USAID Nawiri is working with and through local systems and institutions, enhancing collective capacity to implement sustainable multi-sectoral approaches to reduce acute malnutrition and manage, adapt, and scale up promising approaches in context-informed ways. To facilitate sustained ownership of institutional capacity development processes, the program engaged the county departments in three participatory assessments: 1) a five-day supported self-assessment that used an adapted CRS’ holistic organizational capacity assessment instrument, focusing on 16 capacity statements categorized into five areas; 2) a quantitative nutrition budget analysis using the Strengthening Partnerships, Results and Innovations in Nutrition Globally method; and 3) a political economy analysis using key informant interviews and focus group discussions at county, sub-county, and ward levels. The county governments largely indicated that their performance related to nutrition was weak and needed strengthening. The budget analysis showed limited government funding for nutrition and a lack of systematic tracking.