Part IV: The Role of the RBM Partnership
1. Introduction to the Role of the RBM Partnership
Part II: The Global Strategy and Part III: Regional Strategies describe what the international community and individual countries can do to ensure that countries scale-up control, sustain control and ultimately eliminate malaria.
The purpose of Part IV: The Role of the RBM Partnership is to describe what the RBM Partnership, particularly through its core mechanisms of the Secretariat, Working Groups and Sub-Regional Networks, can do to support countries directly. Given the number of partners operating in malaria, the GMAP would quickly become overwhelming if it tried to outline each partner’s role in the Global Strategy. Instead, this part of the plan focuses on the RBM structure that will bring together partners working around a specific topic to ensure the work gets done. In particular, this part of the plan:
Highlights the role that the RBM Partnership can play in coordinating partner activities for the
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topics outlined in Table IV.1
Provides a deeper exploration of topic areas where coordinated action is critical to achieve the
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RBM targets for 2010, 2015 and beyond.
The Role of the RBM Partnership
Today, Working Groups act as the primary coordinators of global RBM partner activities for many of the topic areas. However, as outlined below in Table IV.1, there are several important areas – Resource Mobilization, Communication and Behavior Change Methodologies, and Humanitarian Crises - where the coordinator is not currently agreed upon. In Policy and Regulatory, the role of the RBM Partnership could further be clarified.
Table IV.1: Areas of partnership coordination
Topic Partnership Coordinator
Advocacy Malaria Advocacy Working Group (MAWG)
Resource Mobilization Proposed: Resource Mobilization Task Force
Policy and Regulatory Various WHO bodies
Planning Harmonization Working Group (HWG)
Financing Resources Working Group (RWG)
Procurement and Supply Management Procurement & Supply Management Working Group (PSM) Communication and Behavior Change Methodologies Proposed: Communication Working Group
Monitoring and Evaluation Monitoring and Evaluation Reference Group (MERG)
Humanitarian Crises Proposed: Formal liaison
In addition to the Partnership Coordinators listed above, there are three other important groups to mention.
RBM Working Groups focused on delivery. The Scalable Vector Control Working Group (WIN) and the Malaria in Pregnancy Working Group (MIP) both play an essential role in identifying effective approaches to delivery of vector control and MIP interventions. Because Part II – Chapter 2: Control: Overcoming Malaria focused heavily on delivery of interventions, separate chapters have not been included on those topics here. However, the role of both Working Groups is critical to defining and testing approaches to scale-up interventions, advocating for increased research and better policies around these topics, and generally providing a focal point for these activities within the RBM Partnership. Of all the interventions, case management interventions are the only ones that currently do not have an associated RBM Working Group.
Currently WHO – Global Malaria Program operates as a Working Group in convening partners around case management issues.
Research Groups. The recommendations in Part II - Chapter 4: The Malaria Research Agenda suggest the creation of a focal point or other interface for groups involved with R&D for new tools, research to inform policy, and operational and implementation research. Where groups already exist, the focus will be on increased involvement and collaboration with the RBM Partnership. Where groups do not exist or where they do exist but meet or collaborate infrequently, the focus will be on bringing together key stakeholders to begin a dialogue on global research priorities, while liaising with the RBM Partnership.
Sub-Regional Networks (SRNs). At the country level, Sub-Regional Networks provide support to regions in coordinating local partners’ activities. Currently, the RBM Partnership has 4 SRNs based in Africa but no SRN elsewhere in the world. In Part III: Regional Strategies, it was recommended that an SRN be established in Asia-Pacific and a focal point created for the Americas to link these regions more closely with Africa and RBM partners.
A Deeper Exploration of Topic Areas
In Part II: The Global Strategy and Part III: Regional Strategies, nine key topic areas were identified as critical to achieving the 2010 and 2015 targets. These nine topics are listed below.
Advocacy
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Resource Mobilization
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Policy and Regulatory
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In-country planning
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Financing
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Procurement and Supply Chain Management
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Communication and Behavior Change Methodologies
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Monitoring and Evaluation
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Humanitarian Crises
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Three of these topics, Advocacy, Resource Mobilization, and Policy and Regulatory, primarily take place among global actors at the international level, although they have implications for in-country action.
Progress in these three areas lays the ground work for activities to take place within countries. The six other topics — Planning, Financing, Procurement and Supply Chain Management, Communication and Behavior Change Methodologies, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Humanitarian Crises — are focused more directly on supporting countries to more efficiently carry out the strategy at country level.
In this part of the report, each of the nine topics has its own chapter which includes a short introduction, an overview of the most urgent challenges and the priorities of the RBM Partnership to support the 2010 and 2015 targets. In addition, the cost and organizational implications are discussed. Finally, a table gives an overview of the key activities. The chapters are intended to be a high-level outline of priorities and responsibilities. They will serve as the basis for the RBM Partnership’s detailed Harmonized Workplans in years to come.