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<< BACK TO EIGHTH
GAVI BOARD MEETING
Eighth
GAVI Board Meeting, Paris, 19-20 June 2002
2. GAVI Review
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Discussion
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The GAVI
Alliance faces a transition from its initial emphasis on the
development of policies and procedures at global level to a focus on
implementation at country level. While a looser alliance approach
initially was instrumental to achieve the broad thinking and consensus
building, the implementation stage requires more active management.
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The Board
welcomed the review of the GAVI Board, Working Group, Secretariat, as
an opportunity to clarify relationships, functions, and
accountability. This will be key as GAVI and The Vaccine Fund collect
evidence of impact in quantitative, economic and social terms.
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The Board
agreed that GAVI should retain its current structure but adopt a more
businesslike approach. The Board should focus on high-level strategy
and key policy issues, delegating more responsibility and
accountability to the Executive Secretary, supported by the Working
Group and Secretariat.
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One Board
member suggested that a Vaccine Fund Board member, rather than its
President, should be represented on the GAVI Board.
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One Board
member suggested that the Alliance will need to make a decision about
whether to fulfill its global mission in the broadest sense, or
continue to focus on a limited number of vaccines and immunization
service strengthening in the poorest countries (which are a high
priority, of course). For example, non-Vaccine Fund eligible
developing and middle-income countries currently have no substantive
consideration in the discussions, and programs like polio eradication,
measles mortality reduction, and neonatal tetanus elimination not
fully integrated into the GAVI "tent."
DECISIONS
Regarding management processes (recommendations 1-13) the Board:
2.1 Approved
all recommendations, except those referring to the creation of standing
Board sub-groups (see point 2.3).
2.2
Requested the Secretariat to prepare a comprehensive, budgeted GAVI
workplan for 2003-4, for presentation to the Board at its November 2002
meeting. The workplan should reflect the transition we are facing and be
based on individual workplans of the GAVI mechanisms (task forces,
Working Group, Secretariat, regional working groups). All GAVI workplans
should align with relevant GAVI strategic objectives and milestones, and
identify priorities, deliverables, human and financial resources,
critical timings, key challenges and GAVI partner commitments and
accountabilities.
2.3 Decided
not to form standing sub-groups of the Board but agreed to form ad hoc,
task-specific sub-groups as needed.
2.4 Adopted
the recommendation that the Board should delegate authority and
accountability for day-to-day operational decisions to the Executive
Secretary, supported by the Secretariat and the Working Group, within
the framework of a Board-approved GAVI Secretariat workplan.
2.5 Adopted
the recommendations that Board documentation should be more concise,
clear, provided on a more timely basis, and include more options, as
appropriate.
Regarding Board composition and processes for selection of new seats
(recommendations 14 - 22), the Board:
2.6 The
Board will further consider Board composition at its next
teleconference. (Board members have been asked to complete a
questionnaire on these issues). In order to restrict Board growth, it
may be appropriate to allow certain seats to be discontinued once the
term of the current representative has concluded.
2.7
Requested that the Executive Secretary work with the Chair to solicit
all board members' views on the recommendations concerning the
composition of the Board. The Secretariat will provide a synthesis of
the feedback in time for the Board to reach agreement during its next
teleconference.
2.8
Requested the Secretariat to provide a summary of current procedures for
selecting new Board representatives, including a description of members'
responsibilities and requirements, and make recommendations for
streamlining and increasing transparency of the process. Once the
summary of the processes used for selection of new Board seats has been
accepted and endorsed, it will be made widely available, including being
published on the GAVI website.
Regarding the Working Group (recommendations 23 - 28), the Board:
2.9
Recognized the crucial role of the Working Group in the development and
functioning of the Alliance.
2.10
Approved the recommendation that the Executive Secretary, by virtue of
position, should chair the Working Group and be held accountable to the
Board for its functioning.
2.11 Agreed
that the composition of the Working Group will need to diversify to
include more non-immunization specific expertise and more people with
field-level immunization experience. Recognizing the importance of
continuity and links to key implementing agencies, the Working Group
should be kept small with a focus on necessary skills, as opposed to
being strictly representational. The need for greater participation from
developing country governments was stressed.
2.12
Requested the Executive Secretary to submit a concrete proposal for
renewal and turnover of the membership of the Working Group in
connection with the comprehensive GAVI 2003-4 workplan. Selection of
individuals on the Working Group should be made in a
negotiation/collaboration process between the Executive Secretary and
the concerned agencies.
Regarding the Secretariat (recommendations 29 - 31), the Board:
2.13
Recognized that the staffing of the Secretariat is insufficient for
current tasks. As the Secretariat's workload increases it will need to
add a limited number of new staff; keeping the Secretariat lean is of
high priority.
2.14
Requested the Executive Secretary to submit a skeleton workplan
outlining the Secretariat functions, staff needs and staffing priorities
in light of the current phase of transition into implementation, so that
the Board can take a final decision on additional Secretariat staff at
its next teleconference.
Regarding funding arrangements (recommendations 32 - 34), the Board:
2.15 Decided
that the funding of the Secretariat, Working Group and Task Forces, and
their respective activities, should be based on the comprehensive 2003-4
workplan and budget.
Regarding the Independent Review Committee (recommendations 35 -
40), the Board:
2.16
Approved the recommendations that the Independent Review Committee (IRC)
should continue to report, and be accountable, to the Board and that its
skill base needs to be expanded to include more health system wide
expertise.
2.17
Requested that the Executive Secretary, in consultation with the Working
Group and the M&E sub-group of the Implementation Task Force, submit a
proposal for a new mechanism to perform the monitoring and evaluation
function of the GAVI review process, including assessing progress
reports, financial sustainability plans, and mid-term reviews. This
separation of functions would ensure that the monitoring and evaluation
procedure is pristine and free of conflict of interest.
2.18 Agreed
that in the future, the Board should only be requested to review and
consider proposals being recommended for approval by the IRC. The
Executive Secretary will handle IRC recommendations for resubmissions
and conditional approvals.
2.19
Delegated authority to the Executive Secretary to approve minor changes
in vaccine volumes, specifications, quantity or presentations, as long
as the value of the award does not differ significantly from the
financial ceiling originally approved by the Board.
Regarding the relationship with the Vaccine Fund (recs 41 to 45),
the Board
2.20 Agreed
with the recommendations that there should be close working relations
between the Vaccine Fund, the GAVI Secretariat staff and relevant
partners; that the Working Group should continue to include a Vaccine
Fund representative; that the Vaccine Fund should be asked to invite the
GAVI Executive Secretary to be a member of its Board and Executive
Committee by virtue of office. The option of a GAVI Board member to sit
on the Vaccine Fund Board was also suggested; and that the President of
the Vaccine Fund should have a seat on the GAVI Board (see decision 2.7).
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