Positive feedback on IHP+Results 2010 Report at WHO seminar

Dr Shaun Conway, IHP+Results’ Programme Director, presented the findings from our 2010 Performance Report at a high-level seminar at the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 8 April.

Reflections and questions

Shaun’s presentation (What’s the Score on the IHP+?) was warmly received by two panel respondents – Dr Jason Lane, Senior Health Policy Adviser at the European Commission, and Dr Andrew Cassels, Director of Strategy, Office of the WHO Director General – who made the following observations:

• IHP+Results is contributing to transparency and accountability within the IHP+
• The process has helped to link up EC country offices and headquarters
• The findings will be important in the run-up  to the High Level Forum (HLF4) in Busan – especially through the OECD Task Team on Health as a Tracer Sector (TT HATS)

Interesting questions were also raised, by the respondents and in the following discussion:

• How can this be institutionalised at the country-level to make it more sustainable?
• Is the IHP+ tackling the biggest problems?
• Is the speed of change sufficient?
• How important is the brand of the IHP+ – how can the added value of the IHP+ which has been articulated by countries be built into a more standardised approach?
• How can agencies use these findings to promote change?

IHP+Results: a tool to support positive change

The meeting expressed strong support for the “systematic and well-presented” approach that IHP+Results had used, and recognised that IHP+Results Scorecards and disaggregated data provide useful tools to promote dialogue at country-level.

This was a central theme of the discussion – a country level focus is a necessary and appropriate means to ensure the sustainability of health sector aid effectiveness monitoring (through Joint Annual Reviews), and to continue the IHP+’s support to countries in making the best use of scarce resources.  IHP+Results should focus on promoting awareness and understanding of our work at the country level and within agencies, and ensuring that these findings are used to support positive change.  This should also help accelerate the speed of change, particularly if our communication efforts include civil society at country-level.

The IHP+Results team welcomed this feedback, which largely affirmed our plans and goals for the next 3-4 months.  Our immediate focus will be on disseminating and stimulating discussion around our findings, and on gathering feedback so that we can seek to strengthen our approach for our next and final year of monitoring in 2011/12.  To keep up to date with our progress, follow us on twitter @IHPResults or sign up to our newsletter.