Scaling Up Nutrition Movement (SUN)
1. Since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, has the governing body of your organization taken (or will it take) any decisions or new strategies to guide the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs? If any, please provide a brief summary below, including the overarching vision of your organization.
The Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement, launched in 2010, inspired a new way of working collaboratively to end malnutrition. The SUN Movement is following a multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder approach, with governments of 60 SUN countries and 3 States of India in the lead.
The Movement's vision is to, by 2030, ensure a world free from malnutrition in all its forms. Led by governments and supported by organisations and individuals - collective action will ensure every child, adolescent, mother and family can realise their right to food and nutrition, reach their full potential and shape sustainable and prosperous societies.
The SUN Movement is driven by a dedicated set of change agents. Member countries, led by governments, are the core of the SUN Movement, leading national efforts with a wealth of experience, insight and capacity. All the stakeholders in the Movement are changing their behaviours and committing to achieving common nutrition results behind government led plans:
- At the global level, civil society, donors, businesses and UN agencies are organised into Networks. Each of the Networks has a global Steering Committee and a Secretariat which work to support the establishment and functioning of Networks at country level. They provide support and technical assistance, ensure timely exchange of information, and monitor and evaluate achievements
- The SUN Movement Coordinator leads and strengthens collaboration between stakeholders and advocates for improving nutrition at country, regional and global levels
- The SUN Movement Secretariat (SMS), provides support to its members' work and facilitates Movement-wide sharing and learning opportunities. The SMS enables access to technical assistance and support aligned with the SUN Movement's principles and the SDG's
- The SUN Movement Executive Committee, oversees and supports the implementation of the SUN Movement Strategy and Roadmap and strengthens accountability within the Movement
- The SUN Movement's Lead Group, consists of prominent leaders and change makers who have pledged to position nutrition at the highest levels and provide the inspiration, action and direction on a global scale. They are figureheads for nutrition and carry out strategic advocacy to ensure it grows in recognition as a maker and marker of sustainable development
SUN member countries and their supporters are working towards the World Health Assembly targets on maternal, infant, and young child nutrition by 2025, in addition to relevant targets for preventing and controlling non-communicable diseases.
The SUN Movement Strategy and Roadmap (2016-2020), endorsed by the SUN Lead Group in 2016, has helped illuminate the importance of nutrition as a universal agenda - and one which is integral to achieving the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Nutrition is a maker and marker of development. The SUN Movement strategy is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The SDGs are incorporated in the Movement's theory of change, and the concept of 'leaving no one behind' is reflected in the Movement's strategy. In the spirit of the 2030 Agenda, the focus of the Movement was broadened from reducing stunting to ending all forms of malnutrition.
Link to SUN Movement Strategy and Roadmap (2016-2020):
http://docs.scalingupnutrition.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/SR_20160901_ENG_web_pages.pdf
2.1 SDG-specific strategies, plans or work programmes
The SUN Movement has followed an integrated and inclusive approach since its inception in 2010.
Based on the Strategy and Roadmap (2016-2020) - aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development - and its four strategic objectives, the SUN Movement Secretariat developed a multi-year activity framework 2016-2020, and adapted the annual work plans accordingly.
2.2 Aligning the structure of the organization with the transformative features of the 2030 Agenda, including any challenges and lessons learned in doing so
To further enhance the dimension of effective partnering, the SUN principles of engagement, which guide the multiple actors of the Movement in working effectively together, were broadened by three additional principles with a view to mitigating conflicts of interest. The SUN Movement Principles of Engagement seek to reflect the common purpose, agreed behaviours and mutual accountability that form the basis of the Movement. They provide the foundation for positive collaboration, and underline the requirement that those who engage in the Movement avoid behaving and acting in ways that could disempower - or even harm - those the Movement seeks to serve. The SUN Movement's work to date on preventing and managing conflict of interest is being broadly disseminated and an ethical framework has been developed for the Movement and its stewardship arrangements to ensure that open, transparent and accountable behavior is reflected in procedures of the Lead Group, Executive Committee, SUN Networks, and the SUN Movement Secretariat.
Link to: Key documents preventing and managing conflicts of interest
This work culminated with launch of the Partnerships Playbook at the 2016 UN General Assembly in a high-level side event focused on the role of multi-stakeholder partnerships in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Partnerships Playbook was later endorsed as a Global Partnership Initiative at the HLM2 on November 30, 2016 in Nairobi, Kenya, and several major SDG focused partnerships have endorsed the principles including Sanitation and Water For All, The Global partnership for Education, Every Woman Every Child, the Zero Hunger Challenge and the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children.
Link to: Together for the 2030 Agenda - The Partnerships Playbook
http://docs.scalingupnutrition.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Partnerships-Playbook.pdf.pdf
2.3 Readjusting or updating results-based budgeting and management, including performance indicators:
The SUN Movement monitoring and evaluation framework has also been aligned and broadened, comprising now relevant SDG indicators to measure progress.
2.4 Action to enhance support to the principle of "leaving no one behind" and to integrated policy approaches:
A stronger focus has also been given to people living in fragile contexts, enhancing support to the principle of 'Leaving no one behind'. The SUN Movement Secretariat developed a briefing note "Focus on Nutrition around Crises", which aims to elaborate the challenges faced by SUN Countries during urgent or recurring crises to provide a set of recommendations for key stakeholders in the Movement to prioritise over the next 12 months.
The note has been developed by the SUN Movement Secretariat and is based on consultations with key individuals engaged in humanitarian actions from UN OCHA, UNICEF, FAO, WFP, IOM, UNDP, WHO.
Link to: Briefing paper - Nutrition in Fragile Contexts
3.1 Mainstreaming the SDGs in development plans and policies or through national sustainable development plans/strategies:
SUN member countries are working towards demonstrating better use of finance data through improved advocacy, planning and impact which will lead to increased resources from both domestic and external sources. They do this by regularly and transparently tracking nutrition budget allocations against multi-sectoral nutrition plans. By 2017, 47 countries conducted an analysis of their government budgets, with 22 countries having done it for the second time. These efforts show that it is feasible to conduct a budget analysis but also that this process needs to be sustained and improved. The Movement has brought together SUN member countries in 2015, 2016 and 2017 to undertake budget analysis exercises to ensure more and better spending across ministries so as to tackle the underlying causes of malnutrition.
Link to: Tracking nutrition investments
National nutrition information systems are also essential for assessing the current status and measuring changes in nutritional status of populations, tracking the progress of actions and prioritising efforts toward improving nutrition.
In 2016, mapping research was undertaken by consultants for the SUN Movement to define a standard framework that systematically assesses the state of information systems for nutrition across SUN Countries.
Link to: Mapping information systems in SUN Countries
On 19 December 2016, the UN Network for SUN and the SUN Movement Secretariat launched a checklist for good national nutrition plans, the first of its kind. There is strong consensus that harmonised support to national processes is a prerequisite for sustainable development. However, no standards or guidance has been made available to define what constitutes quality nutrition plans, which has led to the development of this Checklist.
Link to: Checklist for good quality national nutrition plans
3.2 Mainstreaming the SDGs in sectoral strategies, including specific SDG/target strategies:
Multi-sectoral nutrition plans endorsed at the highest level, guide collective implementation and resource allocation. Across the SUN Movement, these are often identified as the Common Results Framework (CRF). Such plans address malnutrition as a national development priority and articulate the role of various sectors and stakeholders in aligning for common results and impact. The SUN Movement Secretariat and SUN Networks support countries in developing such plans and matching countries with the technical assistance required.
Link to: Aligning and costing nutrition actions
4.4 Organizing side evens or speaking at the HLPF:
The SUN Movement contributed in different ways to the HLPF in 2016 and 2017. In 2017, the Coordinator moderated the SDG2 thematic session and participated in side events. In 2016, the SUN Movement co-hosted a side event showcasing the relevance of nutrition across the SDGs in partnership with the Permanent Missions of Uganda and Germany.
4.5 Supporting VNR process:
SUN countries presenting their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) were encouraged to include nutrition in their reporting. Informally, the SUN Movement Secretariat engages with SUN Government Focal Points in advance of the HLPF and encourages their involvement in the Voluntary National Review process to ensure their multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder approach to nutrition is shared and recognized during the Forum.
5. How has your organization cooperated with other UN system organizations to achieve coherence and synergies in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs? In this regard, has your organization launched or intend to launch any joint programmes or projects in collaboration with other UN entities? Are there any results or lessons you would like to highlight that might help improve the design and impact of such efforts? Has your organization participated in any of the following coordination systemwide mechanisms or any other relevant platform - CEB, UNDG, EC-ESA Plus, RCMs, UN-Energy, UN-Water, UN-Ocean, IAEG, IATT? Please specify which and indicate any suggestions you may have about improving collaborations within and across these mechanisms/platforms:
SUN countries are supported by four SUN networks (civil society, business, donors, United Nations). The UN Network for SUN, composed of five UN entities (FAO, WFP, WHO, UNICEF, IFAD), fosters coherence, coordination and convergence on nutrition between UN agencies at global as well as at country level in support of implementing Governments national nutrition plans. It seeks to bring together the expertise and clout of the United Nations agencies to harness the full potential of nutrition as a driver of sustainable development. As part of this initiative, REACH (Renewed Efforts Against Child Hunger) provides neutral experts in facilitation, networking and capacity strengthening to improve nutrition governance, with an emphasis on multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder coordination.
6. How has your organization engaged with stakeholder groups, both in supporting implementation at the country, regional and global levels, and within your own organization? If yes, please provide main highlights, including any lessons learned:
As SUN Countries are striving towards achieving the four strategic objectives of the SUN Movement, they are bringing people together to illuminate the importance of nutrition as a universal agenda. It is a multi-faceted challenge which requires partnerships driven by passionate leadership at the highest levels.
Four SUN Networks and the SUN Movement Secretariat are driven by the needs of SUN Countries and organise support with guidance from the SUN Movement's stewardship arrangements.
Each SUN Network is coordinated at the global level by a Network Facilitator and various leadership and coordination arrangements. Their primary objective is to mobilise and align efforts globally and regionally to scale up efforts in country. Click on each SUN Network below to learn more about the Network:
http://scalingupnutrition.org/sun-supporters/sun-business-network/
http://scalingupnutrition.org/sun-supporters/sun-civil-society-network/
http://scalingupnutrition.org/sun-supporters/sun-donor-network/
http://scalingupnutrition.org/sun-supporters/un-network-for-sun/
The SUN Movement is supporting SUN countries through its Support System in 1) planning and implementation; 2) advocating and communicating; and 3) strengthening capacity for multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder collaboration at all levels. In many countries, solutions to capacity needs are addressed by stakeholders in the country such as via UN agencies, civil society, donors, but in others, the number of partners able to assist is limited or there might be options for in-country support but a lack of alignment with identified priorities. In some of these cases, SUN Government Focal Points had reached out to the SMS to express their needs. In response to this, the SMS has now developed the Capacity to Deliver (C2D) framework as a systematic approach to deliver technical assistance within the SUN Movement.
Link to: Delivering technical assistance to SUN Countries
http://scalingupnutrition.org/share-learn/delivering-technical-assistance-sun-countries/
7. Has your organization organized any conferences, forums or events designed to facilitate exchange of experience, peer and mutual learning? If yes, please provide a brief summary below and include lessons learned and gaps identified based on the outcomes of these events. Please also include any events you plan to organize in the coming years.
The SUN Movement is a unique experience-sharing platform which gives its country members access to rich country knowledge, including national nutrition plans, policies, legislation, financial analysis and investment cases, success stories, tools for social and political change and lessons from implementation challenges. It also harnesses regional and global knowledge, supporting access to financing mechanisms, regional mechanisms for collaboration, global evidence and fora and fosters innovation to accelerate country progress.
Four times a year, the SUN Movement Secretariat hosts the SUN Country Network teleconferences on selected themes where countries have expressed a need for support.
Link to: SUN Country Network Meetings
http://scalingupnutrition.org/sun-countries/sun-country-network-meetings/
As mentioned above, a series of budget analysis workshops have also been held to foster learning and knowledge exchange between member countries.
- Nairobi, Kenya, from 22 to 24 August 2016
- Bangkok, Thailand, from 25 to 27 April 2016
- Guatemala City, Guatemala from 28 to 30 April 2015
- Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire from 27 to 29 April 2015
- Entebbe, Uganda from 21 to 22 April 2015
- Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand from 15 to 16 April 2015
Annually since 2012, and biennially from 2015, the SUN Movement holds its Global Gathering. In 2017, for the first time - the SUN Movement Global Gathering took place in a SUN Country - Côte d'Ivoire. Abidjan welcomed members of the SUN Movement and hosted proceedings to share their inspirational progress and encourage global collaboration in the fight against malnutrition. The SUN Global Gathering brings together all SUN Government Focal Points and representatives of their partners from civil society, donors, United Nations agencies, private sector partners, academia, media, parliamentarians and others. It is the flagship event of the SUN Movement and an important moment where members take stock of progress and challenges, share their innovations and learn what is helping to reduce malnutrition across all SUN Countries. It is a moment for every actor to be energised and encouraged through sharing, learning and finding ways to take their fight against malnutrition to the next level. The Agenda for the Gathering is built by member countries and focuses on how partners can align, support and catlyse further nutrition impact.
Link to: Final report of the 2017 SUN Global Gathering
http://docs.scalingupnutrition.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/SUNGG17-FINAL-REPORT-ENGLISH.pdf
Link to: Past SUN Global Gatherings
http://scalingupnutrition.org/about-sun/sun-movement-global-gathering/
8. Is there any other information you would like to share, including annual reports of your organization and any impact assessment or evaluation reports? If yes, please use the space below and attach the document(s). Please also use this space to provide any other information, comments or remarks you deem necessary:
The SUN Movement Annual Progress Reports 2012-2017:
http://scalingupnutrition.org/progress-impact/sun-movement-annual-progress-report/
Independent Comprehensive Evaluation of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement (2015):
http://scalingupnutrition.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/SUN_ICE_FullReport-All(1-5-15).pdf
Partnerships Playbook (issued by EWEC, GEP, SWA, SUN, ZHC):
http://docs.scalingupnutrition.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Partnerships-Playbook.pdf.pdf
9. In your view, what should a strategic plan for the UN system in support of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs look like? What key elements should it include and major challenges address in such a road map?
The 2030 Agenda requires all stakeholders to think, act, organize, finance and report differently.
A strategic plan for UN system in support of the 2030 Agenda should reduce fragmentation, strengthen coherence and coordination and promote synergy of UN system entities, both at global but particularly also at country level.
The strategy must emphasize country ownership and leadership in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, and the UN System role in aligning behind this approach and supporting policy coherence. Locally-owned and people-centered strategies are essential.
As the SDGs call for the breaking down of silos, it is essential that UN agencies align behind national development plans and support mutli-sectoral and multi-stakeholder collaboration. The UN is in a unique position to focus further on national capacity building to ensure there are the right technical and functional capacities for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at country level.
Promote - from the onset - partnering among multiple actors, beyond Government and UN.
The UN is also in unique position to encourage investment from the domestic budget in addressing sustainable development challenges such as nutrition. Through supporting budget analysis exercises and exploring synergies across sectors, there is ample opportunity to ensure more and better investment that delivers wins across areas of health, nutrition, water and sanitation, sustainable agriculture, social protection and beyond. The UN can also play a key role in encouraging donors and investors to align at country level and support the Government's vision.
Create space for vulnerable people and settings to be included in action so that no one is left behind.
10. Please indicate one or two endeavor or initiatives you suggest that the UN system organizations could undertake together to support the implementation of the SDGs between now and 2030:
The UN system should continue to raise awareness on the SDGs, and communicate and explain the sustainable development agenda to increase understanding, both at global and national level, and amongst different stakeholder groups, including business. In order to make it a universal and unifying agenda, stakeholders need to change their institutional behaviours in favour of achieving the SDGs. This means engaging with the youth, parliamentarians, the media and popular audiences, such as chefs, to ensure the SDGs reach all segments of society.
The UN can further support capacity building at country level around transparent and inclusive data collection and ensure that one system is utilized. This in turn will strengthen accountability and ownership for achieving the SDGs and in reducing fragmentation.
Bring together different actors through platforms: Use the convening capacity of the UN to engage actors, build trust and establish relations to work together for impact in line with the 2030 Agenda.
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