<<
BACK TO EIGHTH GAVI BOARD MEETING
Eighth GAVI Board Meeting, Paris, 19-20 June 2002
2. GAVI Review
Click
here to download presentation [Powerpoint, 50 kb]
Click
here to download paper [Word, 665 kb]
Discussion
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- One Board member suggested that a Vaccine Fund
Board member, rather than its President, should be represented
on the GAVI Board.
- 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).
<< BACK
TO EIGHTH GAVI BOARD MEETING
|