WHO Collaborating Centres : Developing a good workplan

1. WHO Collaborating Centres: Developing a good workplan Dr Olla Shideed WHO Collaborating Centres Coordination Meeting 10-11 June 2014, Tehran, I.R. of Iran

2. What is important when drafting Terms of Reference (TORs) and workplans?

3. Definitions… • Terms of Reference (TOR) • Short, one-sentence points providing general high-level overview of future collaboration. They must reflect the future collaboration between WHO and the proposed institution, rather than the usual work of the institution. • Workplan • The list of detailed activities that the proposed institution will implement if it is designated as a WHO cc. Activities correspond to the TORs, contribute to the achievement of a WHO task, and clearly describe the role of all participants.

4. WHO CC activities • WHO CC activities • are not the institution's standard activities; • are designed to support WHO strategic and operational plans; • are collaborative i.e. jointly planned and implemented activities; • are specific, SMART, tangible; • are only those activities that are listed in the agreement with WHO.

5. Developing the WHO CC workplan • requires collaboration and communication between the responsible officer at WHO and the (proposed) head of the CC. CC Activity WHO Task

6. Workplan items • Activity title: a short, descriptive name that accurately captures the essence of the proposed activity. • Link to TOR: the TOR to which this activity relates. • Name(s) of responsible staff at the institution: who will lead the activity. • Type of activity • Description of the activity and how it is implemented: a short description of what the activity consists of and, in particular, what concrete actions will be undertaken to implement it. • Expected deliverables: the tangible product or service or output to be delivered (e.g. a complete technical guideline in printed format or a one-week training course delivered annually).

7. Workplan items (cont.) • Connected WHO task: the name of the WHO programmeconcerned and the contribution of this activity to WHO planned activities (as opposed to public health in general). • Name(s) of funding sources (incl. amounts, if specified): the detailed and complete list of names of funding sources that will be used for the particular activity, not for the institution as a whole, for example, "This activity will be funded by 1) the B&M Gates Foundation, 2) regular budget of the institution”. • Activity timeframe (incl. key milestones, if applicable): a specific timeframe for the implementation of each activity (avoid generalizations such as “ongoing” or “throughout the designation period”).

8. Checklist for TORs and workplan

9. Proposal Checklist • Designed to support WHO strategic and operational plans, institution's own activities are not included • Functions of WHO CCs are observed • Compliance with WHO processes and procedures is demonstrated (e.g. research with human participants; guidelines) • Together, the workplan covers the full period of designation • The focus is on quality not quantity

10. Proposal Checklist cont. • Terms of reference (TORs) and activities are linked • TORs are high-level e.g. "To contribute to WHO advocacy material on water and sanitation". • Activities are specific e.g. "To draft and review a report on water and sanitation in sub-saharan Africa in close collaboration with and as directed by WHO/AFRO" • Simple and clear language is used

11. Proposal Checklist cont. • WHO's role in an activity is mentioned • Links and benefits to WHO programmes are provided (these may need to be provided by the responsible officer) • Activities are fully funded, in line with WHO policies • Publication on WHO web site or in WHO information products have been discussed and agreed • Intellectual property rights have been discussed and attribution is noted in the form

12. Annual reports • are online forms, requested automatically via email every 12 months on the anniversary of the (re)designation; • are progress reports, used to monitor the implementation of the agreed workplan during the past year; • are not the place to report detailed technical or scientific results; • contain four short questions.

13. Annual report questions • a brief description about progress made for each workplan activity during the past 12 months; • a brief description of the collaboration with WHO in the context of the workplan activities; • a brief description of any interactions with other WHO CCs or a network of WHO CCs in the context of the workplan activities; • a brief description of any technical, programmatic, advisory or other support received from WHO (if applicable) in the context of the workplan activities.

14. Networks of WHO CCs Benefits of collaborative networks: • greater global application and impact of the activities, • new synergies and peer-to-peer opportunities for WHO CCs, • better alignment with WHO programmes, and • improved motivation for leadership opportunities.

15. Networks of WHO CCs (cont.) • Thematic networks of WHO CCs exist, in the fields of: • bioethics • biological standardization • communicable diseases • family of international classifications • global foodborne infections • global influenza surveillance • health promotion • health technology assessment • injury and violence prevention • nursing and midwifery development • nutrition • occupational health • radiation emergency medical preparedness and assistance • tobacco control • traditional medicine.

16. In conclusion… • Designation as a WHO CC is an opportunity – it is the start • A key to success is regular communication with: • responsible officer, • other WHO CCs in the thematic area, • other WHO CCs in the country, etc.

17. Resources WHO web site: • Guide for WHO CCs • Frequently Asked Questions • Terms and Conditions • Links to the global database and portal http://www.who.int/collaboratingcentres/en/ For eCC technological problems, email eCC_techsupport@who.int