Collaborative Advocacy Action Plan Initiative (CAAPs)

From commitments to country action 

Guided by PMNCH and partners' revised approach to pursuing accountability for women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health, the Collaborative Advocacy Action Plan (CAAP) initiative was established in 2023 to galvanize coordinated country-level advocacy and accelerate the implementation of national commitments. While countries have made significant commitments to advance WCAH, the priority now is not securing additional commitments but translating existing ones into sustained action and measurable results through coordinated advocacy and strengthened accountability at the country level. Reflecting this priority, the CAAP initiative remains a cornerstone of PMNCH's Strategy 2026–2030, supporting country-led, multi-stakeholder action to turn commitments into impact. 

CAAP at a glance 

- Country-led and civil society coordinated advocacy actions in 10 countries translating national WCAH commitments across maternal, newborn and child health, including stillbirths, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and adolescent health and well-being into action 

- Guided by country contexts and focused on domestic resource mobilization, fostering accountability, progressive laws and policies, coalition building and advocacy capacity strengthening  

- Fuelled by multi-stakeholder partnerships  

Country-led, CSO-coordinated platform for collaborative advocacy 

The aim of the CAAP initiative is to improve mutual accountability for WCAH commitments through the collaborative efforts of partners from diverse constituencies, working together to create a more effective, coordinated advocacy effort for women, children, and adolescents around a few WCAH priorities. It brings together a range of partners, especially those underrepresented in national policy processes, into a national platform for a stronger, consolidated voice with engagements with government, including parliament. Together, partners review existing government commitments and develop an advocacy roadmap to collectively advocate for priorities, monitor progress, and strengthen accountability – the CAAP plan.

CAAP provides a structured mechanism for facilitating the translation of global, regional, and national political government commitments into country-level policy, financing, and accountability gains. At the same time, it serves as a learning platform, providing evidence and lessons on what works to strengthen advocacy and accountability, which, in turn, inform PMNCH’s and partners’ regional and global engagement. 

The CAAP initiative is underway in 10 countries, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.  

While each CAAP is tailored to national priorities and commitments, all are underpinned by common advocacy action areas reflected in PMNCH’s 2026–2027 Workplan, including:  

✔ Mobilizing Financing – advocating for domestic resource mobilization, equitable allocation, timely release and transparent reporting on beneficiaries and results 

✔ Fostering Accountability - strengthening institutionalized, inclusive, regular and transparent accountability processes 

✔ Strengthening Multisectoral Coalitions – bringing closer key actors from diverse sectors around mutually prioritized WCAH advocacy priorities 

✔ Advancing Progressive Laws and Policies – advocating for robust WCAH policies and laws, combatting misinformation and disinformation, building on local successes, and grounded in local and community realities 

✔ Capacity Strengthening - sharing, documenting, and amplifying national successes, learnings, and innovations while providing access and information to available resources and tools 

Working together for greater impact 

The CAAP initiative strengthens synergies with other initiatives and platforms such as Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere, Child Survival Action Initiative, and the Global Financing Facility of the World Bank. It complements the high-level political advocacy of the Global Leaders Network, with overlap in country membership and a shared commitment to prioritizing WCAH. 

Join us  

The CAAP initiative’s success depends on the collaborative efforts of partners. We invite you to join our efforts to accelerate progress for women, children, and adolescents!     

To learn more about the initiative and to engage further, please reach out: