Attachments
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.0 Introduction
Over the past 13 years, high prevalence of child protection concerns has been characteristic of North-East Nigeria. Protracted deprivation has overstretched the resilience of children and their families. In recent years, The Child Protection Area of Responsibility (CP AoR) in North-East Nigeria – led by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development (MWASD) and UNICEF – has responded by developing a 5-year CP Northeast Strategy (2022-2026) and an initial 3-year work plan in 2022. The fourth objective of this strategy emphasizes fostering localisation. It is in line with the Northeast CP strategy (2022-2026) that this Localisation Strategy has been developed.
An evidence-based, participatory approach was used for the development of this CP AoR localisation strategy. The process included an extensive desk review, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and three state-level consultative workshops reaching nearly 60 participants from government, LNNGOs, INGOs and UN agencies.
1.1 Rationale
This Northeast CP AoR Localisation Strategy derives from the Grand Bargain Commitments, builds on the Northeast CP AoR Strategy (2022-2026) and seeks to ensure that CP response is as local as possible and as international as necessary.’
2.0 Conceptual Framework
The conceptual framework for localisation in humanitarian coordination1 developed by the Global CP AoR and other coordination bodies was adopted and adapted as the framework for assessing localisation progress and developing this localisation strategy. Localisation progress assessment and strategy development were done around the five dimensions of the ‘global’ conceptual framework, namely Governance and Decision Making, Participation and Influence, Partnerships, Institutional Capacity and Funding.
A sixth dimension (Communication, Advocacy and Visibility) was added to the five assessment dimensions of the usual conceptual framework.
Although this conceptual framework was used, a ‘siloed’ approach was avoided since the dimensions are inter-related and achievements in one dimension (e.g. partnerships) may lead to outcomes in other dimensions (e.g. funding, visibility, institutional capacity).
3.0 Situation Analysis
The Northeast CP AoR has made incremental progress in localisation. Established in 2016, the AoR only had nine NNGOs. The number of NNGOs increased to 28 in 2019 and steadily increased to 34 by May in 2023.
3.1 Governance and Decision Making
At Federal and State levels, relevant government line ministries lead the Child Protection AoR and the Strategic Advisory Committee (SAG), with UNICEF as co-leader and GOAL Prime Organisation – an NNGO – as co-coordinator. By default, the CP AoR and the SAG are women-led and five (42%) of the 12 members of the SAG are women. The SAG guides the CP AoR and facilitates timely and effective decision making.
Inclusion of LNNGOs in the SAG has nearly tripled from two (2) LNNGOs in 2018 to five (5) LNNGOs in 2023. However, LNNGOs make only 50% of the SAG members (decision makers) whereas LNNGOs are 77% of the CP AoR members. Also, the Ministry of Justice is not a member in the CP AoR and the SAG.
While Government leadership is strong at federal and state levels, it is generally weak at LGA level.
3.2 Participation and Influence
The North-East CP AoR has made commendable progress in improving participation and influence of LNNGOs. NNGOs are adequately represented in three technical working groups (TWGs) that contribute to decision making processes of the SAG.
Key documents are available in English, the official language of Nigeria but versions in formats accessible to people with disabilities are not available. Monthly CP AoR coordination meetings are forums where both women and men have equal opportunities to influence direction of the AoR. However, INGOs and UN agencies in the AoR apparently wield more power derived from their robust stature in terms of institutional capacity, access to funding and (long term) partnerships with the donor community.
Further, the Ministry of Justice, the National Population Commission (NPC) that is responsible for birth registration and the Ministry of Local Government are all peripheral to CP AoR coordination platforms and processes, yet access to justice and birth registration for children could be improved through active participation of these stakeholders.
3.3 Partnerships
Nine in every ten (90%) UN and INGOs are in partnership with LNNGOs. However, the UN and INGOs are pre-dominantly delivering aid directly to beneficiaries and not through the LNNGO partners.
Of the 1, 439, 687 children reached by all actors in 2022, only 32% had been reached through LNNGOs.
Most partnerships between LNAs and UN agencies or INGOs are lop-sided, short-term and project based with LNAs serving as sub-guarantees. Principled partnerships remain a rarity. As such, ‘partnerships’ was the second among constraints to efficiency and effectiveness that LNNGOs most frequently cited.
3.4 Institutional Capacity
LNNGOs in the Northeast span the whole capacity continuum, from minimum capacity to robust capacity.
Key institutional capacity needs for many LNNGOs in the CP AoR are in the areas of Human Resources Management, Financial Resources Management,
Monitoring and Evaluation, Resource Mobilisation, institutional governance, leadership, risk management, procurement management systems, among others.
Due to institutional capacity gaps, most of the LNNGOs have remained high risk entities with restricted access to funding. The architecture of the Child Protection System at Local Government Area (LGA) level is of concern. Government social workers at this level are inadequate and ill-equipped.
At community level, CP service provision has had intermittent efficiency and effectiveness. The main structure for CP at this level is the community-based child protection committees (CBCPCs) which are established and supported by NGOs within particular projects. When the projects lapse, the CBCPCs die. CBCPCs are not linked to government social welfare structures. There is neither a government policy for their recognition nor a framework for their capacitation and incentivisation.
3.5 Funding
LNNGOs’ limited access to quality funding is the greatest challenge to advancement of localisation efforts in the CP AoR. Direct donor funding to LNNGO for CP services constituted only 14% (USD1, 406, 119) of the total CP funding in 2022, thus missing the 25% benchmark set in the Grand Bargain Workstream 2 guidelines. In a 2022 survey for the localisation dashboard, funding was the most frequently cited constraint for LNNGOs. Out of the six dimensions of the localisation dashboard against which localisation achievements were measured, funding had the lowest score (2.7 out of five). While the government is the custodian of child protection, its federal, state and LGA level structures and systems remain under-funded. Meanwhile, there is little appetite in the donor community to fund CP through government structures and systems. Only UNICEF provides funds directly to government.
3.6 Communication, Advocacy and Visibility
For many LNNGOs, visibility is an issue. Many do not have websites, and some are not active on social media platforms. Staff do not have adequate capacity to compile the 5W reports. As a result, their activities and impact remain unknown.
3.7 Conclusion from the Situation Analysis
Several issues lie at the confluence of two or more dimensions of the localisation conceptual framework. As such, a holistic approach to taking stock of progress in localisation is required. Similarly, an integrated approach is required in efforts to further advance the localisation agenda.
3.8 Recommendations
Based on the situation analysis, the following recommendations are made:
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Adopt a multi-year integrated, tri-dimensional approach to strengthening localisation that focusses on institutional capacity strengthening, partnership development and funding for LNAs without necessarily neglecting the other dimensions.
Establishment of state-based NNGO-led consortia would be crucial in this regard. -
Strengthen LGA and community level CP coordination structures and case management systems.
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Strengthen grassroots child protection systems mainly through capacity building and formal recognition of community-based child protection committees (CBCPCs).
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High-level advocacy engagements with government, donors, UN Agencies, Private Sector and INGOs as further elaborated in section four below.
4.0 Localisation Framework for the Northeast Nigeria CP AoR 2023 - 2025
The 2023-2025 localisation strategy will seek to address root causes of the current challenges in advancing the localisation agenda rather than merely the manifestations of deep-seated problems.
A holistic approach will be adopted. the whole strategy will be pivoted on integrated institutional capacity building, principled partnerships, visibility, and funding enhancement initiatives.