UN Country Team Workshop on Joint Programmes Ha Noi, 28 November 2006

1. Gov’t-UN Joint Programme to fight Highly Pathogenic Avian InfluenzaSharing experiences & lessons learnedfrom the implementation of the emergency phase(Oct 06-Jul 07) and preparations for Phase II UN Country Team Workshop on Joint Programmes Ha Noi, 28 November 2006

2. Donor funding for Avian and Human Influenza (AHI) in Viet Nam Total ODA for AHI 2004-2008 $105m (actual and indications as of Nov 06) ODA channeled through UN System $28m Of this: • Through the Govt-UN JP $19.6m (70%) Direct funding to the JP $15.2m Parallel funding to the JP $4.4m • Other funding channeled through the UN $8.3m (30%) Gov't-UN Joint Programme

3. About the Joint Gov’t-UN Programme to fight HPAI “Strengthening the Management of Public Health Emergencies in Viet Nam – with a focus on the Prevention and Control of Diseases of Epidemic Potential including Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)” • Phase I: Emergency Support (October 2005 – July 2006) • Phase II: Capacity Building Support to OPI implementation (until 2010) VN Partners: National Steering Committee for Avian Influenza (NSCAI) Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Ministry of Health (MoH) Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) Ministry of Culture and Information (MoCI) UN Partners: FAO, WHO, UNICEF, UNDP Gov't-UN Joint Programme

4. Why a Joint Programme on AI? “What value does the UN system and a joint approach add to the response to avian and human pandemic influenza (AHI)?” • Brings together the different strengths, expertise and experience of UN agencies to support to the national response: • animal health and livestock • human health • public awareness and behavior change communications • overall coordination support • Brings together MARD and MoH into one programme – the first ODA-supported programme on AHI in Viet Nam to do this • Offers an effective multilateral channel for ODA support -- promoting donor harmonization and coordination, reducing transaction costs for Govt Gov't-UN Joint Programme

5. Programme Coordination • Programme Steering Committee • Chair: MARD Minister • Co-Vice Chairs: MoH Vice-Minister and UNRC • Brings together representatives of GoV Ministries & UN Agencies jointly implementing the programme • Provides directions to programme implementation • Reviews and approves the workplan and major alterations • Monitoring and evaluation of implementation • Ensures coordination between participating agencies and with other programmes • Meets: • every 1-2 months in Phase I; probably quarterly(?) in Phase II • Meeting preparation facilitated by UNDP Gov't-UN Joint Programme

6. Programme Coordination (cont) • Programme Management Group • operates as a core group of the PSC • brings together GoV and UN personnel at the working level • Shares updates on programme implementation by individual agencies • Resolves practical management issues • Prepares and manages joint activities • Identifies issues requiring PSC approval; prepares proposals to the PSC • Meets: • every 2-4 weeks in Phase I; probably monthly(?) in Phase II • meeting preparation facilitated by UNDP Gov't-UN Joint Programme

7. Programme Coordination (cont) • IEC Working Group • a technical group under the PMG • brings together working level personnel from GoV and UN to implement national communications activities • ensures coordinated, consistent and technically sound communications • is working with a wider group of GoV, mass organisations, donors and INGOs on a comprehensive Public Awareness and Behaviour Change Communications Strategy and implementation plan • Meets: • the group works meets weekly, at times even daily at peak times • monthly meetings with the wider group • meeting preparation facilitated by UNICEF Gov't-UN Joint Programme

8. Programme Management FUNDING MODALITIES Emergency Phase: Oct 2005 – Jul 2006 Budget: $6.9m PASS-THROUGH FUND MGMT PARALLEL FUND MGMT $7.4m from 7 DONORS Australia, Canada, Finland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland $4.9m utilized for Phase I $2.1m from 4 DONORS USAID, WB, EU, USDA Via FAO ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT (UNDP) UN Organizations UN Organizations FAO UNDP FAO WHO UNICEF MARD MARD MoH National Partners National Partners

9. Programme Management (cont.) FUNDING MODALITIES Phase II: late 2006 – 2010 Budget: $16.2m PASS-THROUGH FUND MGMT PARALLEL FUND MGMT $10.1m from 6 DONORS Australia, Canada, Finland, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Switzerland (including unutilized funds from Phase I) $3.7m still unfunded $2.36m from Japan Via UNICEF ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT (UNDP) UN Organizations UNICEF UN Organizations UNDP FAO WHO UNICEF MARD MoH MoET MoCI MARD MoH National Partners National Partners

10. Programme Mangement (cont.) Work Plan and Fund Disbursement • Procedures for fund disbursement and amendment of plans and budgets were not clearly specified at outset of Phase I • Sometimes difficult to arrange PSC meeting at short notice to approve changes to budget • Implementation roles need to be clear in the Work Plan • Giving an agency budget responsibility for an activity without the lead responsibility for its implementation caused challenges – ideally the budget/plan should reflect complementary roles of GoV and UN • Timelines need to be realistic, including sequencing of activities • For Phase II, once Work Plan approved by PSC, forms basis for AA to transfer funds (depending on fund availability) -- but still requires PSC meeting to amend the Work Plan if needed Gov't-UN Joint Programme

11. Programme Management (cont.) Financial Management • overall financial management needs to be based on one common budget • however, HQ of UN Technical Agencies use different activity/budget lines – challenge in reporting to AA and donors • how to budget codes within financial systems? Auditing • initially proposed a single joint audit across the whole programme – however this was not possible under the rules of the UN technical agencies • agreed that each UN agency is responsible for its own audit under its own rules • however, what audit rules should be applied for Government in the case of funds channeled directly from AA (Govt? FAO/WHO? UNDP?) Gov't-UN Joint Programme

12. Programme Management (cont.) National Ownership and Accountability • UNDG Guidance Note on JP assumes a “UN Joint Programme” rather than a “Government-UN Joint Programme” • mentions national partners as implementing and accountable but no procedures for this • does not give clear guidance on agreement(s) between UN agencies and Government, or on channeling of funds from AA direct to Government • National Execution – no consistent NEX guidelines for Govt ministries or between different UN agencies (i.e. no UNDG common NEX), which guidelines, standards, cost norms etc. should apply? Gov't-UN Joint Programme

13. Programme Management (cont.) Reporting • Direct funds: AA consolidates reports from each implementing agency • Parallel funds: relevant UN agency responsible to report to donors – also meant to be included in consolidated reporting (UNDG Guidance note) but proved challenging in Phase I • Phase I: agreements between UN agencies and with donors specified a final report for Phase I only (6-months implementation) • attempt for monthly update reporting from all agencies, however proved difficult • Format and frequency were not agreed prior to programme commencement • Human resource limitations • Financial reporting requires inputs from HQ of UN technical agencies • Phase II: Six-mthly progress & financial reporting from implementing agencies proposed (longer-term programme) Gov't-UN Joint Programme

14. UN Coordination under the JP MoU between UN Agencies • based on the UNDG Guidance Note on JP (Annex F) • initially signed between UNDP as Administrative Agent (AA) and WHO; then UNICEF added by addendum • Phase I: agreement to fix indirect cost recovery (“programme support costs”) at 6.5% for all UN agencies, applicable only to funds channeled through that agency (i.e. not applied to funds channeled directly from AA to Government) • Phase II: proposal to apply indirect cost recovery at the standard rate of each UN agency Indirect Cost Recovery / Programme Support Costs • Application of a common rate (6.5%) in Phase I created difficulties for UN technical agencies • In Phase II, it is proposed that each UN agency applies its own implementation modality including its standard rate • However, donors have raised questions – consistency, acceptance of rates of technical agencies (up to 13%) • BUT channeling funds direct from AA to Government (approx. 50% of funds in Phase II) means that the actual overall UN cost recovery rate for Phase II is only 4.4% Gov't-UN Joint Programme

15. Financial Transfers and Technical Assistance – PHASE II Financial transfer Technical Assistance National Partners NSCAI Indirect cost recovery MARD MoH Funding MoET Parallel Funding - Japan: global fund to UNICEF for AI communications and hygiene promotion - VN component - Possibly others MoCI 7% UNICEF 10% FAO • Direct Funding • Australia, Canada, Finland, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Switzerland • UNDP • Other anticipated direct funding 13% WHO 1% Administrative Agent (UNDP) 7% UNICEF UNDP 5% UN Partners Gov't-UN Joint Programme

16. Donor Relations Donors strongly support the JP approach • No earmarking of funds • Agreement to receive common report • 5 out of 7 donors agreed that part of their initial funding could be used for Phase II Letter of Agreement with Donors • Cost sharing agreements based on the UNDG Guidance Note (Annex H) • Some donors could not use the UNDG format because they have existing global corporate funding agreement with UNDP e.g. Netherlands, Sweden • Several donors requested amendments to the standard format e.g. to add a sentence on national leadership, to add a standard clause on terrorism, etc. • For Phase II, UNDP HQ is requesting no amendments to the standard format – any additions should be in a separate letter Gov't-UN Joint Programme

17. UN-Government Agreement • Phase I Programme Document signed by: • MARD Minister - representing the National Committee for Avian Influenza • HoA of 4 UN Agencies • Proposed that Phase II will be signed by: • MARD Minister for GoV/National Committee for AI • UNRC for UN System • HoA of participating UN agencies • Representative of participating GoV Ministries (MoH) Gov't-UN Joint Programme

18. Key achievements so far… • strong support from the UNCT including the RC, HoA and working team -- but high “overhead” in terms of HoA time and HR limitations in UN and GoV • strong support from Donors and broad acceptance of the value of the UN role in supporting AHI coordination in Viet Nam • seen widely as an example of an effective UN System response -- should there be a more objective evaluation of this? • builds on and strengthens existing relations between animal and human health agencies of both GoV and UN • high quality outputs drawing on respective strengths of participating agencies – e.g. communications campaign Gov't-UN Joint Programme

19. Fundraising for Phase II • “chicken and egg” issue in terms of budgeting and fundraising -- difficult for Government and some UN agencies to accept a large funding gap in making plans • strategic thinking re the role of the UN System within the national framework (Green Book) was the basis for making plans and budgets • making a strong and united case with both Government and donors, supported by donor confidence in the programme achievements during Phase I, helped with fundraising • the funding gap is now small and shrinking(budget: $16.2m; still unfunded: $3.7m) Gov't-UN Joint Programme

20. Addressing Phase I lessons in Phase II Based on the experience of Phase I, the inception of Phase II will include the following outputs (with consultant support): • Detailed work plan for the whole Programme and work plans for each component/Implementing agency • A flow chart describing key processes in the Programme implementation and M&E • The Programme Organizational chart with roles and responsibilities of key personnel involved • Matrix of lessons learned in Phase I and how addressed in Phase II • An M&E plan that includes refined indicators and means of verification for outputs/activities and indicative format for different reports Gov't-UN Joint Programme