USE OF REGIONAL NETWORKS FOR POLICY INFLUENCE: THE HIS KNOWLEDGE HUB EXPERIENCE

1. USE OF REGIONAL NETWORKS FOR POLICY INFLUENCE: THE HIS KNOWLEDGE HUB EXPERIENCE • 4th Technical Review and Planning Meeting • Health Policy and Health Finance Knowledge Hub, • 10th-11th October 2011 • Melbourne Audrey Aumua and Maxine Whittaker Health Information Systems Knowledge Hub

2. Order of Presentation • The Development of Regional Networks • Case Study : PHIN • Lessons for Engagement • Opportunities for Policy Engagement and Policy Dialogue

3. What is PHIN?

7. Community of practice • A domain of knowledge, a notion of community and a practice (Wenger et. al 2004 pp 27 - 29). • Domain : of knowledge creates common ground, inspires members to participate, guides their learning and gives meaning to their actions. • Community : creates the social fabric for that learning. A strong community fosters interactions and encourages a willingness to share ideas. • Practice : the specific focus around which the community develops, shares and maintains its core of knowledge.

10. How Does PHIN Work With Partners and in the Region?

12. How Does PHIN Work:In Countries • PHIN reps in country advocate for HIS improvements (HIS days) (training) • PHIN plan guides HIS investments for governments • Donors and technical partners use PHIN plan to guide investments • Support data to policy practice for decision makers

13. How Does PHIN Work: With Partners? • Well defined plan developed by country partners • Implementation plan guides joint activities eg. • Data dictionary development • Data improvement and analysis activities • Capacity development • Training and workshops • Fellowships • Partnering in other activities • Pacific Vital Statistics Improvement Plan • Providing Technical support and solutions through community of practice • Sharing of tools • Advocacy activities

14. Key Partners at Present • Country HIS units • Regional institutions/Groups • AIHW • HIS Hub • Health Information Management Australian Association HIMAA • Regional Academic institutions • PHIN has noted the importance of linking academic institutions to the building of capacity of HIS in countries • Fiji National University • SPH @ University of Queensland • Development partners • WHO – WPRO and WHO Subregional Office Fiji • SPC • UNFPA • UNICEF • ESCAP

17. Lessons for Engagement

18. Principles • Country owned network • Locally driven, or bottom-up, meaning from the region itself where the need for better co-operation and co-ordination of activities is recognised • Developed itself – requested support to strengthen • Support to operational activities: • Meetings • Secretariat • Facilitation of Strategic plan development • Advocacy for the Network • Transitioning of support

19. Important : Remember Vital Aspects of Successful Networks and Partnerships • Hard work • Application of thought • Commitment to principles of support to PHIN strategic plan • Effort to maintain and build communication channels • Purpose: Share the purpose of PHIN to create, grow, use, assist and enable HIS professionals in the region • Ownership: Pacific network - with a jointly developed plan. Bottom-up NOT externally or incentive driven

20. Joining the network • New tasks may come onto the agenda that call for the involvement of additional key actors (“voluntary admission”) • In some cases organisations outside the partnership may decide that co-operation is now advantageous (“requested admission”). • Admission mechanisms have to be in place, which will change the network configuration and make the direction of work harder to predict. • Care that admission of others enhances not hinders the future execution of the work programme.

21. When joining the network: • Structures help. The partners’ primary interest is the work of the partnership and not its own organisation. • As more tasks are assigned to the new entity, important to have an agreed management structure • Unit independent of one single partner and stabilises the work of the partnership. • Commitment to joint resourcing which can be seen as a key step forward in the establishment of a partnership as a medium- and long-term organisation. • Partnerships set common targets to which they are answerable with agreed on monitoring and evaluation framework

22. Successful partnership for policy and practice • A partnership is an agreement to do something together that will benefit all involved, bringing results that could not be achieved by a single partner operating alone, and reducing duplication of efforts.

23. A successful partnership • Partners share a strategic vision, pursue compatible targets, and are all equal members in a predetermined organisational structure • Strong commitment from each partner. All partner organisations are equally present and, where possible, represented by experienced persons who have influence within their organisation • There is a strong sense of ownership. • Added value of the partnership to each partner is recognised • Equal opportunities within the partnership are secured (partnerships will not necessarily succeed if one or a small number of the partners are perceived as dominant).

24. A “learning culture” is fostered, i.e. one where all partners are able to learn from one another by allowing new ideas to come forward in an open exchange of experiences. Resources, knowledge, know-how and ideas are shared Enhances the impact and effectiveness of action through combined and more efficient use of resources; Agreements are based on identifiable responsibilities, joint rights and obligations Promotes innovation; Co-operation is collaborative; Rules of conduct are adhered to by the partners A successful partnership

25. OPPORTUNITIES FOR POLICY ENGAGEMENT AND POLICY DIALOGUE

26. Why PHIN may be a Channel for Policy Engagement and Dialogue • Context : Relevance to HIS and its link to HSS • Linkage to the Community and its strategic plan, challenges and "corporate" knowledge. • Interact with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts in relevant areas: eg. Advocacy, policy, linked information systems to say HR, financing, Minimum indicators • Creating and maintaining good lines of communications in all directions

27. Opportunities for Policy Engagement and Policy Dialogue • Shared interest in and need for strong HIS for work eg. Health financing, Health policy • Commitment to country leadership and ownership • Support in building capacity in and understanding of the policy process and of policy tools (all partners to learn) • Advocacy • PHIN members are “insiders” in the Pacific Ministries of Health

28. Thank you