Advocacy can take many forms, but who would have thought that a “Fail Fest” could lead to the adoption of two significant resolutions by nine Ministers of Health from the East, Central, and Southern Africa (ECSA) region? This unexpected outcome emerged from the 14th ECSA-HC Best Practices Forum and 74th Health Ministers Conference, held in Arusha, Tanzania, from June 16th to 21st, 2024.

The Knowledge SUCCESS East Africa regional team, in partnership with ECSA-HC (East, Central, and Southern Africa Health Community), took an innovative approach to discussing Adolescent and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health (AYSRH) program implementation. Rather than the usual presentation-style format known in many conferences, they organized a knowledge exchange event known as a “Fail Fest,” challenging four organizations to openly share their failures in regional and multi-country health program implementation and what they learned from those experiences. These organizations included the FP2030 East and Southern Africa (ESA) Hub, Eastern Africa National Networks of AIDS and Health Service Organisations (EANNASO), Nutrition International, and Partnership for Population and Development – Africa Regional Office (PPD-ARO).  The representatives included the Advocacy, Partnerships, and Engagement Manager, an SRH project lead, a thematic technical lead, and a program manager, who were each encouraged to be candid and vulnerable in their discussion of the challenges they faced, sparking a deeply engaging and informative session.

What is Fail Fest, Why Do We Love It, and How is it Conducted?

Fail Fests are an innovative approach that aim to support a culture of informal sharing among organizations. Knowledge SUCCESS has hosted several Fail Fests in recent years, including one at the 2022 International Conferences on Family Planning and in 2023 at the FP2030 Anglophone Focal Points Convening. Fail fests operate upon the idea that there is much to learn by normalizing the sharing of failures, and this can improve policy, research, and programming. 

The knowledge SUCCESS team and the representatives from FP2030 and PPD-ARO in a working session crafting resolutions from the outcomes of the learning from failures session.

Knowledge SUCCESS has observed that often when one organization shares a failure, other organizations can relate to the shared experience, and collectively learn how to adapt lessons learned in coordination of regional health programs – and the case at this Fail Fest was not different.

In the format of a panel facilitated by the Knowledge SUCCESS team, guided by a set of what we call “curious questions,” the speakers spoke (a) of their incidences of failure, (b) to the insights of realizing these failures and what went into them being as such and (c) the correction and advice from these failures. The audience was also invited to contribute through interactive platforms and  moderator prompts. 

The discussion focused on themes of Policy Implementation, Advocacy, Program Implementation, and Integration of interventions. The “Aha” moments (or incidences of learning) from these varied experiences summed up as key takeaways from this Fail Fest session were reworked and summarized into actionable resolutions from the Best Practices Forum for consideration by the ECSA-HC to drive the AYSRH agenda forward in the region.

Resolutions Adopted from the Fail Fest

From the session, two key resolutions were adopted by nine ministries of health to be implemented by both the ECSA-HC Secretariat and ECSA Member states :

1. Integrate and Implement robust knowledge management systems as mechanisms for accelerated implementation of AYSRH Policies.
2. Urge member states to commit to Regional/ Global AYSRH-related commitments including FP2030 goals and integrate FP/SRH components into national emergency preparedness and response plans to maintain service continuity.

Read about the specific deliberations and lessons learned from the two of the four participating organizations below.

Case Study: EANNASO

The Journey of the EAC SRH Bill: Advocacy, Challenges, and Lessons Learned

EANNASO has been actively advocating for the East African Community (EAC) Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) bill since 2017. Introduced as a private member’s bill in the 3rd East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), this bill aims to improve access to SRH information, services, and commodities within the EAC member states.

At first, EANNASO encountered backlash from parliamentarians who were uncomfortable with the ”rights-based” framing of the bill,  which further complicated advocacy efforts. Financing was a significant issue, hindering participation in EALA due to limited resources to support the prescribed parliamentary allowances and costs in the bill-making process.

Reintroduction and Continued Advocacy

In the 4th EALA, the bill was reintroduced for scrutiny and redrafting. Throughout this period, EANNASO conducted consultative forums and capacity-building sessions with members of parliament, partners, and the community. Through this iterative process, EANNASO learned the importance of establishing partnerships. 

Looking Forward: The 5th Assembly

The 5th EALA began in late June and has kicked off the process of re-strategizing and engaging for EANNASO’s effort to pass this bill. the bill Was reintroduced, and EANNASSO prepares to restart the advocacy process, including public education and EALA member education. Despite the challenges of the previous phases, EANNASO is coming to the 5th Assembly stronger from the experience, with a renewed determination and preparation of the legislative process.

Lessons Learned for EANNASO

EANNASO’s persistence and commitment resulted in many lessons learned that they uncovered and shared during the Fail Fest. These include:

Case Study: FP2030

FP2030: Global Position, Country Engagement, and Linking and Learning

FP2030 builds on the global movement initiated by FP2020, aiming to ensure access to modern contraceptive methods for over 120 million women and girls worldwide. FP2030’s strategies include strengthening the capacity of focal points (youth, civil society organizations, and government) through SMART advocacy training, linking FP focal point structures to various platforms, and facilitating cross-learning forums among countries.

A Need for a Decentralized Approach

Initially, FP2030 had headquarters offices in Washington, D.C., focused on advocating for global political support, but this approach proved ineffective for various reasons. Country differences and contextual understanding around coordination of stakeholders varies from region to region. An approach more focused on specific regions could allow for quick decision-making on actions requiring collective advocacy and follow-up, as well as organizing and back-stopping for FP commitments monitoring and accountability.

Recognizing the need for a decentralized approach, FP2030 established regional hubs, including one in East and Southern Africa (ESA). This aimed to ensure a more coordinated approach to tracking and implementing FP2030 commitments, as well as better support country partnerships and country-to-country collaboration and learnings.

Currently, the working structure operates through the FP2030 focal points, which include governments, donors, civil society organizations, youth-led organizations, and the private sector in the ESA region. Since there is no physical presence in all countries, the hub relies heavily on partnerships and collaboration. One challenge faced is the disparity in engagement levels: in some countries the actors are actively involved in developing, advocating, and implementing commitments with strong political goodwill, while other countries have dormant focal points with weak structures and little political support.

Lessons from the Global Movement

A key lesson from these efforts to create a global movement is the necessity of building localized robust partnerships and connections. There is also a need to customize and contextualize discussions and advocacy messages to be issue-specific per country. Domestic resource mobilization goes beyond funding—it requires partnering with institutions, groups and individuals that know how to move, collaborate, and advocate to attract investment for FP and implement funding effectively.

Strategies for Addressing Challenges

To address these issues, FP2030 and its ESA Hub employ several strategies:

• Strengthening Youth Capacity: Empowering youth focal points through SMART advocacy training and other capacity building initiatives, to be AYSRH subject matters experts within all spaces.
• Linking Structures to Platforms: Connect FP focal point structures to various platforms, including Technical Working Groups (TWGs), governments, and donors, to align their key priority areas to local and national agendas.
• Facilitating Cross-Learning Forums: Convene forums for FP focal points from different countries to share best practices and experiences and furthermore enhance south-to-south collaboration.

Key Lessons Learned

FP2030’s flexibility and willingness to learn and adapt resulted in many lessons learned that they uncovered and shared during the Fail Fest. These include:

This experience from FP2030 highlights the need to be adaptable, build strong partnerships, and employ focused strategies. By incorporating these insights, FP2030 is more effectively equipped to advocate for and quickly make the changes needed to provide more conducive spaces to access modern contraceptive methods. Through continuous learning and strategic engagement, the regional hub and its partners can make significant strides toward achieving our goals.