Institutional frameworks for devolution and the roles of the main actors

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTE ONCHOCERCIASIS CONTROL PROGRAMME IN WEST AFRICA pRocRAMME DE LUTTE CONTRE L'ONCHOCERCOSE EN AFRIQUE DE L'OUEST EXPERT ADVISORY COMMITTEE Thirteenth session Ouaeadoueou. 8-12 June 1992 ocP/EAcl3.7(@/DEVO/t06,/W/n) INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKS FOR DEVOLUTION AND THE ROLES OF THE MAIN ACTORS AS/an WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ONCHOCERCIASIS CONTROL PROGRAMME rN WEST AFRTCA (OCP) OriginaL French INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKS FOR DEVOLUTION A}.ID TIIE ROLES OF THE MAIN ACTORS ocP/DEVO/t06/DOC/92 MARCH 1992 INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKS FOR DEVOLUTION AND TI{E ROII,S OF THE MAIN ACTORS The main actor in the implementation of the devolution process in a country is thecountry itself. However to help the States in their task, a number of institutional bodies orframeworks have been or wil[ be set up: - in OCP: a Devolution Unit; - in the wHo Regional office for Africa: an intercountry devolution coordinator; - in the countries: national devolution committees (to be set up); - an advisory body called the "Devorution Task Force" I. OCP DEVOLUTION UNIT 1.1. Creation 1.3. The role of the Unit The Unit plays an advisory and catarytic rore (see summary tabre). The oCP Devolution Unit was created in 1991 on the recommendation of a teamentrusted with the external review of the Programme in 1990. The recommendation wasapproved by the Joint Programme Committe"lt its December 1990 session in Con"t y. 1.2. Composition and functioning The members of the-Unit (five in numbe_r) were selected from among the OCp staffwith the view to putting the abiiitigs of. the Piogramme staff to an optimal use. Theytherefore, carry out other activities in addition to"those specific to devolution. The unitfunctions under the direct supervision of a unit chief and under the general responsibilityof the Programme Director who, much more than for the other 6cp ,oits, has beendevoting himself personally to all the daily devolution-related activities. ouside its central nucleus based in. ouagadougou, the Unit constantly uses theentomological zone, sector and subsector chiefs tJ.urry out successfully its programme ofinformation and sensitization of the local authorities and populations. ' a' -2- 2 wHo REGTONAL OFFTCE FOR AFRICA (WHO-AFRO): INTERCOUNTRY DEVOLUTION COORDINATOR 2.1. Creation of the post of intercountry Devolution Coordinator The WHO Regional Office for Africa has an important role to play in the implementation of the devolution process since the process is directly linked to the general development of the health system. The Regional Director has therefore created the post of an intercountry devolution coordinator whose activities are financed by WHO-AFRO in order to translate, into action his determination to work towards a real implementation of the countries devolution plans. This coordinator is therefore under WHO-AFRO and benefits from its technical, administrative, material and logistic support. 22. Ttrc role of the intercountry Devolution Coordinator The Coordinator serves as a link between OCP, WHO-AFRO and the countries (see summary table). 2.3. Relation between the intercountry Coordinator, WHO Representatives, OCP and national teams - Relations with the WHO Representative in Burkina Faso (a) The Coordinator is based in Ouagadougou, in the WHO Representative's Office; (b) He benefits from the administrative, material and logistic support of the WHO Representative's Office; (c) Any correspondence addressed by the Coordinator to WHO Representatives, OCP and AFRO passes through the WHO Representative in Burkina Faso; (d) The WHO Representative in Burkina Faso is kept informed regularly of his activities; (e) He is under the administrative authority of the WHO Representative in Burkina Faso without prejudice however to his freedom of action in the technical field. - Relations with the other WHO Representatives (a) The Coordinator informs WHO Representatives beforehand of missions he would undertake in their respective countries and sends them copies of his mission reports; -3- (b) During his missions in the countries, he benefits from the administrative, material and logistic support of the WHO Representative's Office concerned; (c) He regularly keeps the WHO Representative of each country, informed of the progress on devolution-related work and searches, with him if necessary, for ways and means of improving on the results. - Relations with OCP The intercountry Coordinator worls in close collaboration with OCP which gives him its technical and, if possible, logistic support: (a) He draws from the OCP the appropriate techniques and technologies for the implementation of the different devolution plans; (b) He participates in the OCP's technical activities within the framework of devolution (planning, implementation, management and evaluation of specific programmes, training, research). - Relations with the national devolution committees and national teams (a) Through the WHO Representative concerned, the Coordinator informs the national coordinator beforehand of missions he would undertake in their respective countries and sends them copies of his mission reports; (b) He always carries out his missions in the countries in close collaboration with the national coordinators concerned or their representatives; (c) Periodically he sends to the national teams technical information likely to help them carry out their devolution activities better; (d) He discusses the progress on devolution activities regularly with the national devolution committees and the national teams of eaih country and looks for ways and means to improve on the results with them if necessary. 3. DEVOLUTION TASK FORCE It is a special advisory, coordination and evaluation group created in February 1991 in Brazzaville at the request of the wHo Regional Director for Africa. 3.1. Composition The composition of the Devolution Task Force is as follows: O a 4- (a) Members of the OCP Devolution Unit (b) The intercountry Devolution Coordinator (c) A WHO-AFRO adviser on parasitic diseases (d) A representative of OCCGE (Organization for Coordination and Cooperation in the Control of the Major Endemic Diseases) 3.2. Roles The Task Force is an advisory coordinating and evaluative body for devolution activities in the countries (see summary table). 3.3. Meetings of the Task Force The Task Force meets once or twice a year and the meetings are convened by the WHO- AFRO. Because of OCCGE's particular financial difficulties, it has been agreed that the WHO-AFRO and OCP will finance the participation of the organization at the meetings of the Task Force. It has been proposed that AFRO will bear the cost of OCCGE's participation when the meeting is held inBrazzaille and that OCP will be responsible for it when the meeting takes place in a Participating Country. 4. THE COUNTRIES The countries are the main actors in the implementation of the devolution process. The principal roles of the national authorities are given in the summary table. The driving force behind the implementation of a country's devolution plan is the national devolution committee. Composition and the roles of the national devolution committee This committee should be operational. It is therefore much smaller compared to the National Onchocerciasis Committees (NOCs) while being multisectoral in its composition. It must have a dynamic medical officer/public health specialist as its national coordinator who should have a deep sense of work organization, be capable of taking initiatives and possess an in-depth knowledge of problems related to onchocerciasis and the major endemic diseases in his country. The enclosed summary table presents the principal roles assigned to the national devolution committees. aara s Ud s BI EIL. t- =o>o *z EPIiF o=(.)9 1Il o F z SE rO E.;g= -c20ta, 8::E .-G9ir- =hEd F:ba6 €-o 6o F'o G : 3 .E -o3$et E EE; €sa E E3s5EE I -5.$EPE6 ;I O 3 tE E"'g ;E; .: i;t:e i€E E ;€;€E"Eir f; €;sS,e-ap8e dtFEEE9:EI .eAEol-a(t .E?? .sU.E.E .i9 E H56 z trE E CQRd o *9it ya E E A; EE E i : -:u: * c .9 E o C)E .9>. E oo t) € o tr Bu .8>l s Fl i!,)(Jtrt{l 6 BI Eg Pl s fli zH6(J;d J lr{ o AHrJ< H PEn,n, 'E G ! E €t' -t 'E s : SE tg tEc|o f,gE i tet sE gi,gi , iiiu:giEgEg,igEiEE oE tr .9(, d (.) E (\l q .9 Cl .E 'rc ,, E xl F zl', sl3 o .a C, E. tr .9 E o! c) o E! BJr €-a s.3U EErd 50d tr;ol s€ c oF z Ecoo E8 <>.AA E2BB() & lJ.l 2 ll 60>\9E H ii -E-ga. o E^ rtE ii,E q te EEE E€: ; iEgi,liffiEgeiiSig 1' trG o E A.' O o ru a,) Et T E Ftl ..8 <l .!E 3l';; o 6tr € E. E .9 o G)! G) o tr rtlr 3 -zl s.HFI 6E HI EA al tr;/-J E .E F 2 D z U8o3 o EI o ;IEir*€s;rEB*:EE isff lEi, iiliili*igE, il ^0O. .9 ov .-E e3G -oo .t, C .gg a aq EEE E OE :i €.8 E r.E b Bt IE: *,€ H;EEEI! El e it Sh, I qJ trl F 4 f(h .i d o U z EI F l& o tt) ITJ od o z z o F o a o cc TL (r't Yd 3 EI JIL J z o F F F C,) Z 'a a