Legal regulations
There may be legal regulations within a country which stipulate that a coalition of non-governmental organisations is required to register or to pass through a specific process in order to operate within the law. As the context for this and regulations differ in each country it will be important to find out what these regulations are and follow them. Some CSAs have begun the process of registering as independent legal entities such as the Zambia civil society alliance while others are situated within umbrella coalitions which were in place prior to the SUN movement establishment as in the case of the Partnership for improved Nutrition in Tanzania - PANITA. The legal regulations in a given country are likely to have a bearing on the governance structure of the CSA in influencing where it is situated and its ability to operate. In Uganda, the CSA was asked by government to fully register in order for it to have legal recognition and a status that allows it to work in partnership with the government when applicable.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Key questions to ask at this stage might be:
Is everyone in agreement regarding how things move forward? If not, why not? How can any disagreements be resolved, what solutions are there? Is everyone aware of the legal framework within the country, possible conflicts of interest and key challenges and opportunities on the horizon? What are the benefits of the CSA being legally registered?