Developing Policy Leadership: The LAC Experience October 6, 2010 Nora Quesada, MBA Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean

BUILDING LEADERSHIP LEADS TO SUSTAINABILITY

ISSUES: A FEW EXAMPLES… Dependence on external assistance to move Commodity Security agenda forward Limited understanding of strategic importance of logistics, especially under health reform Staff working in logistics regarded as “second class” personnel Best practices from vertical logistics systems not systematically considered for integrated supply chain

CHALLENGES TO DEVELOP LEADERSHIP Health Sector Reform –Understanding decentralization and integration trends –Many actors and agencies involved Stigma towards Logistics –Just a matter of warehousing and inventory management? Sustainability of Contraceptive Security (CS) Committees –Strategies –Are Committees needed?”

SOME APPROACHES TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES Develop Confidence: “Our country situation is different from the rest in the Region…” Transfer Knowledge, Spread the Word, and Engage Key Actors: “Logistics is Essential…” Make People Do it: “The Ministry of Health will lead the CS process from now on…Nothing will stop us!”

1) DEVELOP CONFIDENCE Issues and challenges not unique to a particular country: other countries have done it… –El Salvador: UNFPA as procurement agent Logistics system is delivering what it promised to do… –Paraguay: reduced gaps in unmet need

2) TRANSFER KNOWLEDGE, SPREAD THE WORD, AND ENGAGE KEY ACTORS: MOH staff are trained, use tools, and lead technical and policy decision-making meetings –Nicaragua: the automated integrated system; total market approach Family Planning and its logistics system become the “showcase” program –Dominican Republic and the Vice-Minister talking about new warehouse, logistics, and more…

3) MAKE PEOPLE DO IT: Conducting guided and structured assessments, supervision and monitoring visits –Nicaragua MOH and the development of a indicator monitoring tool for tracer drugs Advocating for funding for contraceptive procurement –El Salvador: financial scenarios; introduction of new product

CS Committees: a decision-making environment Knowledge and Empowerment: Logistics and CS champions at different levels Awareness of public health relevance of FP ENABLING FACTORS

CONTRACEPTIVE SECURITY (CS) COMMITTEES: Essential in the leadership-building process… Regional meetings –Coordination –Lessons Learned and adopt Best Practices –Ownership, leadership, and teamwork –Cross fertilization: country-regional-country experiences –Exposure to graduated countries Recognition from other stakeholders –DHS in Honduras –“DAIA”: a trademark in LAC

IMPACT: A FEW EXAMPLES… HondurasHonduras –Government assigned funding to pay for the DHS El SalvadorEl Salvador –More funding for contraceptive procurement allows Ministry of Health introduce new injectable ParaguayParaguay –Law protects funding for contraceptive procurement, and also funding to operate and run the key components of the logistics system

DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP AND SUSTAINABILITY: KEY CONSIDERATIONS People in the workplace: –Require tools to do their job –Are eager to learn new things, and improve performance –Need to: understand their role feel their work is appreciated/contribute feel accompanied in work processes have a common vision

Knowledge Leads to Empowerment!! Nora Quesada, MBA Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean Bogota, Colombia Tel: (571) Cell: (57)