SEA/RC61/5 - Matters relating to programme development and management: review of implementation of workplans for programme budget 2008-2009 including the resource gap analysis and resource mobilization plans
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WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia
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The attached working paper on Programme Budget describes the budget situation for the 2008-2009 biennium in respect of both Assessed Contributions (AC) and Volunatry Contributions (VC). Overall the budget for 2008-2009 has increased by 38% as compared to the previous biennium. The major portion of increase is in respect of VC funding that is budgeted to reach US$ 387.6 million. During the first five months of the current biennium, about 47% of the budgeted VC funding was available for implementation, although the distibution of these funds was and continues to be uneven. So far in this biennium, the implementation rate is similar to that of the 2006-2007 biennium. The challenge is to mobilize resources to meet the planned budget and to ensure that these funds are implemented successfully. This paper was submitted to the First Meeting of the Sub-committee on Policy and Programme Development and Management (SPPDM), held in New Delhi on 4 July 2008 for its review and comments before being presented to the Sixty-first Session of the Regional Committee. The SPPDM made the following recommendations on this subject for consideration by the Sixty-first Session of the Regional Committee: (1) The Regional Office should continue to provide support to country offices for improved resource mobilization. (2) The Regional Office should strengthen its close coordination with headquarters to mobilize additional specified and unspecified funds from global health partnerships and initiatives, such as the Global Fund, GAVI, GAVI-HSS and TFI, etc. (3) The disparity in distribution of resources for the underfunded programmes should be reduced through proper coordination and collaboration among programmes. (4) Countries’ capacity to implement funds should be strengthened. Specific efforts should be made towards achieving enhanced implementation efficiencies. (5) Efforts to build staff and country capacities should concentrate on country offices so as to ensure support for implementation of activities by countries. The Regional Director has already delegated the maximum authority to country offices in order that they can be more responsive to country needs. However, country offices should exercise such authority with appropriate oversight and accountability. (6) Additional efficiencies should be achieved by WHO by enhancing its administrative transaction processing functions. The possible ways to move forward include use of standard transaction agreements and exploration of ways to contract on a larger scale so as to avoid multiple, small and costly transactions. The paper is now submitted to the Sixty-first Session of the Regional Committee for its consideration.