Instructions for Formation of Working Groups
(Group Process employed during the conference)
Aim
The groups are being formed to:
→increase participation;
→focus on specific areas pertaining to the projects;
→promote the development of specific recommendations to include strategies and assignment of responsibilities;
→encourage richer exchange between countries and programmes.
To accomplish the above aim, the participants will be divided into 4 groups covering the following areas:
1. Community participation, which includes community mobilization, community education and PHC/RDF Committees, etc.
2. Functioning and operation of RDFs, which includes guidelines and procedures for RDFs, inventory management, accounting and financial management, etc.
3. Drug supply and logistics, which includes national drug policies, Essential drug lists, drug information systems, etc.
4. Management capacity of the health teams at the various levels to supervise, monitor, plan, implement, coordinate activities and train to deliver quality health care.
During registration there will be a sheet with the 4 groups listed. Participants are kindly requested to put their name on the sheet under one of the groups observing the following criteria:
* Join any group in which you are interested and can contribute your knowledge and experience.
* Do not join the group because you want to learn something new.
* Try to join the group in which there is no one from your country (MOH or UNICEF)
The final decision regarding the composition of the group resides with the organizing committee.
Guidelines for the functioning of the Working Groups
The specific objectives of the working groups are to:
1. review the issues, constraints and problems related to the areas assigned to the group from the reports and handout provided earlier;
2. prioritize, very simply, the issues, constraints and problems that the group would like to address;
3. discuss these prioritized issues, constraints and problems using the core questions provided in a handout;
4. formulate recommendations for these priority issues, constraints and problems according the provided format;
5. present the recommendations and report of the working group at the plenary session.
The following steps are proposed. The working groups should carry out these steps to streamline their discussions in order to take advantage of the very limited time available.
1. Select a moderator for the group who will moderate the discussion and group.
2. Select rapporteur who will record the salient points of the discussion, prepare the presentation and draft/record recommendations using the format provided.
3. Select a spokesperson if the group decides that this task should be done by a different person other than the moderator or rapporteur.
4. Review the role of the facilitator/resource person assigned to the group.
5. Review the topic/area and the core questions.
6. Review and prioritize the issues, constraints and problems.
7. Discuss the prioritized issues, constraints and problems, and formulate recommendations by issue, by constraint and by problem using the format provided.
8. Prepare a presentation for the plenary session using the format provided.
9. Submit the presentation and the recommendations to the facilitator for inclusion in the conference proceedings.
Role of the Moderator
1. Facilitate the discussions.
2. Keep the discussion on the topic and area.
3. Ensure that the core questions are addressed.
4. Summarize and help the rapporteur formulate recommendations.
5. Encourage participation of all members, drawing out the silent ones.
6. Maintain a warm and congenial atmosphere.
7. Resolve, with the assistance of the facilitator, any conflicts that may arise.
8. Work closely with the facilitator/resource person, drawing in the resource person but ensuring that all the participants have the opportunity to participate.
9. Assist the rapporteur/spokesperson in preparing the presentation.
10. Ensure that the objectives of the working group are accomplished.
Role of the Rapporteur
1. Record the salient points during the discussion.
2. Record the prioritized list of issues, constraints and problems.
3. Record all recommendations using the format provided for submission to the facilitator and presentation to the plenary.
4. Prepare the presentation of the group's report and recommendations using the format provided to the plenary.
5. Hand over the presentation, recommendations and notes of the working group to the facilitator after the presentation to the plenary.
Role of the Facilitator
1. Support and assist the moderator in his role.
2. Act as a resource person, providing information and data when required by the group.
3. In collaboration with the moderator & rapporteur, ensure that the guidelines and formats provided are adhered to.
4. Ensure that the group has access to materials and stationery for preparing its presentation and recommendation.
5. Ensure that the environment for the working group is conducive to conducting a discussion.
6. Liaise with the coordinating facilitator as and when necessary to ensure smooth functioning of the working group.
Formats
For Plenary Presentation
1. Area assigned to the working group.
2. List of prioritized issues, constraints and problems and a brief explanation of how these were prioritized.
3. List of recommendations using the format provided for the recommendations.
4. Summary of the discussions, highlighting important points raised or addressed during the discussion.
5. Brief conclusion about the working group performance and impressions.
For Drafting Recommendations
1. State the actual recommendation. Do this by asking the following question: What are we recommending?
2. The strategies that may be employed. Do this by asking the following question: How do we, broadly speaking, implement this recommendation?
3. The person/agency/institution who will be responsible for ensuring that the recommendation is implemented by asking the following question: Who will be responsible for carrying out or making sure that the recommendation is carried out?
4. Propose an approximate time frame for implementation of the recommendation by asking the following question: Approximately by when should this recommendation be carried out?
