Nutrition at the Center _ Country: Benin
As you know, you are not going to prepare a proposal for the Nutrition at the Center funding, but we do need
some information similar to what is required in proposals to enable us to understand the context and the CO
capacity. We would greatly appreciate CO staff spending a couple of hours together to respond to the following
questions by May 1. We may have some future requests for further information as we prepare our situation
analysis.
1. Please describe the project or “platform” to which Nutrition at the Center will be integrated. You can attach
the executive summary from the proposal for that project and include any of the additional points not covered
there:
 Donor, project beginning and end dates
 Location (map), number of districts, coverage within district, total number of communities
 Target population – criteria, numbers, total population of intervention area (government figures for
estimates by age would be useful)
 Access to the intervention area – distance (in hours) from Country Office, location of sub-office in
relation to the intervention area
 Name and brief description of the implementing partner, if there is one
 Coordination or partnership with government agencies for implementation
 Nature and content of the intervention; mode and place of delivery; who delivers intervention, etc.
The Nutrition at the Center Initiative will be integrated in the three CO’s long term programs: Women and
Girls Empowerment; Maternal and Child Health; Food Security, Nutrition and Climate Change Adaptation.
More specifically and based on the ongoing programs initiatives, the Nutrition at the Center interventions
will be integrated in the following:
a)
“A Call for Life” – Increasing the coverage and quality of emergency obstetric and neonatal care
through the use of mobile phone technology
1. Donor: Sanofi Espoir Foundation
2. Duration: 3 years (2011-2014)
3. Location: Zou Department, Cove-Zagnanado and Ouinhio Health zone (one of CARE’s impact
zones in Benin where we are designing programming for long-term, transformative change).
4. Partners: Dimagi, D-Tree, and the Ministry of Health of Benin
5. Target population: This initiative covers 25,253 women, 8,646 children under 5, and 16,397
youth (15-24 years) who reside in 35 villages in Ouinhi commune.
6. Total population of Cove, Zangnanado and Ouinhi Health zone in 2010: 142,010; Total number
of women in reproductive age: 72,789
7. This initiative aims to reduce maternal, neonatal, and infant mortality in targeted areas by:
o Increasing awareness of danger signs during pregnancy, delivery, and the post-partum
period among women, their families and frontline health workers
o Strengthening the capacity of health workers to provide emergency obstetric and neonatal
care
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o
o
o
o
Identifying and training community health workers known as relais communautaires to
track pregnant and post-partum women and serve as a link between them and health
facilities
Mobilizing communities to ensure the timely evacuation of emergency cases
Reinforcing partnerships between communities and the health system to better meet the
needs of women and their infants.
Innovative mobile phone technology will be introduced to decrease maternal and child
mortality and improve data collection, reporting, and analysis. The success of this initiative
relies on broad-based partnerships that include government, communities, researchers and
local NGOs, relying on frequent exchanges of experience and know-how, and leveraging
the comparative advantage of each towards the improvement of maternal and new-born
care and services. CARE, Sanofi Espoir and the Ministry of Health view this initiative as a
flagship project with high potential for scaling to other parts of the country.
8. Distance from the Country Office: 150 km
b) Family planning promotion initiative: Tepkonon Jikuagou (TJ) Research Initiative:
1. Donor: USAID
2. Duration: 3 years (2012-2015)
3. Location: 3 communes (Aplahoué, Djakotomey, Dogbo) / Couffo Department
4. Partners: Institute of Reproductive Health (IRH)/Georgetown University (Prime) and CARE.
5. TJ aims to reduce unmet need for FP in Benin through social network interventions. The goal is
to create a social environment that enables married couples to achieve their fertility desires by
fostering reflective dialogues, catalyzing discussions, and diffusing key FP messages through
formal and informal social groups, influential opinion leaders, and well-connected individuals.
The formative research was conducted to assess the influence of men and women’s social
networks on their attitudes, beliefs, desires, intentions, and behaviors regarding fertility and
child spacing. It is implemented in 3 communes of Couffo Department.
6. Target Groups:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Opinion Leaders
Religious Leaders
Community based organizations
Individuals , able to facilitate connections to various community groups
Health workers
7. Distance from the Country Office: 160 km
c) ACCES – Water, Hygiene and Sanitation initiative
1. Donor: European Union
2. Duration: 5 years (2011-2016)
3. Location: 10 communes of the departments of Borgou and Oueme.
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4.
CARE is working with local communities to encourage innovation, mutual support to find
appropriate local solutions, leading to greater ownership and sustainability of the interventions
to improve hygiene and sanitation conditions in Benin.
5.
Main Partners
a. 1 regional NGO : Eau et assainissement pour l'Afrique (EAA)
b. The 10 communes of intervention :
i. Borgou Department : Kalalé, N’Dali, Nikki, Péréré, Tchaourou,
ii. Oueme Department : Adjarra, Adjohoun, Akpro-Missérété, Bonou, Dangbo
6. Beneficiary populations: 54,292 final beneficiaries (including women and girls, school children
(girls and boys), Parents and Teachers Associations , children, and the users of the health
centers); 38,000 for drinking water and good hygiene conditions
7. Context: In Benin, only 54.4% of the population has access to safe water and 35.4 % to
sanitation. This limited access is due to many factors: (a) lack of a water points, or a great
distance from home, (b) lack of maintenance and breakdowns of water points’
equipments; (c) inability of communities to manage infrastructure or develop new applications,
d) resistance to the installation of water points for fear of cost recovery, (e) deficit in
financing water and sanitation facilities by the municipalities. The low sanitation coverage is
due to the lack of information on the existence of low-cost alternatives.
8. Distance : Cotonou – Bonou /Oueme : 80 km; and Cotonou – Kalale/Borgou : 600km
2. Do you envision Nutrition at the Center fully overlapping with this project or with a portion of the project
area (# of communities or geographic area), or covering more than the existing project area?
Yes. We envision Nutrition at the Center fully overlapping with the identified projects.
Nutrition at the Center will potentially be implemented in 5 out of 12 departments (Oueme, Zou, Borgou,
Alibori, Couffo).
3. Have you conducted a quantitative baseline survey of the project? Is there a report available?
Yes. Quantitative Baseline survey has been conducted for A Call for Life initiative and for ACCES. Reports are
available in French
4. Did you conduct any qualitative or formative assessment in the intervention area? Is there a report
available?
Yes . Formative assessment have been conducted. The reports are available.
5. How many CARE staff work on this project and what are their roles?
The following positions are involved in the management of the programs’ initiatives, with various levels of
efforts (LOE)
No
Title position
Attributions
3
1.
Country Director CARE
2.
Director of Programs
3.
Program Initiative Manager
4.
Community Mobilization
Facilitator
5.
Zonal Supervisor/Mentor
6.
Responsible for Impact
Measurement, Accountability
and learning
7.
Finance controller,
The Country Director (CD) is CARE's senior representive in Benin. The
CD provides strategic leadership and guidance to the project The CD
also ensures that systems are in place and being properly
implemented that ensure the proper management, well being and
safety of the project's staff and the proper stewardship of the project
resources. The CD is responsible for establishing and maintaining
good working relationships with Benin government officials and other
partners' organisations which are involved in the project
The Director of Programs (DP) provides strategic leadership in the
areas of program development, implementation, monitoring and
evaluation. The DP is responsible for overseeng the development,
testing and implementation of new and innovative program
approaches appropriate for the context of the CO. He works closely
with, and is supported by the program units at regional and CARE USA
HQ levels, as well as with other interested CARE International
members.
The Program Initiative Manager is responsible for overseeing
implementation of project activities, coordination with other
agencies, development of materials, provisions of service and
training, conducting meetings ; designs and directs the gathering,
tabulating and interpreting of required data, responsible for overall
program evaluation and for staff performance evaluation; and is the
responsible authority for ensuring necessary reports/documentation
are submitted to the Head of Programs and the CD.
The community Mobilization Facilitators are linked directly with
communities and participants to the project. They ensure the
coordination of the activities of the initiative at community level and
work closely with the participants, target groups and other
stakeholders operating in their area of intervention to address the
attitudes, gender and social norms that prevent women access to
contraceptive methods
The Zonal Supervisor coordinates the actions of the program’s
initiative in the field, namely planning and direct supervision of the
implementation of the activities of the initiatives. He provides
capacity building for stakeholders and ensures, in connection with the
Responsible in charge of impact measurement, the capitalization of
experiences and monitoring framework of the Initiative
Provides technical assistance and quality assurance for project
information management, reporting and learning processes through
regular advice and field/project visits; supports documentation and
sharing of program quality case studies ; He provides technical and
leadership support to effective program communication and
knowledge management initiatives, ensuring adequate collection,
management and sharing of information/knowledge generated by the
project so as to orient/affect decision making in impact
measurement.
The Finance controller has complete oversight of a CARE's finances;
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8.
Administrative & HR manager
9.
Programs' Accountant
10.
Procurement officer -
11.
General logistics officer
monitors and analyzes monthly operating results against budget;
prepares reports on a regular basis that include monthly financial
statements, annual reports, cost reports, budgeting, manages the
preparation of financial outlooks and financial forecasts. He is
responsible for mentoring the accountants so that they can be
effective in their analysis and in their accounting duties; ensures the
books are accurately kept and that everything is accounted for in the
CARE Benin Country office; directs and coordinates CARE Benin
financial planning and budget management functions.; ensures
compliance with Benin’s budgetary reporting requirements and
ensures the work complies to Donors’ and CARE International
standards.
Manages overall administration and HR department; provides sound
and sensible overall expatriate and national HR requirement planning
for the country office in coordination with Finance Manager; ensures
compliance with all Benin national and regional regulation (e.g, tax,
labour laws, etc.); participates as a member of the Country
Management Team; assists CD in all expatriate and national staff
recruitment and management if required
Fully oversee the budget and grants management within each
program. Ensure Partners’ and staff capacity building on grants and
sub grants management.
Receives purchasing requisitions and sends requests for proposals to
relevant suppliers; receives technical and financial offers/quotations
from suppliers/ sub-contractors and compares them in terms of
specifications, prices, terms of payment and delivery; issues purchase
orders and contracts and making sure they are signed by both parties.
-Purchasing items and making sure they are delivered and receives
invoice; in co-ordination with the financial department , provides
supporting documents needed to issue payments to suppliers/ subcontractors.
Provides general logistics support, especially in facilitating the
organization of workshops and other events; coordinates inventory
movements; synchronizes logistics operations along the activities of
the 3 strategic programs of the Country office, and makes sure the
standards of operating procedures are met, with regards to the
logistics operations ; Inventory management and accountability of
supplies and equipment
More specifically, the figures of staff working on the various projects are as follows:
1. A Call for Life Initiative :
Category
CARE Staff
Title/position
Program Initiative
Number
1
5
Where based
Cotonou
Manager
Research and
Monitoring & Evaluation
Specialist
Community Mobilization
Facilitator
2. ACCES Initiative
Category
Title/position
CARE staff
Program Initiative
Manager
Water, Sanitation and
Hygiene Specialist
Partner staff
( 1 Partner NGO and
10 municipalities)
1
Cotonou
1
Ouinhi commune
Number
1
Where based
Cotonou
1
Cotonou
Zonal supervisor
1
Drivers
2
ACCES Focal point
11
Parakou city / Borgou
Department
1 in Cotonou, and 1
in Parakou
1 Cotonou and at the 10
communes
3. TJ –Family Planning initiative
Category
CARE staff
Title/position
Program Initiative
Manager
Zonal supervisor/Mentor
Community Mobilization
Facilitator
1
Number
Where based
Cotonou
1
Aplahoue/Couffo
1
Aplahoue, Djakotomey
and Dogbo communes
/Couffo
6. How many partner staff work on this project? ( Please see the answer above)
7. Does the implementing partner have any technical capacity in nutrition and health in their organization?
Yes, the Ministry of Health has technical capacity in nutrition.
Some municipalities have focal points for Hygiene and sanitation
In general, at the level of municipalities, there is a lack of skilled health workers , more specifically in the
remote areas of the Northern Benin.
The staff at the municipality headquarters lack competencies in health issues as well as in nutrition.
Gender and empowerment
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 Which of your current projects or programs have specific activities to address gender issues?
All the 8 projects we implement now have a “ Gender” component. Gender is a cross-cutting aspect for all our
interventions.

In recent years (staff memory) has there ever been a gender assessment conducted by CARE for a specific
project or more general need?
Yes , in 2012.

If so, do you have a document of the results that you can share?
Yes

How have these results been used?
An action plan developed and many improvements made.

Do you have someone on staff who supports gender and empowerment within program or a particular
project?
Yes, our Women and Girls Empowerment Program Manager; The Gender Equity and Diversity Task Force.
Governance

Which of your current or recent past programs have/had a governance component?
a) Participatory governance:
 In our projects, greater emphasis and a larger role are given to community participation.
The activities are implemented through a decentralized structure, comprising NGOs and
community-based organizations. These organizations play a vital role in helping to address
the gaps in capacity, coordination and participation which currently exist in the public
sector.
 Introduction of "Community Score Cards" tool for Participatory Monitoring and to facilitate
Accountability and Community Empowerment. This tool will improve local governance in
order to encourage feedbacks from beneficiaries/participants with regards to the quality
of interventions Tool

Please briefly describe the component including explanation of the level of governance affected (local,
district, national, etc.), which government entity or entities, and the modality (community mobilization,
advocacy, systems strengthening, capacity building in planning, management, etc.)
o Initiation of a collaborative framework for prevention and assisting GBV survivors
cooperation at the municipal and county level
o Framework for national dialogue on the topic of “Empowerment program for women and
girls”,
o Installation of village health committees in the framework of the initiative "A Call for Life"
o Installation of “village committee of hygiene and water” under ACCES Initiative,
o Installation of Village Environment Committees under Disaster Risk Reduction,
o Installation of VSLA – Villages Savings and Loans Associations by various CARE Initiatives
o Installation of a consultative framework at the national level by the initiative TJ , including
departments and public/ private actors, the stakeholders involved in FP initiatives
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o
o

Installation of local steering committees of TJ initiative that involve local authorities, women's
groups and health workers
Training is underway for the orientation of the staff on the use of Community Score Card tool .
This tool will be applied in all the initiatives.
From this experience what are key lessons learned or factors identified as leading to success?
 In our Programs initiatives, the entry point while working with the communities are the Villages Saving
and Loan associations (VSLAs). VSLAs have proven to be powerful and are deeply appreciated by
participating members. VSLAs are not only an efficient way to bring financial services to women, but
they are also a potential platform for many other development activities. VSLAs promote women’s
empowerment by increasing their decision-making skills, building self-confidence, and enlarging their
social and economic networks. Crucially, VSLAs increase women’s resources, and with resources come
self-confidence, responsibility, and the courage to embark on entrepreneurial activities. CARE also
realizes, however, that once VSLA members have learned to save and borrow, and have increased their
personal assets, they are eager for opportunities to learn, invest, and work more.
 Good local governance allows prevention, and facilitates reporting and management of gender-based
violence.
 Local Villages’ Health committees governance allow the ownership, management and maintenance of
equipment deployed by A Call for Life initiative.

In bullet points or a short paragraph, describe why and how a governance component in the Nutrition at
the Center project would be needed or helpful.
o By involving social networks can help to fight more effectively against sociocultural barriers to
the practice of good nutrition
o The accountability of the authorities in relation with facilitation of the access to food ( both in
quantity and in quality) , and working on enabling environment for food and nutrition
(agricultural policy, opening of rural roads etc.).
o The introduction of the Community Score Cards promotes accountability, feed-back practice
and community participation in the promotion of the the rights on food for all the community
members ( including women and children).
o Gender analysis at community and household levels : How to develop approaches of behavioral
changes for better adressing power relations, sociocultural norms and traditions and feeding
practices that affect pregnant and lactating women and under-five children nutrition. How to
enable and equip women to improve the access to quality, healthy and safe food?
 What might it look like?
 Installation of village committees to fight against maternal and child malnutrition
 Identity of influence networks can talk about socio-cultural norms related to nutrition
 Using the Comunity Score Card to improve the feedback and community participation
in the implementation of interventions in the field of nutrition
Advocacy

Which of your current or recent past programs have/had an advocacy component?
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o
o
o
o

All the activities within EMPOWER project: which conducted to the vote and promulgation of the
Law on prevention and repression of violence against women and girls ( date of promulgation:
January 2012)
Advocacy for availability Family Planning services and products FP through the framework of
national consultative and local steering committees
Advocacy for the use of mobile applications in the fight against maternal and child health, bringing
together the Ministry of Health, UN organizations ( UNICE,UNFPA, WHO) and USAID and all
partners involved in the fight against maternal and infant deaths
Ongoing programs initiatives have “ Advocacy Component”: (1) Promotion of the rights of Women
to land; (2) Fight against violence to women and girls; (3) Promotion of Access to water, and
better hygiene and sanitation conditions ; (5) Promotion of Girls Education.
How has the Country Office been directly engaged in advocacy around nutrition issues? Please describe
these efforts and share any documents pertaining to this.
o
o
o
Participation to the periodic meetings of SUN Movement/Benin
The Call of Helene Gayle, in address to the African governments and technical and financial
partners for more commitment and action for nutrition!
Data collection for decision making:
 Collaboration with INSAE – National Statistics and Economic Analysis Institute:
 In June 2012, we have signed a MoU with this institute. We have launched our
collaborative initiative oriented to the establishment of 4 sentinel sites for measuring
the impact of CARE programs in Benin. Identified key indicators on the main
development issues (food security, health and nutrition, and economic performance of
the targeted households) to be tracked to be tracked for a period up to year 2025 ( our
programmatic horizon).
 Collaboration with the Benin Ministry of Health:
In February 2011, we have signed a MoU with the MoH for the overall collaboration on
health issues, especially in relation with maternal and child health

Do you have someone on staff who supports advocacy within programs or for a particular
program/project?
o No. This is managed by our Program Managers.
Current integration of projects

In your current portfolio do you have any integrated projects?
The women access to land project is an integrated interventions covering: women right to land, economic
empowerment, Maternal Health, food security.

Which sectors are integrated?
 Women right to land
 Women Economic Empowerment
 Maternal Health
 Food Security
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
How does the integration take place? (check an option below, or write your own description).
a. Single donor with multiple components implemented in one intervention area by a project team with
different specializations or generalists who have been trained to do multi-sectoral work
===
b. Program with funding from multiple donors, same geographic area, a single implementation team with
different specializations or generalists who have been trained to do multi-sectoral work
This cas may occur during emergency situation
c. Projects with different donors in the same geographic area with separate implementation teams but
closely coordinated actions at the community level.
We privilege the “c” option, with regards to programmatic coherence
d. Parallel projects with different donors in the same geographic area with separate implementation
teams working mostly independent of each other.
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