Multi-Annual Strategic Plan South Sudan 2012-2015

The Multi-Annual Strategic Plan is a rolling document. The plan was presented by the embassy of Netherlands in South Sudan in October 2011 and approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in December 2011. Several Dutch NGOs have been consulted on the draft plan.
The overall objective for Dutch engagement in South Sudan is: promoting stability through mitigation of conflicts and growth and development.
The plan proposes to focus on three objectives which are: (i) building peace and the rule of law, through better accountability in the security sector, improved access to justice and enhanced women's participation, (ii) improved water management, for better livelihoods, a more efficient river system and increased access to drinking water, (iii) increasing food security, through development of agriculture and private sector development. The general approach will be based on: (i) cohesion between the programs for water, food security and security & rule of law. The linkages are evident from the context and thematic analyses, (ii) transitioning from vulnerability and dependence (on humanitarian assistance) to sustainable development. This puts private sector development, economic diversification and reduction of the risk of floods and droughts high on the agenda, (iii) conflict sensitivity based on careful assessment of local dynamics, (iv) engagement with (local) political issues connected to the three objectives.
Measures are taken by the plan in order to eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. Water resources management is a priority for the Government of the Republic of South Sudan and will be the ‘umbrella' for Dutch interventions in the water sector. The following elements will be included: (i) South Sudan will be financially and technically assisted in having a more stable supply of water, in other words having fewer floods and droughts and better access to water for livelihoods. This will result in less vulnerability of the population, higher crop production and healthier livestock. The wet season will be used better by developing storage facilities, by diverting water to the right places in the dry season, and by increasing soil moisture. In drier areas, rainwater harvesting techniques will provide opportunities to reduce risks. The increased access to water for cattle will reduce tribal tensions with pastoralists and will facilitate more peaceful migration, including in the border areas between Sudan and South Sudan which are prone to conflicts. Support to the integrated water management agenda of the government will be designed in a way that protects the environment, in particular, wetland eco systems (the Sudd), and to decrease infiltration resulting from forest clearing and soil degradation. (ii) The river systems will be upgraded and improved for easier transport, especially tributaries flowing into the White Nile River and the rural areas will have a higher coverage of safe drinking water and sanitation.
become food secure, which means independent from food aid and much less dependent on food imports. Two main components can be distinguished in these Dutch programs for food security in South Sudan: increasing food production through access to inputs and direct support to agri-based enterprises, and improving the enabling environment for production and entrepreneurship. Specific elements are as follows: (a) organising farmers and strengthening their capacity (b) improved supply of inputs (seeds, fertiliser) to increase productivity (c) providing (vocational) training and advisory services to entrepreneurs and farmers, in business skills and farming techniques respectively, to build small-scale enterprises and generate employment, in the agricultural and other sectors (d) increasing access to finance by setting up a guarantee fund for local banks which lend to small and medium enterprises and farmers, mostly agriculture-related.