Governance structure
It will be important to outline transparent, fair and democratic ways of working early on and to think through the process for creating an appropriate governance structure. Investing time in creating strong, effective governance structures is likely to result in quicker establishment and a more effectively functioning CSA in the long run [1]. Governance structures have taken different forms in each SUN country. However, one shared feature is the development of a steering / executive committee. The roles, responsibilities, nomination and voting process and length of tenure for participation should be clarified with attention given to mechanisms such as limited terms and a rotating model with will allow for distribution of influence and shared leadership. The organisational structure may include sub-committees as in Ghana or a steering/ executive committee alone with the formation of working groups for specific tasks. The value of the latter is their temporary nature which can be formed and disbanded relatively easy meaning a clearly demarcated commitment from those involved.
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Case study: Ghana GHACCSSUN governance document
The Ghana Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for Scaling up Nutrition (GHACCSSUN) has clearly defined and publically available membership criteria, benefits and responsibilities outlined in their governance document. Membership is open to all organisations which fall within the following criteria:
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Civil Society Organizations
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Community Based Organizations
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Faith Based Organizations
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Nongovernmental organizations
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Farmer Based Organization
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And Gender Based Organizations that are involved in nutrition and nutrition sensitive programmes.
All members of Ghana Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for Scaling up Nutrition or GHACCSSUN are required to:
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Join any of the three sub- committees and contribute their expertise to the implementation of SUN in Ghana.
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Take part in all the programmes and events of the coalition
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Supervise implementation and evaluation of projects
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Payment of annual dues
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Commit to projecting GHACCSSUN objectives and annual programs
The full governance document can be accessed here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/203uvtk9dd0g88m/AAA83c_nki0Bsq--i4P-jW4ea/CSA%20planning%2C%20monitoring%2C%20administration%20and%20governance%20documents/Governance%20guidance/Ghana_GHACCSSUN%20Guidelines%20for%20Good%20Governance.pdf?dl=0
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[1] MPTF Office, UNDP (2014) 2013 Annual Report of the SUN movement Multi-Partner Trust Fund. Report of the Technical Secretariat and Administrative Agent of the Scaling-Up Nutrition (SUN) Multi-Partner Trust Fund for the period 1 January-31 December 2013.