SERVICES: National Platforms
Sudan
Context: The Sudan 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) committed to focusing on the establishment of a collective accountability approach that has a broader focus on integrating the participation, feedback and perceptions of people into each phase of the programme cycle. The first COVID-19 case in Sudan was confirmed on 13 March. In May 2020 CDAC began a collective initiative in Sudan to strengthen CCE/AAP through improved coordination and the rapid collation, generation and dissemination of health messaging related to COVID-19, relevant to humanitarian settings, grounded on a strong evidence base. A National Community Engagement and Accountability Coordinator was hosted by OCHA in Khartoum. Following wide stakeholder consultations, an AAP/CEA Working Group was established under Inter-Sectoral Coordination Group (ISCG) with strong links to COVID-19 RCCE. The group was strengthened in a subsequent Tigray response.
Government links: Links with MoH via RCCE and other Government Ministries as relevant to the type of response
Leads/Chairs/Co-Chairs: Convened by OCHA with CDAC Coordinator support, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and UNHCR co-chairs the working group on a rotational basis. The National NGO Almanar has volunteered co-secretariat with OCHA.
National and international actors involved: Local and international NGOs and authorities as relevant to the type of response (COVID-19, Tigray, other).
Donors: Funding to CDAC Network via the H2H Global COVID-19 Humanitarian Support Package and the H2H Tigray Response.
Opportunities and challenges: During the Coordinator’s deployment, a number of strategic achievements were possible: Piloting Community Based Complaints and Feedback Mechanism mapping tools in two states in West and Central Darfur States; Community Consultation feedback on Flood Response integrated into UNDP Post Disaster Need Assessment which is implemented by the Sudan Red Crescent Society; a mission to Eastern Sudan Tigrayan refugees sites to ensure an improved AAP/CEA response was achieved by boosting the integration of participation, feedback and perceptions of people into each phase of the programme cycle in relation to the Tigray response; Technical support was provided after a CBCFM survey in two-way communication, common messaging, and process for “closing the feedback loop”. Recommendations for embedding this was developed and shared through the working groups. Response partners will work with this collective approach to improve CEA in the Tigray response through coordinated efforts in the working group. AAP was strengthened in the Sudan 2021 HRP. The longer term need to fill the WG Coordinator position has not been resolved.
