The Global Summit on CRVS

Stakeholders EngagementThe experience of Sudan

Bangkok, 18th -19th April – 2013By: Dr. Zahir Ajab Alsiddieg

Sudan: Country BackgroundLocation: North East AfricaLand area: 1.8 million KM2Language: official is Arabic + indigenous languages are spoken in different statesEconomy: Lower Middle Income (Per capita GDP about 2,300 US$)Federal country (18 states)Population: 35 million (about 45% under 15 years)Crude birth rate (37/1,000 = 1.3 million child are born annually)Crude death rate (1.1% = 387,000 deaths annually)Annual population growth rate (2.65%)

Sudan: The Capital Khartoum

Which agency is responsible for CRVS?

• CR:– Is the responsibility of the Ministry Of Interior

• VS:– Used to be the responsibility of the CBS– In the mid-90s moved to the MOH– Recently it became the responsibility of the

Ministry of Interior (Civil Registration Authority) (CR + VS!)

Main Stakeholders

• Government agencies/ministries– Ministry of Interior (Civil Registration Authority) (Registration, Issues

a legal document of the event,)– Ministry of Health MOH (registers birth and death and issues

certificate of these events)– CBS (mandated to publish country data)– National Council for Child Welfare “NCCW” (child rights & welfare)

• UN Agencies: WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, IOM, UNHCR• Bilateral Agencies:• NGOs: Plan Sudan/International, Other National and

International NGOS• Communities and community leaders

Stakeholders Engagement

The missed opportunities Era: 90s-2011 • Many interventions were implemented

– Government (training, operational cost, etc..):– Partners: Support birth registration (Advocacy & Awareness,

Material, Capacity building, piloting of Mobile technology for registration, Training of staff, workshops, etc…)

• However! this era has been characterized by:– Though there is a vision, but no strategic plan to guide the

efforts– Each partner/stakeholder sees the CRVS from one angle– Fragmentation & lack of coordination– Duplication of interventions & inefficiencies

How the CRVS system is Performing?

• Birth Registration (less than 60%)• Death Registration (less than 10%)• A rapid assessment was conducted recently

affirmed the low performance in many aspects

Stakeholders Engagement

• Revival/Renaissance: 2012-onwards:– The government recognizes the CRVS as an strategic investment– Acknowledging its pivotal role in public policies– Appreciation of the need for coordination and working together– Strong commitment & leadership from the government has emerged:

(MOI, MOH)– Government (MOI, MOH, NCCW, Other Ministries): invested in

establishing IT infrastructure, training, etc…)– High Steering committee was formed (2011)– Coordination forum was established (2013)– Rapid assessment of the CRVS– Roadmap for developing CRVS strategy– Comprehensives assessment of the CRVS

NCT tower Khartoum: data warehouse of

government databases

Lessons learnt

• Stakeholders needs to talk to each other's and coordinate their efforts

• Early involvement of partners/stakeholders is important and can help in avoiding duplication and support efficient utilization of resources

• The importance of engaging communities/ and community leaders at all stages

• The need to have sound strategy and plan our interventions accordingly

Lessons learnt

The way forward

• Strengthening/developing the coordination mechanism

• Make use of the outcomes of the comprehensive CRVS to develop a sound strategy for strengthening the CRVS

• Set-up/Institutionalize effective implementation arrangements