1. AAAH
The Asia-Pacific Action Alliance on Human Resources
for Health (AAAH) is a regional partnership mechanism
established in response to the international recognition
of the need for global and regional action to strengthen
country health workforce planning and action. As of
January 2007, it has 15 members including Bangladesh,
Cambodia,
China,
Fiji,
India,
Indonesia,
Lao
PDR, Myanmar,
Nepal,
Papua
New Guinea, Philippines,
Samoa,
Sri
Lanka, Thailand,
and Vietnam.
There are 5 priority actions for the first two years
including: HRH advocacy, information monitoring, capacity
strengthening, knowledge generation, and technical coordination.
AAAH is managed by a team of small Secretariat under
guidance of the Steering Committee. At a country level,
a focal point of each country acts as a coordinator
between the AAAH and agencies within country.
1.1 Vision
“Countries have strong HRH research, planning
and management capacity to support the development of
equitable and effective health systems in the Asia-Pacific
region”
1.2 Mission
1.
To advocate for the HRH in the region, among the partner
countries.
2.
To generate and collate necessary evidence for effective
human resources planning and management;
3.
To support comprehensive capacity building on HRH research,
planning and management under a broader framework of
overall health systems strengthening
1.3 Objectives
•
To review regional HRH situation and to advocate country
level actions to develop HRH as part of a strong health
systems.
•
To promote development and refinement of country level
HRH strategic plans and policies, particularly to respond
to health crisis.
•
To coordinate HRH knowledge generation, management and
sharing
•
To work as information clearing house for regional HRH
monitoring and to support HRH information system strengthening
at country level
•
To coordinate and assist countries on capacity building
for HRH management
•
To identify and expand regional HRH expertise and to
mobilize resources for HRH technical support, as requested
by the countries.
1.4 Priority Actions
There are five key actions to be implemented as follows:
•
Advocacy and support for strengthening HRH planning
and implementation at regional and country levels;
•
Information for monitoring HRH situation use in HRH
development planning and management;
•
Knowledge generation, management and sharing;
•
Coordination and technical support to partners in order
to build capacity for HRH research, planning and management
•
Development of a flexible and participatory coordinating
structure
2. AAAH Structure
2.1 AAAH
Steering Committee
Steering Committee of AAAH is established in order to
oversee all the activities of AAAH. The committee is
light, flexible, inclusive and non-bureaucratic. The
Members of the Steering Committee are experts of HRH
management, research and policy development, with regional
vision. They should be enthusiastic and actively involve
in the process of HRH management, research and policy
development, as well as have established good relationship
with government sectors, international organizations
and funding agencies.
2.1.1
Composition: Members should be from eight AAAH
member countries (4 from Southeast Asia Region and 4
from Western Pacific Region), WHO regional offices (1
each from SEARO and WPRO), and other development partners.
The total number of members should not be more than
15. One of the four members from Western Pacific Region
should be from a pacific island country.
2.1.2
Functions and Operation: The AAAH Steering
Committee is established to support AAAH related activities.
Steering Committee Members are expected be in close
contact with other committee members. The Committee
will meet on a regular basis (once every three months)
via teleconference and one face to face meeting per
year.
2.1.3
Chair: Recommendations for chair-elect are
sought from the Steering Committee Members. The Chair
is responsible for guiding the Committee Members, Secretariat,
and Country Focal Points to achieve their responsible
duties. The term of the Chair is 2 years with a maximum
of 2 terms.
2.1.4
Steering Committee Membership:
1.
As the Steering Committee serves as the highest decision-making
body, the Chair is responsible for effectively conducting
the meetings in order to guide the Committee Members
to make appropriate decisions and recommendations for
the AAAH
2.
Providing appropriate advice and guidance to the AAAH
Secretariat when decisions not need to be made by the
entire Steering Committee
3.
Represent the AAAH in HRH-related forum including networking
with other organizations as appropriate or assign a
Steering Committee member to represent on AAAH’s
behalf
4.
Taking the lead to leverage funding for the AAAH activities
2.1.5
Criteria for the Chair:
1.
Highly experienced and knowledgeable in the area of
human resource for health development
2.
Having international recognition and be able to initiate
connection and networking the AAAH with other development
agencies
3.
Closely involved and be familiar with the works of the
AAAH and be able to provide guidance on the AAAH’s
works.
4.
Having ability to effectively conduct Steering Committee
meetings leading to good recommendations and decisions
for the AAAH
5.
Having high commitment to the AAAH
2.1.6
Steering Committee Membership:
•
The selection of the 8 country members of the Steering
Committee will be decided by the Steering Committee.
The composition of the Steering Committee could be a
composition of active partners from Ministry of Health,
civil society, and academic institutes. They should
be knowledgeable in human resources for health and be
able to provide guidance for conducting AAAH works.
•
Membership of members from countries will have a term
of a two-year. After the first 2 years, 4 members (2
from each region) will be considered to be replaced
or renew if agreed, and in the subsequent 2 year 4 other
members will be replaced or renew if agreed.
•
Members from WHO Regional Offices are to be proposed
by the respective offices. Membership will be indefinite;
however, the Regional Offices may propose a change of
representatives on the Committee by writing to the Chair
at any appropriate time.
•
Members from other development partners will be invited
based on their institutional interest and commitment
on human resources for health. Membership will be 2
years and renewable if agreed by the Steering Committee.
2.2 Secretariat
The Secretariat is an administrative component of the
AAAH. The Secretariat is responsible for facilitating
functions of the Steering Committee and coordinating
and providing supports to AAAH member countries.
2.2.1
Composition: A Secretariat is composed of 3-4
staff members - A ‘coordinator’ heads the
secretariat, one assistant coordinator, and one to two
project coordinators. Two members are working on a full-time
basis and other two could be part-time or full time
depending on the workload. The secretariat is currently
based at the International Health Policy Program Foundation
(IHPP), Bangkok, Thailand and can be decided otherwise
by the Steering Committee. IHPP provides office spaces
and facilities pro bono to support the AAAH secretariat.
2.2.2
Operation: The secretariat could be contracted
to an entity after the approval by the Steering Committee.
It could be based in Thailand or other country. The
Secretariat reports directly to the Steering Committee
and will be evaluated by the Steering Committee on an
annual basis. In addition, the Country Focal Points
can provide feedback directly to the Steering Committee
on the Secretariat for use in the evaluation.
2.2.3
The AAAH Coordinator: The AAAH Coordinator
is selected by a subgroup of the AAAH Steering Committee.
The Coordinator is responsible for leading the coordination
between the Steering Committee, country focal points,
development partners, and other partners as well as
other relevant duties need to be carried out in order
to achieve the AAAH Work-plan.
The subgroup for coordinator selection will comprise
of the Steering Committee Chair and two steering committee
members as agreed by the Steering Committee.
2.2.4
Secretariat Staff: Staff members are selected
by the Coordinator, under policies and procedures approved
by the chair.
2.2.5
Responsibilities: Secretariat Members will
undertake the following functions, based on activities
provided in the AAAH Work-plan:
1.
To develop the annual work-plan and the budget;
2.
To coordinate activities as specified in the approved
work-plan;
3.
To prepare meeting agendas, materials and relevant documents;
4.
To contact the focal points at the member countries
to call the meeting, coordinate and monitor the activities;
5.
To maintain AAAH website, to collect data and documents
from member countries;
6.
To distribute documents approved by the Steering Committee
among member countries and partners;
7.
To provide logistics services to the Steering Committee
and the participants of all AAAH meetings;
8.
To coordinate multi-country HRH studies;
9.
To mobilize technical assistance to help member countries
building capacity on HRH management;
10.
To organize teleconferences and meetings;
11.
To disseminate findings generated from activities under
AAAH.
2.3 AAAH Member
Countries
2.3.1
Composition: The AAAH currently has 15 members
in 2007. Members should be fully committed in development
of human resources for health in their countries as
appropriate. They should also be enthusiastic and actively
involved in AAAH activities.
2.3.2
Criteria: Apart from the current members, additional
members can be accepted in the future. Membership is
by country, not for any individual organization. The
general criteria for interested countries are:
•
A country is fully committed for human resource for
health development
•
An interested country should at least attend one AAAH
conference as an observer in order to experience the
ongoing function of the AAAH
•
A representing organization of the interested country
should have capacity to coordinate with other sectors
at the national level so that the view expressed represents
the country not any particular individual organization.
An interested country may express an interest of being
a AAAH member country in writing to the AAAH Coordinator
who will propose it to the Steering Committee for consideration
and approval.
2.4 Country
Focal Points
A Country Focal Point will act as a country coordinator,
who is required to establish mechanisms for coordination
with relevant stakeholders to implement country activities,
dissemination information received from the AAAH and
other relevant sources. The person nominated as focal
point should be the participant of AAAH conference,
and is actively involved in human resources for health
development in the country.
Criteria
for Country Focal Point:
Once a country focal point is nominated, the person
needs to actively involve in the AAAH activities. The
following criteria will be used to review whether the
country focal point for a particular country will be
retained.
•
Active in communication and being a focal person between
the AAAH secretariat and partners within the country.
•
Active in communication and coordination with multi-partners
within the country
•
Active in mobilization of additional resources to support
AAAH country activities
•
Acceptance by local and international agencies, working
within the country.
In addition, feedback from partners within countries
may be sought. The performance of the country focal
point will be evaluated on an annual basis by the Steering
Committee with the support of the Secretariat in order
to improve the coordination between the AAAH and the
country and within the country. In addition, the focal
point will be replaced as requested by the country.
The Asia Pacific Action Alliance on Human Resources
for Health (AAAH) is a response to international recognition
of the need for global and regional action to strengthen
country planning and action. It was established in October
2006 with currently 15 Asia-Pacific member countries.
The AAAH’s vision is to see “strengthened
HRH planning and management capacity toward adequate,
equitable, efficient and effective HRH and health system
for health equity and quality improvement in the Asia-Pacific
region”. Its priority actions are in 5 main areas
including: Capacity Strengthening; Information &
monitoring; Technical support; Advocacy for Health Workforce;
and Knowledge Management.
Contact info:
The AAAH Secretariat
International Health Policy Program, Thailand
Thanon Sataranasuk 6,
Ministry of Public Health
Tivanond Road
Nonthaburi 1100, Thailand
Tel: +66-2-590-2372
Fax: +66-2-590-2385
Email: secretariat@aaahrh.org
Web: http://www.aaahrh.org