Strengthening LNA Leadership in Sudan’s Nutrition Response

As part of the GNC pilot programme to strengthen capacity of local and national actors (LNAs) implementing Nutrition in Emergencies (NiE) responses, Sudan—along with Mali and Somalia—was selected to benefit from this initiative, recognizing the critical role LNAs play in the country humanitarian operations. 

The below four national NGO nutrition cluster partners were chosen through a competitive review process led by a selection committee involving the GNC and the Sudan Nutrition cluster Strategic Advisory Group (SAG):

• Peace Organization for Rural Development (PORD)
• Sahari Organization for Development (SAHARI)
• Dar for Community Development DCD
• National Planning Organization

The training programme consists of two phases. The first phase, delivered virtually between September and November 2024, focused on Organizational Capacity Strengthening (OCS). In partnership with OCS provider MENA Development Valley, the GNC facilitated training on three core areas: (1) Communications, Advocacy and External Relations; (2) Funding and Resource Mobilization; and (3) Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL).

The four NGO partners expressed appreciation to the GNC and the nutrition cluster in Sudan, noted strengthened organization operational capacity, improved response readiness and more effective participation in coordination fora at national and subnational levels. While their progress reflects a combination of ongoing efforts, OCS training was acknowledged to play a significant role in accelerating these developments. Since the start of the training, participating NNGOs have applied key learnings to strengthen their internal systems, leading to expanded nutrition programming aligned with the operational improvements supported through the training.

The second phase centers on NiE technical capacity strengthening, guided by a prioritization exercise conducted jointly by the GNC, the Sudan Nutrition cluster coordination team and the selected national NGO partners. Priority areas identified included: (i) Advocacy for nutrition; (ii) Nutrition Information Systems (NiS); (iii) Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA); (iv) MAMI; (v) IYCF-E and (vi) Social and Behavior Change (SBC). Following advocacy from the Sudan Nutrition Sector Coordination team, the GNC agreed to expand access to this phase to additional LNA nutrition cluster partners as well as the Ministry of Health. This broader inclusion aims to ensure that the technical competencies and tools gained through the training are embedded within national systems, thereby strengthening coherence and sustaining between humanitarian and government-led efforts.

Phase two is scheduled to commence in mid-December, with final dates to be confirmed based on GNC facilitators’ availability and partner agreement. Ultimately, the programme will reinforce the sector’s ability to deliver more effective, coordinated, and sustainable nutrition responses during emergencies anchored in LNA capacities.