Political Economy of Institutionalising WINNN’s Work with State Government & In-depth PEA for Gombe State - Consultancy at Save The Children

Expected Starting Date: March 13th 2017
Expected Finishing Date: April 8th 2017
Total Number of Days: 22 days

Background

• Working to Improve Nutrition in Northern Nigeria (WINNN) is funded by UK’s Department for International Development and implemented by UNICEF, Action Against Hunger (ACF) and Save the Children International (SCI), in partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria and the State Governments of Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Yobe and Zamfara. The overall objective of the project is to reduce mortality through decreasing the incidence and prevalence of under nutrition in Nigeria with focus on Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Yobe and Zamfara States.
• The WINNN programme aims to build the capacity of the state and LGAs to implement nutrition interventions as routine services through existing PHC structures and to use evidence-based advocacy to improve political commitment to, and government funding for nutrition interventions. WINNN’s goal is to improve nutritional status of children under five in Northern Nigeria with an expected outcome of nutrition interventions been delivered through routine health services, funded by the Government of Nigeria.
• As the programme is now in its final year of implementation the top priority is ensuring the sustainability of its interventions. While the majority of WINNN’s interventions work through existing state structures its engagement with Community volunteers for the Preventive Nutrition Behavioural Change communications involves the programme setting up structures of its own which raises an additional sustainability risk.
• The programme has identified institutionalising its structures within those of the state government up to the ward level as the best route to sustaining them and seeks to undertake a political economy analysis of the transition in the five states to better inform its advocacy strategy for the transition period.

Objectives of the Consultancy

• A key requirement of the WINNN is to secure an increased political and institutional commitment to the implementation of effective state-wide Nutrition programmes that ensures funding for Nutrition activities, dedicated budget line, promotion of preventive mechanism and treatment of malnourished children. Understanding the political dynamics of a state and how to engage stakeholders are of paramount importance to the programme.
• In 2015 a political economic analysis (PEA) of all WINNN implementing states was carried out providing the programme with a clear picture of state dynamics. The PEA was accompanied with an action plan. However with the current changes in the political environment at both national and state levels as well as in view of the proposed exit of the WINNN programme in at least 3 of the 5 states which compels a stronger analysis and review of the existing PEAs. 

Therefore the Primary Objectives of the Consultancy will be:

• To update and strengthen the analysis in the PEA report of Jigawa, Yobe, Kebbi, Katsina and Zamfara drawing from existing reports and documents.
• Comprehensive analysis of the political space in Gombe State and development of advocacy strategy in response to the PEA findings
• To develop an accompanying advocacy transition strategy that draws from the PEA and the state engagement strategy to help garner political and institutional commitments beyond the life of the programme.
• To outline the critical political change in the five states and the political dynamics currently at play as it relates to Nutrition.

The PEA report will be provided in a summary form of not more than fifteen pages. The PEA report will also outline key political drivers, risk and critical assumptions to the institutionalization of WINNN/nutrition in all the 5 states.  The updated advocacy strategy will extract from the current advocacy strategy and updated analysis from the PEA. This document should also establish a clear pathway to mitigate potential risk factors outlined in the PEA.

Methodology
The study will analyse what the politics of making and implementing policies on Nutrition in WINNN focal states are and how WINNN’s institutionalisation strategy can adapt to this. It will adopt an issue based PEA approach that will answer the following in the states of Jigawa, Yobe, Kebbi, Katsina and Jigawa:

• What is the current political settlement of the state? What are the broad priorities of the state government? How are they brokered and agreed?  Where do ‘Nutrition within the first 1,000 days of life’ as a policy area or target constituency fit into this?
• How are the priorities of the state government translated into formal policies? What actors are involved in this process? Where do ‘‘Nutrition within the first 1,000 days of life” as a policy area currently fit within this?
• What are the barriers and blockages to the effective delivery of the state government’s policies on Nutrition for Mothers and Children? What formal and informal processes and actors are involved in the move to implementation?
• How can WINNN adapt its overall approach to working with its beneficiaries and its institutionalization strategy based on the findings? What changes are required to its overall and state specific institutionalization/transition and advocacy strategies?

Stage 1 - Extract and Summarize Data:

• Collect data from all the relevant documents already existing within and outside the organisation. A desk review will be carried out utilizing the existing PEA report of the programme done in 2015/2016 and the CDGP PEA report of 2014, 2015 and 2016 which has a good background of the political dynamics in the targeted states.
• The desk review will make sure all existing assessments of domains of stakeholders at national, state, LGA, community levels including donors, government, partners and politicians are considered. Review programme documents and identify priority issues in order to bring intended outcomes to fruition.

Stage2 - Work with Programme Team

• Work with the programme team both at state and national level to collect any relevant information that may be missing from the desk review.  This may involve the team making important enquiries where necessary.

Stage 3 - Analyse the Data and Develop a Causal Framework

• Using data already collected, develop a 15 page document with the first 7-8 pages providing a summary update of the PEA and the last 7-8 pages summarizing the advocacy/transition strategy with clear details on strategic drivers and priorities. 

Tasks/Activities
Estimated # Days:

• Desk Review of all relevant documents - 10 Days
• Consultation with Programme teams - 5 Days
• One day workshop with National Team to develop political transition plan  - 2 days
• Finalize the Report - 5 Days
• Total Days - 22.

Deliverables:

• A draft PEA report for the WINNN Programme – not more than 15 pages with the 5-7 pages advocacy transition strategy as an annex
• A summarized advocacy/transition Strategy and plan per state – narrative should not be more than 5-7 pages

Qualifications    

• Advanced university degree in Social Sciences, Humanities or Political Science
• A sound understanding of the political economy of Nigeria particularly Northern Nigeria 
• Experience of developing advocacy and state engagement strategies
• An awareness of Nutrition  policies and State Budget Cycles
• Previous experience in development of analytical reports and policy documents related to partnerships
• Ability to synthesize and analyze large amounts of information combining quantitative and qualitative data
• Excellent written English and Spoken Hausa  
• Knowledge of rights-based approach to programmes.