Coordination & Partnerships
Scalable, affordable ECD models built through joint advocacy, research-driven insights, strategic design, and strengthened delivery systems.
We connect policy, practice, and people to strengthen Uganda’s early childhood development ecosystem through collaboration, coordination, and collective action. By convening diverse stakeholders, fostering partnerships, and strengthening systems, we help ensure every young child has the opportunity to thrive.
Why this Work
The Challenge
Quality early childhood development requires coordinated action across multiple sectors, institutions, and levels of government. Yet many ECD efforts remain fragmented, with actors working independently despite pursuing similar goals.
Limited coordination results in duplicated efforts, inefficient use of resources, inconsistent service delivery, and missed opportunities for collective impact. At the local level, ECD is often insufficiently integrated into planning and budgeting processes, while national policies may struggle to translate into meaningful action on the ground.
EYC’s Coordination & Partnerships work exists to bridge these gaps by strengthening relationships, aligning stakeholders, and building systems and processes that enable sustainable, scalable impact for young children.
What We Believe
No single actor can deliver quality early childhood development alone. Lasting change happens when governments, civil society, communities, development partners, and families work together around a shared vision for children.
Child-Centered, Community-Driven
Children and families remain at the heart of every partnership and coordination effort.
Equity in Access
Every child deserves access to quality ECD services regardless of geography, income, or circumstance.
Continuous Learning & Adaptation
We use evidence, reflection, and collaboration to continuously strengthen approaches and outcomes.
Our Approach
We serve as a convener, connector, and capacity-builder, bringing together stakeholders across sectors and levels to strengthen Uganda’s ECD ecosystem and accelerate collective impact.
Strengthening Civil Society Collaboration
We anchor and support the Network for Early Childhood Development Actors Uganda (NECDA), a coalition of NGOs, academic institutions, faith-based organizations, and community actors working across the ECD spectrum.
Key Activities
- Facilitate joint strategy, planning, and coordination
- Support shared learning and collective advocac
- Provide a neutral platform for alignment with government and development partners
Impact:
This platform promotes unity of purpose and helps civil society speak with one clear, informed voice for young children.
Multi-Sectoral & Multi-Level Engagement
ECD is inherently multisectoral, touching education, health, nutrition, child protection, gender, and other critical areas.
Key Activities
- Facilitate cross-sector dialogue between government and partners
- Engage national, district, and sub-county actors to promote coherence in ECD delivery
- Support coordination between policy-level decisions and frontline implementation
Flagship Platform:
Annual Joint ECD Sector Reviews, bringing stakeholders together to reflect on progress, identify challenges, plan collectively, and strengthen accountability across the sector.
District & Community Partnerships
We work with local governments, district technical teams, and civil society organizations to integrate ECD into local planning and budgeting processes.
Key Activities
- Support district-level ECD planning and budgeting
- Strengthen collaboration between local government structures and communities
- Promote citizen engagement and accountability mechanisms
- Build partnerships with parents, youth, cultural leaders, and health workers
Flagship Initiative:
ECD Local Government Scorecard; benchmarks district performance while promoting peer learning, transparency, accountability, and innovation in ECD service delivery.
Systems Strengthening & Sustainable Structures
Our work focuses on building systems that continue delivering impact long after individual projects end.
What Makes Our Approach Unique?
Systems Thinking
We strengthen the entire ECD ecosystem, not just individual programmes.
Bridge-Building
We create safe, productive spaces where civil society, government, and development partners collaborate.
Grounded in Local Realities
Our sub-national engagement ensures national policy translates into meaningful local action.
Focused on Sustainability
We help establish lasting structures and partnerships that support long-term ECD outcomes.
Flagship Platforms & Initiatives
Elevating local accountability, transparency, and innovation in ECD service delivery.
A growing platform for collective learning, collaboration, and advocacy across ECD actors.
Aligning actors, tracking progress, sharing lessons, and planning better for children.
Are you an ECD actor looking to collaborate, learn, or contribute?
Join a growing network of organizations, practitioners, government actors, and communities committed to advancing quality early childhood development for every child.
