Project Overview

Target Population: Civil society organizations, policymakers, parliamentarians, development partners, private sector actors, academia, media, and other nutrition stakeholders.

Location: Somaliland.

Duration: January 2018 to December 2025.

Donor / Partner: WHH/BMZ and UNOPS (Global Grant – SUN Movement Pooled Fund).

Primary Goal: Strengthen civil society coordination and influence nutrition governance, policy, advocacy, and resource allocation in Somaliland.

Rationale & Context

ACRIF worked to elevate nutrition on the political and public agenda and strengthen civil society leadership in nutrition governance. The initiative expanded the Somaliland Civil Society Network for Scaling Up Nutrition (SLCSN-SUN), supported policy development, organized advocacy and consultative forums, and increased civil society participation in high-level nutrition dialogue.

Key Project Components

1. Civil Society Coordination

• Expand SLCSN-SUN membership and strengthen coordination among civil society organizations.
• Establish sub-national platforms, map CSOs, and implement SUN activities in high-burden districts.

2. Nutrition Policy Development

• Support development of a Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Policy and nutrition-sensitive sector action plans.
• Support maternity protection reforms and development of the Breastfeeding Act.

3. Advocacy and Public Agenda Setting

• Produce common position papers and calls for action.
• Conduct high-level consultative and advocacy forums with policymakers, parliamentarians, development partners, private sector actors, academia, and media.

4. High-Level Policy Engagement

• Ensure active civil society participation in forums such as the IMC Plus Forum to influence policy and resource allocation.

Expected Outcomes

• Civil society organizations have stronger coordination and representation in nutrition governance.
• Nutrition-sensitive policies and legal frameworks are strengthened.
• Nutrition receives greater political and public attention through evidence-based advocacy.
• Civil society contributes more consistently to high-level policy dialogue and resource-allocation discussions.