Nutrition cluster
Nutrition cluster: Conducted initial meetings with the nutrition cluster to discuss feasible costing approaches and costing models for the assignment. The criteria considered were the Bottom-up approach and top-down approach, while the costing models discussed where ingredient, expenditures method, and mixed-method (combining ingredient and expenditure method). The consensus was made to focus on an approach that is feasible based on the availability of data and time constraints without losing sight of the utility of the end product in S. Sudan nutrition Landscape. A discussion of the draft data collection tools was held with the production of 3 data collection tools, as follows (i) Implementing partners tool; (ii), Donor tool; and (iii) UN agencies tool.
Nutrition cluster and technical task force: Further consultation was done with Nutrition Cluster, and Cost Analysis Technical Task Force on draft tools to build consensus on the data collecting tools and possible sources of data. Inputs from consultation with the task force were used to improve data collection tools in readiness to further discussion and sharing with the other key stakeholders. Besides, the consultation leads to the identification of six cost drivers that would form the basis for disaggregating the costing data.
Strategic Advisory Group (SAG): A meeting was held to with the SAG to bring the members to speed on progress made towards and the critical steps on cost analysis. The members were taken through the costing approach to be used, the draft tools, and the expectation in terms of the cost drivers. The members were also briefed on potential data sources and data collection process. They reviewed the tools and gave views to necessary to make it feasible to capture necessary data for costing.
United Nations Agencies: After consultation and technical inputs from the Nutrition cluster and Cost Analysis Technical Task Force, a meeting was held with the UN agencies to brief them and update on the approach proposed for data collection, analysis, and potential sources of the data. Specific meetings were held with UNICEF and WFP, who play a crucial role in the implementation of the nutrition program in South Sudan. The meeting also entailed taking agencies through the approach to be used for data collection, analysis, and disaggregation of unit cost data. Support from the agencies also needed to populate the UN agency tools and evaluation of the feasibility of being able to capture data per the required format and detail. The views feedback was used to improve and fine-tune the tools.
Donor Group: Meeting was held with the donor group to brief them and get buy-in for the whole exercise. The donor groups were taken through the approach, the data needs, and the policy utility of the results of the cost analysis.
NGO forum: The last meeting was held with the NGO forum, to introduce the costing exercise the approach and data needs. The NGOs present in the meeting were taken through the implementing partner tool for data collection, which they were expected to populate. The main ideas were to assess the feasibility of completing the data and the ability to capture data per each of the identified cost drivers. Their view and sentiments were captures to develop a final costing tool in readiness for data collection.