Community Engagement and Inter-Agency Collaboration across the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus in South Sudan

This paper provides five lessons on community engagement in the context of the Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) Nexus in South Sudan. The lessons advocate for more coordinated and collaborative approaches that prioritize community needs over short-term aid system requirements. Key points include designing engagement processes aligned with community priorities, fostering integration across humanitarian, development, and peace initiatives, ensuring communities have the necessary time and resources for meaningful engagement, promoting robust local government participation, and creating incentives for implementing partners to align with community priorities. Implementing these lessons could lead to a more effective and sustainable approach to addressing humanitarian needs and conflicts in South Sudan, fostering a meaningful shift in the aid-community relationship.