Strategy/Rolling Workplan 2017-2018:  click here to download (24 downloads)

3. Humanitarian Development Nexus:  click here to download (56 downloads)

4. Progress on Nutrition Inter-Cluster Training Package:  click here to download (22 downloads)

5. Updates on the Technical Mechanism click here to download (29 downloads) and Tech RRT Evaluation:  click here to download (20 downloads)

6. Humanitarian Planning Cycle:  click here to download (16 downloads)

7. GNC Website update:  click here to download (12 downloads)

8. Mainstreaming GBV in emergencies in Bangladesh:  click here to download (98 downloads)

9. Key findings of the Cox’s Bazar Joint mission:  click here to download (20 downloads)

Room: BGIPU room in Parliament, booked by Roberta Blackman Woods MP

Format: Panel discussion with teas/coffees and snacks. Last 15 mins for photos of MPs ,acedmia and civil society with the board.

Capacity: 40 people.

Please find below more details on the event’s purpose & outcomes, main objectives and proposed speakers.

When:           Thursday, 14th December 2017

Time:             08:00 – 09:30 (New York), 13:00-14:30 (London), 15:00 – 15:30 (Amman), 16:00 – 17:30 (Nairobi)

Facilitator:      Scott Logue, Tech RRT Assessment Adviser

Topic: During the past several deployments by the Tech RRT Assessment Advisor, it was observed that it is common practice for organizations to use Microsoft Excel to conduct data entry for completed survey questionnaires.  Although Microsoft Excel can be used for data entry purposes, for improved quality of data entry it is recommended to create a questionnaire template (or ‘form’ using Epi Info terminology) using Epi Info 7.2 or other software and enter questionnaire data into the form.  The data can then be analyzed using Epi Info 7.2 or easily exported to any desired software.

• The benefits of using Epi Info 7 questionnaire forms to enter data
• Quick overview of Epi Info 7 software
• Creating a Form and our example project
• Creating fields such as text, numeric, check box, yes/no, drop down menus, lists, additional field properties, etc.
• Field placement and alignment
• Adding and removing pages, tab order, etc.
• Transferring information entered to excel

The webinar will be an interactive exercise and examples will be provided for the above topics.  At the conclusion of the webinar, participants will have a basic understanding of how to create a form using   Epi Info 7.2.  The facilitator will include indicators from several sectors in the examples discussed throughout the questionnaire.

Required Software for webinar: The software required for the webinar is Epi Info version 7.2 and can be downloaded for free at the following link from the CDC website:
https://www.cdc.gov/epiinfo/support/downloads.html

Background on the project: The Technical Rapid Response Team (Tech RRT) is a partnership between International Medical Corps, Save the Children and Action Against Hunger working in close collaboration with the Global Nutrition Cluster and UNICEF, funded by USAID/OFDA. The purpose of the Tech RRT is to improve the quality of nutrition humanitarian response by deploying technical experts, providing remote support and building the capacity of nutrition partners while national capacity is overstretched or inexperienced in nutrition in emergencies.

Remote access: Please register by Monday, 11^th December, to slogue@actionagainsthunger.org to receive the link to our online platform. Online access is limited to the first 20 respondents.

Please feel free to forward this to colleagues.

We look forward to a productive training and hope that you can join us!

The Global Nutrition Cluster in collaboration with UNICEF MENA RO will organise a Nutrition Cluster/Sector Coordinators training (in English), 30 October-03 November 2017 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Profile of participants:

1. Individuals who currently serve as cluster/sector coordinators and/or Information Management officers in countries where cluster have been formally activated clusters  or in countries that have coordination group or forum for emergency nutrition activities in the MENA and other regions;
2. Individuals who currently serve in nutrition sector coordination roles with a likelihood of serving as cluster coordinators in the event of the emergency,  and here we would like to target government and local partners.

Learning objectives:

• To provide participants with an understanding of Humanitarian Reform, Transformative Agenda and the Cluster Approach;
• Be clear on the roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of cluster/sector stakeholders (including Cluster Lead Agencies, Cluster/sector Coordinators, Cluster/sector partners and national governments);
• Be familiar with mainstreaming of Accountability to Affected Population (AAP) and Common Humanitarian Standards (CHS) in every phase of the Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HPC);
• Be familiar with relevant management processes for effective cluster/sector performance;
• Be familiar with the attitude, skills and behaviors needed by cluster/sector coordinators to support effective cluster/sector performance;
• Be aware of cluster/sector specific tools, sources of information and lessons learned

Participants have to cover their travel costs and accommodation. GNC will not provide any financial support for this training opportunity. If interested, please contact Ayadil Saparbekov: asaparbekov@unicef.org.

For generic agenda of the course,  click here to download (96 downloads)

Time: 15:00-16:00 (Abuja & London), 16:00 – 17:00 (Geneva), 17:00 – 18:00 (Nairobi), 10:00 – 11:00 (New York)

Facilitator: Andi Kendle, Tech RRT Program Manager

Presenter: Michele Georgen (CMAM/ IYCF-E, Tech RRT) and Reuel Kirathi Mungai (Nutrition Cluster Coordinator, Borno, Nigeria)

Topic: The Tech RRT’s recent deployment to Nigeria provided technical support and guidance to strengthen the inpatient management of SAM. As a means of information sharing and to foster discussion and follow up on the situation, the Tech RRT invites you to a webinar on this deployment. There will be a presentation to highlight what was done during the deployment, with a special focus on the capacity assessment and capacity building plan including training a pool of coaches, with broad recommendations and lessons learned from the deployment; this will be followed by an open discussion. We hope that a wide range of organizations and donors will join this presentation and discussion.

Background on the project: The Technical Rapid Response Team (Tech RRT) is a partnership between International Medical Corps, Save the Children and Action Against Hunger working in close collaboration with the Global Nutrition Cluster and UNICEF, funded by USAID/OFDA. The purpose of the Tech RRT is to improve the quality of nutrition humanitarian response by deploying technical experts, providing remote support and building the capacity of nutrition partners while national capacity is overstretched or inexperienced in nutrition in emergencies.

Remote access: Please register by Wednesday, 27^th September, to sperera@internationalmedicalcorps.org to receive the link to our online platform. Online access is limited to the first 50 respondents.

Please feel free to forward this to colleagues.

We look forward to an active discussion and hope that you can join us!

Celebration of World Breastfeeding Week
Tech RRT Webinar: Synergies in integration with IYCF-E – Breaking down sectoral boundaries

When: 7 August 2017
Time: 15:00 London time
Duration: 1-1:30 hours

Presenters:
Dr Shogo, Technical Officer, WHO Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Speaking on integration with Maternal and Child Health

Erin McCloskey-Rebelo, Nutrition Consultant,
Speaking on integration with WASH

To be confirmed – IYCF/IYCF-E presenter
Speaking broadly on integration with other sectors

Facilitator: Andi Kendle, Tech RRT Program Manager

Topic:
“In 2016, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) began the 15-year journey to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by linking each of these goals to breastfeeding. But, we cannot achieve sustainable development without multi-level partnerships at all levels.
The World Breastfeeding Week’s 25th year in 2017 is about working together for the common good! #WBW2017 will call on advocates and activists, decision-makers and celebrants to forge new and purposeful partnerships. Together, let’s attract political support, media attention, participation of young people and widen our pool of celebrants and supporters. Only then can we campaign for a generation and commit to achieving the SDGs by 2030.”[1]

In line with this WBW 2017 call, the Tech RRT would like to join the celebration of the WBW2017, emphasizing the importance of ensuring synergies among key sectors like Health, Nutrition, WASH and others as well as the need for sustained efforts to ensure multi-sectorial integration of relevant IYCF-E interventions, to contribute to the prevention of child mortality, morbidity and malnutrition.

Background on the Tech RRT project: The Technical Rapid Response Team (Tech RRT) is a partnership between International Medical Corps, Save the Children and Action Against Hunger working in close collaboration with the Global Nutrition Cluster and UNICEF, funded by USAID/OFDA. The purpose of the Tech RRT is to improve the quality of nutrition humanitarian response by deploying technical surge, providing remote support and building the capacity of nutrition partners while national capacity is overstretched or inexperienced in nutrition in emergencies. At all times, the Tech RRT aims to support and advance the specific agenda of each of its areas of technical expertise, including assessment, CMAM, IYCF-E and Social Behaviour Change – always for the collective emergency response.

Remote access: Please register by 4 August to akendle@internationalmedicalcorps.org to receive the link to our online platform. Online access is limited to the first 50 respondents.

Please feel free to forward this to colleagues.

We hope you can join us!
Tech RRT

Dear GNC partners:

A global call on the situation and cluster responses in Ethiopia, Kenya and South Sudan took place on 18 July 2017.

For the minutes of the call, please  click here to download (155 downloads)

For the country presentations, click on the country name to download the presentation:

ETHIOPIA (171 downloads) ;

Kenya (166 downloads) ;

South Sudan (164 downloads) .

GNC Coordination Team

Tech RRT Webinar: Recent IYCF-E deployment to Somalia

When:              Thursday, 29^th June 2017

Time:   17:00 – 18:00 (Nairobi), 16:00 – 17:00 (Geneva), 15:00 – 16:00 (London), 10:00 – 11:00 (New York)

Facilitator:         Andi Kendle, Tech RRT Program Manager

Presenter:          Michele Georgen (CMAM/ IYCF-E, Tech RRT)

Topic: The Tech RRT recently completed a deployment to Somalia to support the emergency nutrition response to the famine with an expert in IYCF-E. As a means of information sharing and to foster discussion on the situation, the Tech RRT invites you to a webinar on this deployment. There will be a presentation to highlight what was done during the deployment, with special focus on the IYCF-E workshops and trainings that were conducted, broad recommendations and lessons learned; this will be followed by an open discussion. We hope that a wide range of organizations and donors will join this presentation and discussion.

Background on the project: The Technical Rapid Response Team (Tech RRT) is a partnership between International Medical Corps, Save the Children and Action Against Hunger working in close collaboration with the Global Nutrition Cluster and UNICEF, funded by USAID/OFDA. The purpose of the Tech RRT is to improve the quality of nutrition humanitarian response by deploying technical experts, providing remote support and building the capacity of nutrition partners while national capacity is overstretched or inexperienced in nutrition in emergencies.

Remote access: Please register by Wednesday, 28^th June, to sperera@internationalmedicalcorps.org to receive the link to our online platform. Online access is limited to the first 50 respondents.

Please feel free to forward this to colleagues.

We look forward to an active discussion and hope that you can join us!

Middle East Region

Amman, Jordan

April 30 – May 4, 2017

Background: Supporting and protecting  Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies (IYCF-E) is critical for child survival. Exclusive breastfeeding is the single most effective intervention for saving lives. Paired with optimal complementary feeding, up to 26% of child deaths can be averted. In emergencies, children under two years of age face significant risks. For example, total infant mortality rate for infants under 1 year has been found to be 12-53% higher in emergencies than non-emergency periods. In these contexts, optimal IYCF saves even more lives.

Although breastfeeding is common in the Middle East, various national household surveys have found that, on average, only 35% of children in this region are exclusively breastfed through the first six months of life; early initiation of breastfeeding and continued breastfeeding at two years are also low at 45% and 33% respectively. Crises across the region have likely worsened these practices, increasing the already high risks facing the children less than two years of age. Recognizing this, IYCF-E has been recognized as a core part of the minimum package for emergency responses in the region – multiple stakeholders are needed to implement quality IYCF-E responses to save lives.

Objectives: This training serves to equip participants with the relevant skills, knowledge and understanding to establish and implement programs for IYCF-E which are consistent with agreed sector-wide approaches and standards.

Attendees: Program Managers, Nutrition Managers, Nutrition Coordinators and Nutrition Advisors who design and implement IYCF-E programs and services, particularly for internally displaced persons, including NGO, UN, donors and government partners including the Ministry of Health.

Agenda:

• What is IYCF-E? Technical sessions on theory and practice.
• How to plan and implement IYCF-E responses
• Introduction to and use of operational tools
• Planning for preparedness and scale up

NB: The training will be conducted in English

How to apply: Please return the Application Form fully completed by the participant and their supervisor to Save the Children at SCIYCFETraining@savechildren.org by March 23rd, 2017. Participant selection will be communicated within two weeks.

For further information on logistics and scholarships please download the full Invitation.

Tech RRT Webinar: Recent Tech RRT deployments to Yemen

When: Monday 22 May 2017

Time: 5 pm Yemen time 

Duration: 1 hour

Facilitator: Andi Kendle, Tech RRT Program Manager

Presenters: Simon Karanja (CMAM Advisor, Tech RRT) and Anne Marie Kueter (IYCF-E Advisor, Tech RRT on loan from Save the Children)

Topic: The Tech RRT recently completed two deployments to Yemen, to support the emergency nutrition response with experts in CMAM and IYCF-E. As a means of information sharing and to foster discussion on the situation, the Tech RRT invites you to a webinar on these deployments. There will be a presentation to highlight what was done during the deployments, broad recommendations and lessons learned; this will be followed by an open discussion. We hope that a wide range of organizations and donors will join this presentation and discussion.

Background on the project: The Technical Rapid Response Team (Tech RRT) is a partnership between International Medical Corps, Save the Children and Action Against Hunger working in close collaboration with the Global Nutrition Cluster and UNICEF, funded by USAID/OFDA. The purpose of the Tech RRT is to improve the quality of nutrition humanitarian response by deploying technical surge, providing remote support and building the capacity of nutrition partners while national capacity is overstretched or inexperienced in nutrition in emergencies.

Remote access: Please register by Friday 19 May to sperera@internationalmedicalcorps.org to receive the link to our online platform. Online access is limited to the first 50 respondents.

You are kindly invited to participate in the following webinar:

Tech RRT Webinar: Recent Tech RRT deployments to Erbil, Iraq

When: Thursday, 27 April 2017

Time: 4:00 pm Central European Time  

Duration: 1 hour

Facilitator: Andi Kendle, Tech RRT Program Manager

Presenters: Scott Logue (Assessment Advisor, Tech RRT), Daniel Takea (SBC/ CMAM Advisor, Tech RRT) and Sebsibie Teshome (IYCF-E Advisor, Tech RRT on loan from Save the Children)

Topic: The Tech RRT recently completed three deployments to Erbil, Iraq, to support the nutrition response to the Mosul emergency with experts in Assessments, IYCF-E and SBC. As a means of information sharing and to foster discussion on the situation, the Tech RRT invites you to a webinar on these three deployments. There will be a presentation to highlight what was done during the deployments, findings from the assessments undertaken, broad recommendations and lessons learned; this will be followed by an open discussion. We hope that a wide range of organizations and donors will join this presentation and discussion.

Background on the projects: The Technical Rapid Response Team (Tech RRT) is a partnership between International Medical Corps, Save the Children and Action Against Hunger working in close collaboration with the Global Nutrition Cluster and UNICEF, funded by USAID/OFDA. The purpose of the Tech RRT is to improve the quality of nutrition humanitarian response by deploying technical surge, providing remote support and building the capacity of nutrition partners while national capacity is overstretched or inexperienced in nutrition in emergencies.

Remote access: Please register by 26th April to sperera@internationalmedicalcorps.org to receive the link to our online platform. Online access is limited to the first 50 respondents.

Please feel free to forward this to colleagues.

We hope you can join us!

You are invited to join a discussion on Mother-led MUAC screening (PB Mères) on Tuesday 4 April 2017, hosted by World Vision’s Interest Group for Nutrition, with speakers from both World Vision and Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA), who researched and developed this innovative approach and implemented in Niger. The webinar will be held in both French and English.

ENGLISH: Tuesday 4 April 2017, 12:00 noon to 13:15 UTC (08:00 to 09:15 EST)

Learn more and register for the English Webinar at: http://wvi.org/nutrition/webinar-use-mother-led-muac-screening-cmam-programming-4-april-2017

FRENCH: Tuesday 4 April 2017/mardi 4 avril 2017, 14:00 – 15:15 UTC (10:00 – 11:15 EST)

Learn more and register for the French webinar/Inscrivez-vous ici pour webinaire en français: http://wvi.org/fr/nutrition/webinaire-lapproche-pb-m%C3%A8res-4-avril-2017

Involving mothers in nutrition screening activities recognizes the fact that they are best placed to identify early signs of malnutrition and reinforces their role in protecting and promoting their child’s health. In 2011, the Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA) began studying the feasibility of training mothers to measure mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) and detect oedema in Niger and in 2016 produced Guidelines for Trainers on the Mother-MUAC approach.

World Vision piloted this approach in Mauritania as part of an Emergency Nutrition and WASH program, which was the first time the approach had been used in Mauritania.

Click here to read more and access resources and videos about this innovative approach: http://wvi.org/nutrition/article/mother-led-muac

Presenters

Kevin Phelan, Nutrition Advisor, ALIMA

Dèo Sibongwere, Medical Coordinator, ALIMA Niger

Judith Haase, Regional Nutrition Advisor, World Vision

Naroua Ousmane, Project Manager, World Vision Mauritania

Mohamadou Abass Ngaide, Health and Nutrition Coordinator, World Vision Mauritania

Colleen Emary, Senior Emergency Nutrition Advisor, World Vision International

The Global Nutrition Cluster (GNC) Annual Working Meeting of Partners took place in Beirut/Lebanon, 29-30 March 2017. The meeting was hosted by our global partner – the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) at Gefinor Rotana Hotel. This working meeting of GNC partners endorsed the 2017-2020 GNC Strategy, including its four year strategic priorities, the supporting objectives and the internal development objectives and the expected outcomes and indicators. The meeting also reviewed the GNC rolling Work Plan activities for 2017-2018 and agreed on next steps for costing the two-year work plan.

Objectives of the GNC Working Meeting of Partners:

• To present and endorse the 2017-2020 GNC Strategy, review and finalize GNC work plan activities (2017-2018)
• To detail and agree a process for costing the work plan
• To finalize discussions and endorse the recommendations and proposed  structure for coordination technical NiE work and update participants on changes in the update Cluster Handbook
• To welcome new SAG members and plan for SAG activities in 2017

Meeting materials available to download:

To download the provisional agenda, click here:  GNC Working Meeting Agenda 28 March version (195 downloads)

To download the final list of participants, click here:  Final List of participants (197 downloads)

To download the administrative note, click here:  Administrative Note GNC Annual Working Meeting, 2017 Beirut (207 downloads)

Day 1 materials (click on the title to download):

• GNC Strategy 2017-2020 (578 downloads)
• IPC for Acute Malnutrition Addendum Final (245 downloads)
• IPC for Acute Malnutriton Concepts and Tools (239 downloads)
• GNC Strategy Development Process (3256 downloads)

Technical Presentations:

• IPC for Acute Malnutrition Presentation (189 downloads)

Day 2 materials (click on the title to download):

• GNC: Definition and Technical Role in NiE (202 downloads)
• GNC NiE TaskForce Consultation Questions (196 downloads)
• Proposed Model for Addressing NiE Technical Capacity (209 downloads)
• Weight-for-height and mid-upper-arm circumference should be used independently to diagnose acute malnutrition: policy implications. Grellety and Golden. BMC Nutrition (2016) 2:10 (233 downloads)
• Severe and Moderate AcuteMalnutrition Can Be Successfully Managed with an Integrated Protocol in Sierra Leone. Maust et al. 2015 (233 downloads)
• How to Accuse the Other Guy of Lying With Statistics. Murray, 2005 (235 downloads)
• Group Work Technical NiE Body (151 downloads)

Technical Presentations:

• Nutrition Cluster Handbook revision presentation (717 downloads)
• GNC Technical NiE Role Presentation (154 downloads)
• SPHERE Handbook Revision Update Presentation (154 downloads)
• Measuring Adult Malnutrition Presentation (173 downloads)
• MUAC WFH Andre Briend Presentation (1201 downloads)
• MUAC WFH WFP-UNICEF Presentation (401 downloads)
• MUAC WFH Next Steps Presentation (271 downloads)
• REFANI Introduction Presentation (167 downloads)
• RUTF in Essential List ACF Presentation (179 downloads)
• Pakistan Cash Presentation ENN (161 downloads)

Please note that some presentations (cash) are not yet available for public posting. Thank you for understanding!

Follow us on Twitter @gncgeneva for more updates!

For the final report of the meeting, please click here (179 downloads)

The GNC Annual meeting will take place in Amman, Jordan from 18 to 20 of October 2016. Side meetings of the SAG, Cluster Coordinators, Information Management Officers and the GNC Task Forces are planned for 16th and 17th of October.

The objectives of the 2016 GNC Annual meeting are to :

• Review Key Achievements and challenges in the implementation of 2014-2016 GNC strategy and next steps for completion of outstanding strategic project in 2016;
• Learn from country cluster experience on key areas, identify gaps and support needed, based on country cluster view point;
• Discuss and endorse the preferred structures for strengthening technical work, consolidate strategic issues that could contribute to the GNC 2017-2019 strategy and outline processes for the development of the 2017-2019;    

The Agenda of the meeting can be downloaded here: Agenda for the GNC Annual Meeting 18-20 October 2016.

 Background documents for the meeting:

• Administrative Note;
• List of Participants;
• Development of the Global Nutrition Cluster (GNC) Strategic Plan for 2017-2019;
• Grand Bargain Components;
• 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
• SUN Strategy and Roadmap 2016-2020;
• 2016 World Humanitarian Summit Commitments to Action;

Day 1, presentations can be downloaded on the following links:

• 2014-2016 GNC Strategy Review;
• Strengthening Nutrition Humanitarian Coordination Study;
• Review of GNC Handbook;
• OCHA Presentation to Nutrition Cluster 18 October

Day 2, presentations can be downloaded on the following links:

• Sudan Experience on Inter Cluster Coordination;
• Syria WoS Nutrition Presentation;
• Somalia SNCC-ARM-AAP;
• Ethiopia Partnership and Accountability Presentation;
• South Sudan experience on Partnership and Accountability;
• GNC 2016 Product Updates;
• Managing Acute Malnutrition in Infants

Day 3, presentation can be found on the following link:

• GNC Technical Role Discussion;

Market Places related documents can be downloaded on the following links:

• Management of Acute Malnutrition in Bangladesh;
• CMAM Tool Kit;
• IYCF Framework;
• IYCF-E Programming in Europe;
• IYCF-E Global Capacity Strenghtening and Innovation Grant;
• Integrating CMAM into iCCM;
• SAM Photo Diagnosis;
• Health Application for Acute Malnutrition Programming;
• Working in Hard to Access and Inaccessible Areas in Syria;
• Management of Acute Malnutrition in Infants amongst Refugee Population in Ethiopia;
• Nutrition-Sensitive Toolkit and E-Learning Module;
• Joint Approach in Nutrition in Food;
• Treatment of Malnutrition in Lebanon;
• Barrier Analysis of Nutrition Behaviors Among Syrian Refugees;
• Cost of the Diet Analysis among Syrian Refugees in Azraq Camp;
• Nutrition in Earthquake Emergency Management in Nepal

Global Nutrition Cluster has developed  a comprehensive Information Management (IM) training package. This package was prepared together by RedR UK, with support from ACF, the GNC-CT and GNC RRT/IMOs.

The training package consists of four weeks pre-course e-learning and a five days face-to-face learning. The pre-course e-learning covers Building a better response e-learning, Reference module for cluster coordination at country level, new Humanitarian Programme Cycle guidance, practical skills in using Excel and Tableau software.  The five days face-to-face learning covers building on skills in humanitarian information management with emphasis on utilization of the newly developed GNC IM toolkit

The first pilot IM training using this new package is planned in Nairobi, Kenya from 8^th-12^th August 2016. Countries with dedicated Information Management Officers (IMOs) as well as individuals who are acting in IMO positions were prioritized to participate in the training. In addition, countries with  sub national level IMOs were prioritized. The training is also open to the GNC Rapid Response Team and stand-by partners.

Given the situation in Bono state in Nigeria, in consultation with the Country Sector/Cluster Coordinator, in Nigeria,  GNC-Ct has agreed to have a GNC partners call on 21^st July 206 at 3 pm Geneva time. During this call, the country team will update GNC partners on the situation, the current response, the gaps and the key asks from us at global level. 

Those who would like to attend this call should kindly sent confirmation to Geraldine our GNC Help Desk Officer (gnchelp@gmail.com).

APHES Summer Course – Assessing Public Health in Emergency Situations
Belgium, 4-15 July 2016

CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS
Venue: Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
Dates: 04-15 July 2016
Language: English
Organizer: The Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disaster, Université catholique de Louvain.
Deadline for submission of applications: May 31, 2016
More info in the attached flyer and at: www.aphes.be

The 2016 GNC Annual Working (Face-to-Face) Meeting, organised by the GNC-CT and hosted by the International Medical Corps, took place in Washington, DC, USA from 30 to 31 March 2016. The GNC SAG meeting followed on the 1st of April 2016.

The agenda of the meeting can be downloaded here, the list of participants is here.

Working meeting objectives:

• To review the results achieved, the impact and benefit of the 2014-2016 GNC strategy and the workplan, identify implementation bottlenecks and the tasks ahead to consider in the development of the 2017-2019 GNC strategy.
• To review the progress made toward the major GNC projects and the way forward:

1. Study on transition from cluster to sector
2. Role of the GNC in technical discussions
3. Revision of the GNC handbook

• To discuss and agree on next steps for the implementations of the strategies and operational guideline and inter-cluster initiatives:

1. GNC Advocacy strategy and toolkit (ACF-UK)
2. Accountability to affected population guidance and toolkit
3. Fundraising strategy and resource mobilization
4. Inter-cluster working group on food security and nutrition and next steps for inter cluster initiative with WASH, Health and gFSC clusters

•  To outline main pillars and objectives and broad activities for the GNC 2017-2019 Strategic plan and to agree on the way forward with regards to the Strategy development

Background documents for the meeting:

• GNC Standard Operation Procedure
• GNC Strategic Plan 2014-2016
• GNC work plan 2015-2016
• GNC AAP framework and guidance
• GNC fundraising strategy
• Consolidated Learning and Best Practice on Nutrition Cluster Transitioning
• Report of the consultancy on the role of the GNC in technical discussions
• GNC handbook (2013)
• ICWG on Food Security and Nutrition work plan
• Lancet article on nutrition-sensitive interventions (2013)
• Guidance checklist on good coordination between Nutrition and Food Security Clusters
• Case studies on nutrition cluster coordination: Bangladesh, Philippines, South Sudan, Somalia, Ukraine, Yemen

Presentations Day 1:

• Objectives/outcomes of the meeting
• Progress and challenges in the implementation of the 2-14-2016 work plan
• Inter-Cluster discussion
• Advocacy toolkit roll out
• Accountability to Affected Population roll out plan
• Transition study
• GNC handbook revision
• Wrap up day 1

Presentations Day 2:

• GNC technical role discussion
• GNC consolidated recommendations under the thematic areas
• GNC discussion on Strategic plan development: Group work feedback (consolidated), next steps

Technical presentations:

• Side session 1: Update on ComPAS
• Side session 2: SAM2.0, Bottleneck Analysis tool

In an effort to adequately prepare for the emergency response and to boost the coordination around humanitarian response in nutrition, the Global Nutrition Cluster (GNC) is conducting a series of regional trainings – in collaboration with the Regional Offices  - targeting nutrition stakeholders (NGOs, governments and UN) from both protracted and new emergencies as well as from countries not affected by emergencies but need some level of preparedness. The Regional training for Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) region is scheduled for 13^th -17^th March 2016 and will take place in Jordan (Dead Sea) in collaboration with UNICEF MENA Regional Office and RedR-UK.

The overall aim of the training is to provide participants with an opportunity to prepare for cluster coordination and response preparedness. It will expose them also to cluster performance management and skills and behavior necessary for coordination and orient them to specific tools and sources of information necessary for programme decisions and preparedness.

2015 NCC/IMOs Annual Meeting was held in Nairobi, Kenya on 16 of October.

Final agenda

Report of the meeting will be uploaded once finalised

Presentations of the day:

Development of the advocacy toolkit for the Nutrition Clusters – ppt

Infant and young child feeding in Emergency presentation – ppt

Kenya and FSAU experience in setting up nutrition surveillance system – ppt

Development and implementation of cluster preparedness plans – Dropbox link with materials

IM challenges and ways forward – see action points in the final report of the NCC/IMO meeting

Humanitarian Programme Cycle – Guidance updates 2015 – ppt

GNC HelpDesk – Lessons Learned and ways forward – ppt

The 2015 GNC Annual meeting is held in Nairobi, Kenya from 13 to 15 of October 2015. Additional side meetings for the Strategic Advisory Group, Cluster Coordinators and Information Management Officers are planned for 12 and 16 of October.

The objectives of the 2015 GNC Annual meeting are:

• To review the work of the GNC in the past five years and identify challenges and bottleneck as well as endorse and launch key GNC documents
• To provide a structured platform for discussions, sharing information and lessons learned from L3 and other countries from NCC, IMO and cluster partner perspective with an aim to improve coordinated response, information flow and learning.
• To discuss the role of the GNC in technical nutrition work and provide a forum for presenting technical updates relevant to improving effectiveness of Nutrition in Emergency (NiE) response
• To agree on the way forward with regards to the development of the GNC strategy 2017-2019

Meeting report

 Background documents for the meeting:

• Administrative Note
• List of participants
• Agenda for the GNC Annual meeting (13-15 October 2015)
• GNC Annual report (September 2014 – October 2015) - draft
• GNC brochure
• GNC strategy
• GNC workplan with updates on progress (as of 30 September 2015)
• IM/KM strategy
• GNC fundraising strategy
• Rapid Response Team (RRT) leaflet
• RRT evaluation report
• GNC Bulletin – issue 08 – September 2015

Presentations and related documents: Day 1

Session 1: Introduction, welcome, objectives and expectations – no presentation

Session 2: Update on GNC achievements, challenges and lessons learned 2010-2015 – ppt

Session 3: Update from Level 3/Level 2 emergency countries on performance of the Nutrition Cluster (ppt: Yemen, Nepal, Syria, Ukraine)

Session 4: Analysis and presentation of Cluster Coordination Performance Monitoring conducted (South Sudan, Ethiopia, Sudan, Nepal, CAR, Afghanistan) and discussion of finding and recommended actions – ppt
Related documents: CCPM reports

Presentations and related documents  : Day 2

Session 5: Learning coming out from the GNC knowledge management project, three country case studies (ppt: overview, Somalia, South Sudan and Philippines)

Session 6: Market place:
IYCF technical capacities / new IYCF tools (SCI/UNICEF)
Coverage Monitoring Network
Other session documents to be uploaded if/when shared with the GNC-CT

Session 7: Presentation and discussion on the role of the GNC and country clusters in technical work – ppt

Session 8: Cluster transition – ppt
Related documents: Consolidated Learning and Best Practice on Nutrition Cluster Transitioning: , Case study Ethiopia, Case study Kenya, Case study Pakistan

Side session 1: Update on Inter-agency wok on Nutrition products and presentation of the preliminary data on RUTF alternative recipe survey – ppt

Side session 2: Launch of the CMAM report: presentation of the software – ppt

Presentations and related documents: Day 3

Session 9: Joint Nutrition and FSL Clusters accountability to affected population framework, actions and indicators – ppt
Related documents: Nutrition Cluster AAP framework, Example of AAP indicators against the IASC Commitments for Nutrition Clusters, Activity list for Cluster Coordinators to implement AAP commitments, Guidance for mainstreaming AAP and Core People related issues to the HPC

Session 10: GNC advocacy strategy – ppt
Related documents: Nutrition Cluster Advocacy Strategic Framework

Session 11: Information management toolkit – ppt
Related documents: status of the IM toolkit development

Session 12: Discussion on how to ensure that nutritional needs of older people are included in the cluster response – ppt
Related documents: Nutrition of older people in emergencies guidelines, surveys on nutrition of older people, articles on rapid assessment method on nutrition of older people

Session 13: SAM and MAM caseload estimates and links to programming – ppt

Session 14: Discussion and agreement on steps for drafting the next GNC strategy 2017-2019 (and wrap up of the meeting) - ppt

IMOs Annual Meeting will be held in Nairobi on 12 October , 13.00 to 17.00

The 2015 GNC Working (Face-to-Face) Meeting was held in Geneva on 17-18 March 2015 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The former SAG members and those new SAG members who were be elected before the GNC Working Meeting stayed for one additional day on Thursday, 19 March 2015 for hand-over and induction.

Over 30 people gathered for the GNC Face-to-Face Meeting, 17-18 March, 2015. A review of achievements since September was presented along with updates on the funding situation, results from the RRT evaluation, and overviews of projects (advocacy strategy, Knowledge Management, and Information Management toolkit). All presentations are available on the GNC website (www.nutritioncluster.net).

Agenda

Day 1

• Session 1: Welcome, introduction, opening remarks
• Session 2: Progress on the Work Plan (WP)
• Session 3: Pillar 1a. Fundraising
• Session 4: Pillar 1b. Advocacy
• Session 5: Pillar 2. Capacity development in humanitarian coordination
• Side meeting: Assuring nutrition product quality, by Alison Fleet, UNICEF Supply Division, Copenhagen
• Side meeting: Harmonizing composition of lipid-based products; by Saskia de Pee, WFP Nutrition Division, Rome

Day 2

• Session 6. Updates on Ukraine and Syria nutrition response
• Session 7: Pillar 3. Operational and surge support to country clusters
• Session 8: Pillar 4. Knowledge Management
• Session 9: Pillar 4. Information Management
• Session 10: Wrap up and summary of action points from the meeting

 Additional documents:

• GNC Standard Operation Procedure
• GNC Strategic Plan 2014-2016
• GNC work plan 2014-2015
• GNC Fundraising strategy
• KM Project document
• Advocacy and IM toolkit Project document
• Report of evaluation of the GNC support to the national nutrition coordination platforms
• GNC IM/KM strategy

Final agenda of the meeting

Final report of the meeting

Hand out materials:

• GNC update (report on the GNC progress since the last Annual meeting)
• GNC brochure (general information about GNC)
• RRT brochure (general information about GNC Rapid Response Team Mechanism)
• CMAM Forum update (technical support and information on Acute Malnutrition)
• CMAM Forum update (key resources for management of acute malnutrition)
• List of participants

Lessons learned from country clusters:

• Ethiopia 
• Philippines
• Somalia
• Yemen

Day 1 presentations:

• GNC update on the Strategic and Work Plans and progress made
• SAG update
• NCCs and IMOs needs and challenges
• Cluster Performance Monitoring

Day 2 presentations:

• Response planning and Nutrition Clusters scale-up (based on recent level 3 emergencies: South Sudan, Philippines  and CAR
• Rapid SMART surveys – implications for the Nutrition Cluster
• Nutrition indicators in IPC
• Update on Ebola and response
• FAO update on ICN2

Day 3 presentations:

• GNC funding and fundraising strategy
• Prioritization of new activities by NCCs and IMOs

Final meeting agenda

Presentations from the meeting:

• Humanitarian programme cycle guidance update
• Information management updates
• Cluster Coordinators and Information Management Officers challenges

The 2016 Nutrition Cluster Information Management Training is currently taking place in Amman, Jordan and will last until the 24th of October. The agenda can be downloaded on the following link: IM Training NCC 18-20 October 2016.

Training material and presentations will be made available in due course.

A joint meeting of the Global Food Security and Nutrition Clusters “Promoting an Integrated Famine Prevention Package: Breaking the Bottlenecks” started at the WFP HQ in Rome. The meeting was called for by the Executive Directors of three Cluster-Lead Agencies (CLAs) – FAO, WFP and UNICEF  and brought together more than 25 operational partners working in Northeastern Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen, including NGOs and UN agencies.

The meeting aims to:

I. To review current collective nutrition and food security responses and identify gaps;
II. Agree on an appropriate integrated famine prevention response package; and
III. Complete plans for scaling up responses across the four respective countries through the Food Security, Nutrition, and WASH clusters respectively.

For presentations and additional documents please see below:

1.  Agenda gFSC GNC Meeting (198 downloads)

2.  List of Participants (161 downloads)

3.  Food Security Situation Overview (188 downloads)

4.  Nutrition Situation Overview (200 downloads)

5.  Nigeria Presentation: Food Security and Nutrition Clusters (200 downloads)

6.  Somalia Presentation: Food Security and Nutrition Clusters (200 downloads)

7.  South Sudan Presentation: Food Security and Nutrition Clusters (197 downloads)

8.  Yemen Presentation: Food Security and Nutrition Clusters (177 downloads)

The final report of the meeting is available  here (135 downloads)

The Call for Action on Integrated Famine Response is available  here (137 downloads)

ACF is seeking a Nutrition & Health Technical Advisor based in Paris and in charge of Middle East Countries (Jordan, Djibouti, Iraq and Yemen). See attached for more details: 04 EN Nutrition & Health Technical Advisor Pool 2

Dear Partners,

The final Report of the 2017 Annual Working Meeting, which was held on 29-30 March 2017 in Beirut is now available. Follow the link to download: http://nutritioncluster.net/meetings/2017-annual-working-meeting-report/

The Inter-cluster Nutrition working group (ICNWG) is leading the development of a training package to support cluster coordinators and partners in applying nutrition-sensitive approaches across sectors, with a specific focus on: nutrition, food security, health, WASH, education and child protection.

In order to develop the training package, the ICNWG has agreed to convene a consultative 2.5-day workshop in Geneva involving members of the ICNWG and representatives from health, WASH, education and child protection clusters as well as from OCHA, AAP and CHS. The workshop will take place in Geneva, 27-29 June 2017 .

The objective of the workshop is to agree on the structure, themes and main content of the training package. The workshop should also be an opportunity to share information about existing capacity development materials for nutrition-sensitive programming in humanitarian responses and enhance synergies between initiatives supported by different partners and sectors.

Please click the following link to download the  Workshop Agenda (103 downloads)

Please click the following link to download the  List of Participants (105 downloads)

The Strategic Advisory Group (SAG) of the Global Nutrition Cluster (GNC) came together to UNICEF Office of Emergency Programmes (EMOPS) in Geneva on 14-15 December 2016 to discuss and develop the draft GNC Strategy for 2017-2020.

Please follow us on Twitter @GNCGENEVA for more details.

Dear GNC members and Country Cluster Coordinators/Information Management Officers,

Please be kindly informed that the term of below listed Strategic Advisory Group’s (SAG) members will expire in March 2017:

• Victoria Sauveplane – ACF-Canada;
• Caroline Wilkinson – UNHCR.

The members that have re-confirmed their commitment to continue as the SAG members for one more term in 2017 are:

• Caroline Abla – IMC;
• Carmel Dolan – ENN;
• Diane Holland – UNICEF HQ, Nutrition Section;
• Anteneh Dobamo – Cluster Coordinator, Sudan – representing all NCCs and IMOs;
• Josephine Ippe – GNC Coordinator.

We would like to express my sincere appreciation for the hard work of our outgoing and current members!

The GNC-CT would like to use the opportunity of its Working Face-to-Face (F2F) meeting in March 2017 and finalise the nomination of the new SAG members representing the NGO and UN partners. During its last meeting on 15 December 2016, the SAG members agreed that the UN membership of the SAG should be expanded from current two members to three (3) members to ‘match” the number of NGO partners represented, with WFP and UNICEF having a “permanent” seats. Hence, this time, nominations will be accepted for 1 (one) NGO partner seat and 1 (one) UN partner seat.

For details of eligibility, please refer to the ToR of the GNC SAG: http://nutritioncluster.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2013/09/GNC-SAG-TOR-Final.pdf

Nomination, establishment and duration of the SAG

• Interested agencies are asked to submit an expression of interest and identify the individual who will fulfil this role on behalf of the agency. A brief outline of the added value of the organisation’s participation in the SAG (approximately one paragraph) and a short bio (no more than half of one page) of the nominated individual should be submitted to the GNC Coordination Team.
• In the event that the individual is an independent, the short bio and brief outline of added value should be submitted to the GNC Coordination Team.

The SAG members are to serve for a minimum of 1 (one) year and a maximum 2 (two) years.

Selection of SAG members

• New SAG members will be elected by the GNC partners (each agency will have 1 vote);
• Voting will take place through an on-line survey. In the event that there is only the required number of volunteers for each level of representation, a vote will not be needed.

Criteria for the membership of the GNC Strategic Advisory Group:

• Nominated individuals should have significant relevant work experience at a strategic level, and have a solid understanding of the humanitarian aid sector.
• Nominated individuals will commit to represent the interests of the GNC and not their own agency’s interest.

Timeline:

• Nomination process starts today, Tuesday, 20 December 2016 until Friday, 20 January 2017;
• Results endorsement and establishment of the new SAG, handover from the current SAG to the newly elected SAG: GNC Annual Working (F2F) meeting in Beirut, Lebanon, and special one-day SAG meeting in March 2017.

Please kindly send your nominations to the GNC-CT (jippe@unicef.org and asaparbekov@unicef.org) alongside with the documents listed above by 20 January 2017.

Yours,

GNC Coordination Team

The final report of the joint gFSC-GNC Meeting on Four Famines (Rome, 26 April 2017) and the Call for Action on Integrated Famine Prevention and Response are now available on the GNC website: http://nutritioncluster.net/promoting-integrated-famine-prevention-package-rome-26-april-2017/

Dear GNC partners:

A global call on the situation and cluster responses in NE Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen took place on 30 June 2017.

For the minutes of the call, please  click here to download (69 downloads)

For the country presentations, click on the country name to download the presentation:

Nigeria (67 downloads) ;

Somalia (62 downloads)

Yemen (69 downloads)

GNC Coordination Team

The Global Nutrition Cluster welcomes its newest partner – AVSI Foundation - People for Development.

AVSI Foundation works towards development that is sustainable and capable of responding to the real needs of people.

To learn more about AVSI, please visit the website: http://www.avsi.org/who-we-are/

The 2017 GNC Annual Working (Face-to-Face) Meeting of Partners will take place on 29-30 March 2017 in Beirut, Lebanon. The meeting will be hosted by the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC).

The GNC SAG Meeting will take place on 28 March 2017.

UN to launch new report on world hunger and nutrition, FAO headquarters, 15 September 2017, 12:30 CEST

Includes data on malnutrition and children from Rome-based UN agencies and new partners UNICEF and WHO.

On 15 September 2017, five UN agencies – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the UN World Food Program (WFP), the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) – will publish the first-ever consolidated UN report on progress towards eradicating hunger and malnutrition by 2030.

This new edition of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World gives updated estimates of the number and proportion of hungry people on the planet and includes data for the global, regional, and national levels.

It offers a significant update on the shifting global milieu that is today affecting people’s food security and nutrition, in all corners of the globe.

This is the first time that UNICEF and WHO join FAO, IFAD and WFP in preparing the annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report. This change reflects the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) broader view on hunger and all forms of malnutrition. The report includes enhanced metrics for quantifying and assessing hunger, including two indicators on food insecurity and six indicators on nutrition.

STAY TUNED

Launch webcast (15 Sept)

It will be launched at a news conference at FAO’s headquarters on 15 September 2017.

The event will be webcast live. Spanish and Italian interpretation will be provided.

A Joint Global Nutrition and Food Security Clusters meeting to develop an Integrated Famine Prevention and Responses will take place on 26 April 2017, at WFP/HQ in Rome.

For details, please go to the following link Meeting Poster and follow us on Twitter @GNCGENEVA

The 2017 GNC Annual Meeting took place 10-12 October 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The new GNC Strategy for 2017-2020 was launched!

For the final draft agenda, please  click here (117 downloads)

For the List of Participants, please  click here (131 downloads)

Background materials:

1. GNC Strategy 2017-2020:  click here to download (407 downloads)

2. GNC Costed Workplan, 2017-2018 (241 downloads)

Day 1 Presentations:

1.  Key points of Day 1 (111 downloads)

2.  Meeting Objectives (113 downloads)

3.  GNC Strategy, 2017-2020 Presentation (132 downloads)

4.  Somalia Inter-cluster Experience Presentation (122 downloads)

5.  Yemen Inter-cluster Experience Presentation (125 downloads)

6.  South Sudan Inter-cluster Experience Presentation (117 downloads)

7.  Nigeria Inter-sector Experience Presentation (119 downloads)

8.  ENN Synthesis of Inter-cluster Experiences (105 downloads)

9.  Kenya IMAM Surge Approach Presentation - UNICEF (104 downloads)

10.  Kenya IMAM Surge Approach Presentation - Concern Worldwide (109 downloads)

11.  Ethiopia - Responding to complex emergencies in pastoral communities (117 downloads)

12.  North-Eastern Nigeria - Government Leadership in Coordination of NiE Response (107 downloads)

Day 2 Presentations:

1.  ICNWG Presentation (110 downloads)

2.  Key GNC Achievements 2016-2017 (105 downloads)

3.  Introduction to New Guidance on Management of Adult Malnutrition (121 downloads)

4.  Summary of Day 2 (110 downloads)

Day 3 Presentations:

1.  Technical NiE Leadership TF Presentation (118 downloads)

2.  GNC Technical RRT Mechanism Presentation (104 downloads)

3.  "No Wasted Lives" Presentation (109 downloads)

4.  R2HC/Elrha Presentation (102 downloads)

5.  IFE Operational Guidelines Presentation (113 downloads)

6.  IYCF Framework Presentation (128 downloads)

7.  Monitoring of the Violations of the Code Presentation (103 downloads)

8.  Measuring Malnutrition in Adolescents Presentation (111 downloads)

9.  New guidance: F75 and F100 preparation instructions for inpatient care Presentation (134 downloads)

Thank you for attending the GNC Annual Meeting and your active participation and contributions! To download the final report of the meeting, please click on the following link:  GNC Annual Meeting 10-12 October Final Report (134 downloads)

Dear Global Health Community,

You are invited to World Vision’s Global Health, Nutrition and HIV Community of Practice February Discussion. Addressing the health and nutrition needs of populations affected by disasters has always been a priority focus for World Vision.  In this Community discussion, the emergency health strategy working group will lead us in an orientation to this new response framework, the changes that were made, and how the strategy is taking shape within our global programmes.  This webinar discussion is being offered at two times.

DATES:
Time #1:  13:00 GMT 16 February
Time #2:  04:00 GMT 17 February

REGISTER:
https://goo.gl/forms/PmmrkCEY3JRLQqKm1

APPROACH OBJECTIVE: To reduce mortality and morbidity in vulnerable populations affected by humanitarian emergencies and restore access to curative and preventative health and nutrition services.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES:

1. Vulnerable groups such as women and children can access essential health and nutrition services in the immediate aftermath of a disaster.
2. Health and nutrition systems are strengthened to meet the immediate and longer term
needs of the affected populations.
3. Families and communities are supported to understand, monitor and protect themselves from public health risks, ensure each other’s wellbeing and access to health and nutrition services.
4. Early Warning and Surveillance are established to enable rapid detection and response to public health issues of concern.
5. Inter-agency level health and nutrition coordination platforms (area / country / regional levels) are supported, effective and meeting key needs of target groups

SPEAKERS:

Bioforce will be holding a nutrition training in Bamako. Please see details attached (in French)  fd_nut_comp_essentielles_mars_bamako.pdf (174 downloads)

 global Food Security Cluster

 Inter-Cluster Nutrition Working Group

Terms of Reference

Work Plan

 May 2012

Purpose

The purpose of the gFSC Inter-Cluster Nutrition Working Group is to provide technical direction to the gFSC on key areas of synergy between the Nutrition Cluster and Food Security Cluster in humanitarian food security responses.

 Representation

Chair: IMC, Caroline Abla, cabla@internationalmedicalcorps.org

Co-Chair: IFRC, Hilary Motsiry, hilary.motsiri@ifrc.org

 Members include:

1. ACF France, Julien Morel –- jmorel@actioncontrelafaim.org
2. ACT Alliance, Lisa Henry –- LIH@dca.dk
3. CARE, Mohamed Daw, (dmohamed@care.org)
4. Concern, Amanda McClelland –- Amanda.mcclelland@concern.net
5. FAO, Neil Marsland–– Neil.Marsland@fao.org
6. FAO, Florence Egal–– Florence.Egal@fao.org
7. IFRC, Kiflemariam Amdemariam – kiflemariam.amdemariam@ifrc.org
8. IFRC, Hilary Motsiri, hilary.motsiri@ifrc.org
9. International Medical Corps,  Caroline Abla –– cabla@internationalmedicalcorps.org
10. International Rescue Commette, Frances Kimmins – Frances.Kimmins@rescue-uk.org
11. Mercy Corps, Gregory Scarborough – gscarborough@bos.mercycorps.org
12. Oxfam,  Laura Phelps – lphelps@oxfam.org.uk
13. Save the Children Jessica Saulle, J.Saulle@savethechildren.org.uk
14. Solidarité Internationale, Peggy Pascal, ppascal@solidarites.org
15. World Vision International, Douglas Brown – douglas_brown@wvi.org
16. OC  HA,  Belinda Holdsworth –– Holdsworth@un.org
17. UNICEF Josephine Ippe – jippe@unicef.org

The purpose of the Working Group is to provide Operational/Coordination/Technical direction/Guidance to the gFSC on key areas of synergy between the Nutrition and Food Security Clusters in humanitarian responses.

The rationale for developing the Working Group is to:

1. Provide a holistic approach to integrating food security and nutrition responses in a humanitarian context.
2. Reinforce the critical linkages between food security and nutrition.
3. Understand complementarities

Objectives and Activities:

The objective of the Working Group is to develop Standard Operating Procedures between the gFSC and the GNC through:

1.Identification of present coordination field practices between the Food Security and Nutrition Clusters.

• Identify synergies and  complementarities
• Identify gaps and limitations
• Identify Best Practices

2.Field Survey:

• Develop, analyze, write-up and disseminate findings

Deliverables:

Joint Guidance Note with:

• Synergies
• Complementarities
• Gaps

Lessons learned 

Decisions concerning budget availability and allocation will remain with the Global Food Security Cluster Coordinator according to prevailing resources. 

Method of work:

The gFSC support team will act as the secretariat for the Working Group and will manage and ensure the communications through:

• Regular email correspondence
• Conduct regular telephone conferences (the initial recommendation is for monthly meetings)
• The first face-to-face meeting is scheduled for the 16 April 2012, in Geneva (the day prior to the gFSC bi-annual meeting in Geneva, 17-18 April 2012).
• The gFSC WG on Assessments will report highlights to the gFSC partners during the monthly teleconferences and in more detail during the bi-annual meetings of partners).
• Final meeting minutes will be circulated to all gFSC partners as information.

The Global Nutrition Cluster Annual Meeting: Thoughts on progress and risks

By Carmel Dolan, Jeremy Shoham & Marie McGrath on 20 October 2017

We recently attended the Global Nutrition Cluster Annual meeting in Geneva. ENN, as part of the process of pulling together a special issue of Field Exchange on Nutrition Cluster Coordination (which will be out in November), we worked behind the scenes with cluster coordinators from 6 countries to help them to set out and synthesise what is going well in their focal countries, what challenges they face, what steps they can take to overcome these challenges and, what ‘asks’ they have of the global level. They presented on Day 1 to around 90 participants from UN agencies, NGOs, donors, academia and from other clusters. It was a day of very rich learning.

Listening to the nutrition coordinators describe the complexities of their work in four high profile/Level 3 emergencies -Yemen, South Sudan, North Eastern Nigeria and Somalia- we were struck by how far the cluster mechanism has come and how skilled these coordination staff are in terms of navigating the architecture in which they operate, the work the cluster information managers do to map interventions,  provide coverage and other data and, in terms of their outreach to other sectors, including to the development partners, to jointly plan and act where this is possible….and it seems, this is increasingly the case. In fact, the nutrition coordinators are increasingly the lynchpin to advocate for, broker, and catalyse inter-sectoral nutrition action.  When you think about when (2005) and why the cluster system was established and the state of coordination and capacity leading up to it’s inception, the progress really has been phenomenal and nowhere more so than in the nutrition sector.

At the meeting we also heard about the 2017-2020 GNC Strategy and a 2-year costed Work Plan, the work that has gone on to put in place much greater inter-cluster (read sectors such as food security, WASH, health) coordination and integrated action for greater impact on those affected by crisis and the work of the coordination and technical rapid response teams, which provide surge support in response to country ‘collective’ need for urgent coordination, information management and technical nutrition in emergencies support in an emergency.

Over the 3 days, delegates focussed on the main driver of change in the humanitarian system- the New Way of Working, the Grand Bargain and the SDGs to mention a few and worked on priorities for the nutrition cluster to engage more effectively across both the humanitarian and development divide and across sectors to effect necessary change and greater coherence. Country cluster coordinators remained central to the thinking, a critical reality check, and never ceased to impress.

The meeting was rich in terms of experience based learning and analysis. Participation was engaging, colleigate, dynamic and at times, even fun!  The energy and effort that went into the meeting is testament to the value of the collective that has evolved.However, on the final day, we were reminded that despite all the progress the nutrition cluster has made and many country success stories it can share highlighting the benefits of well-coordinated assessment and actions, it faces an unprecedented lack of funding for the implementation of its work plan, for the maintenance of the rapid response facility, for the GNC Help Desk and for staff who keep the cluster ‘show on the road’. It seemed to us that at a point when the nutrition cluster is needing to embrace the complex changes demanded of the humanitarian (and development) system post the world humanitarian summit, it is now at risk of being unable to rise fully to the opportunities and challenges ahead.

We are pretty sure that a lot of people in the room (some with a longer institutional memory than they may be prepared to admit) were very surprised that such a demonstratively successful cluster should be fighting for its financial life at a time when the challenges ahead are so great. It is also very difficult not to compare the nutrition cluster’s current position to that of other international nutrition coordination mechanisms whom, by comparison are more secure. Surely no one wants to return to the bad old days when the absence of coordination and professional peer support often led to very poor programming? We refer you to the 1996 Great Lakes Evaluation if you need reminding of how bad it was pre-humanitarian reform. We therefore have a very simple message ‘SAVE OUR NUTRITION CLUSTER. Fund the GNC!’.

Dear GNC Partners:

The GNC-CT and UNICEF Bangladesh organised a Partners’ Call on Cox’s Bazar Response on 28 November 2017 at 1500 hrs (Geneva time).

To download the presentation click on the following link:  Presentation for GNC Partners' Call (63 downloads)

Dear GNC Partners and Cluster/Sector Team,

We are pleased to share the final report of the GNC Annual Meeting, 10-12 October 2017. Please click on the following link to download the report:  GNC Annual Meeting 10-12 October Final Report (134 downloads)

The GNC Donor Webinar was organised jointly by the GNC Strategic Advisory Group and UNICEF on 31 January 2018. More than 30 participants joined the webinar representing donors, partners and cluster/sector coordinators. The objectives of the webinar are:

Dear GNC partners,

Save the Children will be hosting an Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergency Training in Maiduguri, Nigeria from February 6-10, 2017.  This is the first of a series of OFDA-funded, country and regional trainings to increase capacity in IYCF-E response of the nutrition sector / cluster.  The invitation and application have been circulated within the Nigeria Nutrition in Emergencies Working Group.  We’d appreciate your help in also sending it on to your teams in the field to ensure they receive the information with enough time to apply. (Deadline for applications is December 14, 2016.) Any questions can be directed to sciycfetraining@savechildren.org.

Application: infant-and-young-child-feeding-in-emergencies-training-application-nigeria-final

Invitation: infant-and-young-child-feeding-in-emergencies-training-invite-nigeria_final

Dear colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that the interim operational guidance for CMAM programming in exceptional circumstances has been finalized.  The guidance is  posted on our website as an appendix to the Decision Tool for MAM in Emergencies (GNC MAM task force, June 2014; appendix D)

The interim operational guidance in its current form was  developed by UNICEF and WFP  in collaboration with the GNC’s former MAM task force members, additional agencies and technical experts (all acknowledged in the document) -  to address shortfalls in the continuum of care for acute malnutrition in emergencies.

The interim operational CMAM guidance suggests revised protocols for Community Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) in exceptional circumstances to support life-saving measures in acute crisis situations in the absence of either an Outpatient Therapeutic Program, a Targeted Supplementary Feeding Program or both. The revised protocols deviate from the standard CMAM protocols in terms of using RUSF to treat SAM and RUTF to treat MAM when there are no other alternatives available. Ultimately, the guidance is intended to provide options for agencies operating in emergencies when the risk of inaction is greater than the risk of action in terms of avoidable mortality risk.

It is not intended to replace the standard CMAM protocols that have informed national protocols and are based on the global knowledge and research defining best practices to date. The need to apply the interim operational guidance should be identified and agreed through the Country Nutrition Cluster (or other active coordination mechanism). Use of a revised protocol must meet the requirements defining an exceptional circumstance, including use on a temporary basis with a plan in place to transition back to the national/standard protocols.

As part of the learning agenda, country cluster coordinators will monitor the implementation of the interim operational guidance with support of the GNC, UNICEF and WFP, to contribute to global operational evidence on the use of the interim guidance.   UNICEF and WFP headquarters agree to keep overall track of where  amended protocols are being implemented, in collaboration with the Global Nutrition Cluster Coordination Team, Helpdesk and GNC partners.

To download the updated Decision Tool for MAM with the Interim Operational Guidance, please click the following link:  Updated Decision Tool for MAM 2017 (1141 downloads)

For any queries, please contact the GNC Coordination Team.

Safe Preparation of F75 and F100 Therapeutic Milks Video is now available:

Dear GNC partners:

Thanks to the hospitality of our global partner “International Orthodox Christian Charities” (IOCC), the next GNC Annual Working (Face-to-Face) Meeting will take place in Beirut, Lebanon in March 2017.

In order to set the dates for the meeting, please kindly cast your vote via Doodle Survey using the following link: http://doodle.com/poll/8vma79zustftq4f3

The proposed dates are:

• 15-16 March 2017, or
• 29-30 March 2017

The GNC SAG Meeting will take place on a day prior to the agreed dates – either on 14 or on 28 March 2017.

Please cast your vote before 30 December 2016.

Thank you,

GNC Coordination Team

Dear GNC partners and Country Cluster Coordinators/Information Management Officers,

Season’s Greetings from the GNC-Coordination Team!

Please be kindly informed that the term of below listed Strategic Advisory Group’s (SAG) members will expire in March 2018:

• ENN – represented by Carmel Dolan;
• IMC – represented by Suzanne Brinkmann;
• UNHCR – represented by Caroline Wilkinson;
• Cluster coordinators/IMO representative – Anteneh Dobamo.

The members that have re-confirmed their commitment to continue as the SAG members for one more term in 2018 are:

• Save the Children UK;
• WFP – standing member;
• UNICEF – standing member.

We would like to express our sincere appreciation for the hard work of our outgoing and current SAG members!

The GNC-CT would like to use the opportunity of its Annual Working Face-to-Face (F2F) meeting in March 2018 in New York and finalise the nomination of the new SAG members representing the NGO, UN partners and cluster coordinators/IMOs. This time, nominations will be accepted for 2 (two) NGO partner seat,1 (one) UN partner seat and 1 (one) seat representing cluster coordinators and IMOs.

For details of eligibility, please refer to the attached ToR of the GNC SAG:  click to download (73 downloads)

Nomination, establishment and duration of the SAG

• Interested agencies are asked to submit an expression of interest and identify the individual who will fulfil this role on behalf of the agency. A brief outline of the added value of the organisation’s participation in the SAG (approximately one paragraph) and a short bio (no more than half of one page) of the nominated individual should be submitted to the GNC Coordination Team.
• In the event that the individual is an independent, the short bio and brief outline of added value should be submitted to the GNC Coordination Team.

The SAG members are to serve for a minimum of 1 (one) year and a maximum 2 (two) years.

Selection of SAG members

• New SAG members will be elected by the GNC partners (each agency will have 1 vote);
• Voting will take place through an on-line survey. In the event that there is only the required number of volunteers for each level of representation, a vote will not be needed.

Criteria for the membership of the GNC Strategic Advisory Group:

• Nominated individuals should have significant relevant work experience at a strategic level, and have a solid understanding of the humanitarian aid sector.
• Nominated individuals will commit to represent the interests of the GNC and not their own agency’s interest.

Timeline:

• Nomination process starts today, Wednesday, 13 December 2017 until Sunday, 14 January 2018;
• Results endorsement and establishment of the new SAG, handover from the current SAG to the newly elected SAG: GNC Annual Working (F2F) meeting in New York, 28-29 March 2018, and special one-day SAG meeting on 27 March 2018.

Please kindly send your nominations to the GNC-CT (jippe@unicef.org and asaparbekov@unicef.org) alongside with the documents listed above by 14 January 2018.

Should you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact Josephine or myself at your earliest convenience. You could also get in touch with our current SAG members to learn about their involvement, time spent on the SAG issues, etc.