Applying CLA in a Global Multi-sectoral Nutrition Project during a Pandemic

USAID Advancing Nutrition is USAID’s flagship multi-sectoral nutrition project. We strengthen the enabling environment for and support country-led scale-up of effective, integrated, and sustainable multi-sectoral USAID-funded nutrition activities (primarily supporting USAID mission buy-ins and USAID-funded bilaterals). We collaborate with diverse partners on multi-sectoral nutrition programming, including guidance development, research, capacity strengthening, and implementation. While collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) has been part of our approach since the project launch, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated CLA implementation, as effective remote work required adapted planning, implementation, and monitoring. We formed a COVID-19 task force and established feedback loops, allowing us to rapidly adjust to virtual work while maintaining strong collaboration through developing engaging meeting formats and scaling-up the use of online tools. We expanded our learning toolkit by developing processes and monitoring tools. Project-wide quarterly pause and reflect sessions strengthened collaboration and identified areas for improvement. We applied learning to inform adaptations to processes and systems, including work planning, gender integration, virtual and hybrid trainings, and dissemination efforts. Our CLA approach supported technical pivots in response to the pandemic; enabled reflection and changes to operational processes and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices; and facilitated cross-team collaboration, local engagement and ownership. Our global project has documented over 50 lessons and adaptations. This has contributed to achieving our deliverable targets, expanding our country work, and supporting over 90 organizations in low and middle income countries (LMICs).