Steering Committee Bujumbura (14-17/2/2011) & Saly (18-19/3/2011)

1. Our plan for 2011 (Based on December online brainstorming) Steering Committee Bujumbura (14-17/2/2011) & Saly (18-19/3/2011)

2. Our vision • PBF as a new holistic health system strenghtening strategy that can help African countries to accelerate progress towards universal coverage, the health MDGs and better governance of their health system. • However PBF is difficult. The strategy conveys risks. Failure will be a missed opportunity for population and harm reputation of the strategy.

3. Our diagnosis: challenges at 3 levels Individual experts. Agencies. Countries.

4. Challenges at expert level PBF requires contextualisation and tapping tacit and explicit knowledge  highly qualified expertise combining analytical skills and field experience. High enthusiasm for the strategy  We need many experts, rapidly. They will have to be able to design, implement and evaluate PBF schemes, with a real concern to limit the risks and perverse effects (critical mind and versatility).

5. Challenges at agency level Some historical actors, some newcomers. They tap different resources, use different aid instruments, face different constraints. Need for collaboration, transfer of expertise, coordination but also emulation and even competition.  They need a platform for healthy interactions.

6. Challenges at country level « Too much » enthusiasm, impatience. Lack of vision (reform dimension of PBF). Lack of expertise in most countries. Little connection to experiences in other countries.  We have to enhance exchanges between countries and accompany countries.

7. The CoP as the main strategy to address these challenges (1) These could be our new strategic objectives for individual experts. At expert level, the CoP can contribute to: • Expand their number. • Build their capacity. • Update/upgrade continuously their PBF expertise. • Empower them as regional experts. • Enhance their circulation at regional level.

8. The CoP as the main strategy to address these challenges (2) These could be our new strategic objectives for agencies and countries. At agency level, the CoP can: Favour exchange and collaboration. Know each other, fair competition practices. At country level, the CoP can: Favour cross-fertilization Ensure some quality assurance (reputation of PBF is a ‘commons’).

9. Implications for our activities They should: reach experts, involve different ‘PBF agencies’, cover any interested African countries. be inclusive, but focus on practitioners. address needs of African experts in terms of capacity building. ensure broad vision and critical mind. promote senior African experts at regional level. enhance the ‘regional community’ dimension and trust among members.

10. CoP as a Knowledge Management strategy • By its membership and its activities, our CoP could cover the full spectrum of issues to be covered by any KM strategy: • Share existing knowledge among members. • Enhance acquisition of knowledge by newcomers. • Enhance utilisation of knowledge. • Identify knowledge gaps. • Accumulate, create and develop new knowledge. • Store knowledge.

11. Implications for our membership It should cover the whole spectrum of knowledge holders and users: • Practitioners. • Policy makers. • Technical assistants and consultants. • Trainers. • Researchers. • Field innovators. • Knowledge brokers.

12. Implications for our activities (long run) Dissemination: books, papers, workshops, e-debate. Acquisition: training, debate, access to literature. Use: tools with operational relevance. Identification: studies, debate, brainstorming. Creation: studies and working groups. Storage: websites, e-library.

13. Our strategic ambition • The CoP as the leading knowledge platform on PBF in Africa. To be assessed on the following indicators: • Most PBF experts are members of the CoP. • Most of the PBF knowledge is produced by CoP members. • Many knowledge users are members. • There is enough quality assurance internally to improve/validate knowledge.

14. Main objectives for 2011 New! Membership: continue expansion, with a focus on East and West Africa; yet, with a same level of intimacy and trust. Domain: maintain focus on PBF, but be open to interest for other RBF mechanisms? Practices: how to design and implement a pilot PBF; how to scale up; how to improve/revise PBF schemes (quality assurance).

15. Ambitions for 2011: activities Consolidate. Perpetuate. Innovate. Improve.

16. Consolidate (update 2/2011)  New!   • The Book on PBF in Central Africa. • A Spin-off: the PBF CoP working paper series • The scientific supplement on health sector reform in Rwanda. • The PBF toolkit.

17. Perpetuate/repeat (2/2011)  Cordaid   New! Starting • Regional workshops: • Bujumbura February 2011. • Saly, March 2011. • Tanzania, November 2011. • PBF courses. • Google group: • Market place/opportunities (e.g. courses). • Info sharing. • Debate. • Online readers club.

18. Innovate: capacity building (2/2011) Funding needed! Toolkit (funding unavailable for the moment)  (Bujumbura) To be followed Development of operational tools. Training: advanced 1-week course on economic forecasting and budgeting of a PBF policy. Short capacity building sessions during workshops. E-learning on the PBF-toolkit.

19. Innovate: quality assurance (2/2011) Funding needed! Starting! Rockefeller funding? Doubtful (funding unavailable) Working groups on important topics (‘good practices’). Study tours in the Great Lakes; internship. Peer review of projects.

20. Innovate: evidence (2/2011) Funding needed! A project to be written in 2011?  Difficult, we do our best Develop a multi-country research project involving African scholars (small studies). Evaluation tools. Literature review. Training to enhance scientific skills. Coaching for members writing scientific papers. Financial support for CoP members whose papers are accepted at international conference.

21. Innovate: ICT platforms (2/2011) In standby Progressively Starting (but without support) Under consideration • Mendeley®: storage of papers. • Test new tools (chat, videoconference…) • Collaboration with the RBF website • Mapping PBF in Africa • Web platform • Expert database. • Calendar of events.

22. Improve (2/2011) We progress Build on the toolkit? Not yet Postponed because of the other CoP • Recognition that different actors are complementary. • Better coordination around training activities and materials. • Better coordination on country workshops with involvement of CoP members as trainers. • Better coordination with other CoPs. • A first workshop with the PPP CoP in 2011?

23. Facilitation of the CoP (2/2011) Funding obtained (Rockefeller), Under recruitment! • Challenges: • Manage the growth and the high expectations. • Workload. • Raise funds for the CoP. • Involve members. • Strategies: • An African hub (ESP Kigali). • A junior expert as support (ESP Kigali). • Yearly report 2010; advocacy. • Delegation (e.g. working groups).

24. Sponsoring (2/2011) For 2011, little commitment from HHA agencies at regional level so far (secured: funding for facilitation - 6 months, AfDB). Main message: We will not be able to undertake all the ideas proposed in December 2010.

25. Sponsoring: our strategy Proved! (1) Look for funding from HHA agencies at country level, seems feasible for some activities (eg. workshops) but requires good coordination and personal relationships.  (2) Build on funding from agencies outside HHA.

26. Conclusion Imbalance between our achievements in 2010 and the resources we will receive in 2011. We will have to be creative to access resources. Pressure on available expertise will remain high. Quality assurance should come higher on our priorities.