USAID Nawiri continuously questions its assumptions about how and by whom things should be done, and challenges its partners to do the same. This was true in its work with county-led Multi-sector Platforms for Nutrition and response to the COVID-19 crisis. USAID Nawiri facilitated new partnerships with and between county actors, including government, like-minded nongovernmental organizations, media, and the private sector. This learning brief presents early lessons related to these partnerships. USAID Nawiri found that several approaches worked well, including advancing a multi-sectoral approach throughout the planning cycle, continuously engaging government actors at different levels, and holding kick-off meetings with diverse partners. Learning processes to support governments to rapidly respond to COVID-19 and use social media to engage communities were effective. These lessons have informed ongoing adaptation of USAID Nawiri implementation approaches.