Terms of Reference

Background

The CISS (Former SACB) Health& Nutrition Sectoral Committee is a voluntary group that meets every first Friday of the month following the Somalia Health Sector Coordination General Meetings.  It reports to the CISS (Former SACB) Sectoral Steering Committee for major decisions.

Mandate (general objective)

• To facilitate, in collaboration with existing and emerging Somali authorities, the coordination of Health Sector interventions within the framework of a Public Health Care approach.

Scope of Work (specific objectives)

• Develop a work plan for a twelve month period including work plans developed from each of the working groups reporting to the HSC; Monitor the implementation of the annual workplan on a quarterly basis.
• Outline main priorities to be addressed by the HSC on a quarterly basis.
• Promote, guide and coordinate the work towards the adoption of a common health strategy for international intervention in the Health Sector for Somalia in collaboration with Somali professionals and existing and emerging health authorities.  Planning joint regular meetings with them as per existing MOUs and coordination structures (at least twice a year).
• Provide technical guidance and ensure coordination through the Health System Strengthening working group for a joint approach towards the recovery of the health sector.
• The HSC will comply with all roles and responsibilities required for a CCM by the Global Fund for the AIDS, TB and Malaria proposals;
• Promote and facilitate the activities of technical working groups charged with the development and adoption of standards and guidelines for the Health Sector with a public health perspective;
• Encourage and monitor the application of the standards and guidelines among NGOs, agencies, donors and existing and emerging Somali authorities.
• Promote a coordinated and integrated area based (zonal/ regional/ district) health planning by Health Coordination group members with full Somali participation;
• Promote through the CISS Steering Committee (sectoral chairs committee) a coordinated and integrated inter-sectoral strategies;
• Promote adherence to and active participation in the coordination process of all implementing organisations, donors, Somali professionals and health authorities;
• Facilitate Interagency cooperation and promote understanding among agencies;
• Highlight to relevant agencies and donors the need for support in the priority activities related to the Health Sector; and
• Take responsibility for screening and preparing statements on major health issues for forwarding to the CISS Executive Committee for press release.
• Ensure continuous information to partners and stakeholders in the health sector in Somalia on the roles, responsibilities, strategies, operations and activities of the CISS HSC partners and disseminate relevant information related to health interventions in Somalia
• Provide technical feedback on major health proposals and strategies forwarded by the donors, when required. 
• Provide support to the health cluster leader for an efficient and coordinated response to health emergencies.

CISS Health Sector Coordinator

With regard to the Somalia Health Sector Coordinator, the committee undertakes the following functions:

• Assist in identifying a suitable candidate for the position of CISS Health Sector Coordinator (SHSC);
• Supervise the activities of the SHSC ensuring both representation and data collection from all regions of Somalia;
• Together with the SHSC, advance main issues and topics to be discussed at the Health Sector Coordination Committee meetings and ensure adequate follow up actions on decisions taken;
• Evaluate the output of coordination activities and recommend adjustments if necessary; and
• Assist in ensuring that the SHSC has adequate resources to carry out his/her tasks.

Membership

Consists of 16-19 members (currently 15) with voting rights (9 permanent members and 5-8 non permanent members on rotational basis) and 8 observers (without voting rights).

Permanent members

The Health Sectoral committee will consist of the following permanent members:           

IFRC/SRCS (1)   Due to their wide coverage, their neutrality, interaction with Somali counterparts in all zones and their own funding capability

INGO Members (8) 5 Rotational members, plus three (CCM Italy, World Vision and Merlin) which would be permanent members due to their role in GFATM projects (for as long as they would continue performing that role)

CISS Health Sector Coordinator (SHSC) (1) : expert  recruited full time by the CISS to support the HSC, according to his detailed TOR developed by the HSC.

Local NGOs (3)  3 members to be selected by NGO consortium based on criteria outlined on last section. Currently only one SAF endorsed in September 2006 in representation of LNGOs operating in S/C Somalia.

Observer Members: (8)            FSAU/FAO, OCHA, USAID, World Bank, DFID, ECHO, EC and UNFPA

Conditions of membership

1. Membership is voluntary;
2. Members will adhere to the basic standards and guidelines recommended by the SACB Health Sector Committee;
3. Members will be senior representatives of their organisation with new members being adequately briefed by their predecessors;
4. Members will ensure continuity by having a maximum of two persons in one year acting as representatives of their organization;
5. Members are expected to participate for the full length of the meetings.
6. Members will show commitment to the coordination process (proved and fulfilled) through:

• Participation in a minimum of 70% of the Sectoral Committee meetings with only serious reasons excusing non-participation; due to the need to reach a quorum for major decisions,  failure to attend 70% of the meetings over a six month period would entail loss of voting rights for the 6 months following

• Representation of organizational viewpoints and not purely a reflection of personal viewpoints; and

• Willingness to participate in joint field missions when required (in exceptional cases for conflict resolution or joint assessment of major problems) and when security conditions allow.

7. Members will actively participate in coordination activities by:

• Attendance at 70% of the general meetings in a six month period (mandatory);

• Regular attendance (70%) at a minimum of two working groups with a technical representative (recommended for all partners excluding Donors); and

• Providing the required information in the areas of HIS, nutrition and questionnaires when requested by the working groups and the SHSC.

8. Members will have an active commitment to represent all the organisations active in their regions (especially relevant for NGOs); and
    
9. Members will be prepared to take an active role in regional coordination by providing feedback from and to the regional coordination process.

Quorum and Decision Making

1. Each organization (excluding the observers) has one vote and voting by proxy is not permitted
2. Quorum is 50% of membership + one (currently 8 out of 15 voting members)
3. Decisions are reached with 70% agreement and any major disagreement with the majority has to be noted in the minutes.
4. Issues referred to the HSC from technical working groups require 100% consultation with a standard time for feedback being two weeks.
5. As stated on section 5, voting members not reaching the 70% attendance level will lose their voting rights for the following 6 months period.

Selection of Chairperson

All the members of the CISS Health Sectoral Committee will elect a Chairperson volunteering to commit to this task for a period of six months. One or two Deputy Chairperson/s will be elected to assist the Chairperson and will replace him/her in his/her absence or on issues where a potential conflict of interest could emerge.

To avoid potential conflict of interest on GFATM issues, the agencies acting as Principal Recipient of GFATM projects will not be eligible for the positions of chair or co-chair.

This election will be done at the same time of the rotation of non-permanent members. 

Rotation of members

Rotation of non permanent members will be considered on a six monthly basis with the following considerations:

• There will be a minimum time commitment of 6 months with no limit on maximum time.
• Not more than 50% of members will be rotated at one time to ensure continuity.
• Regional representation of INGOs will be maintained by having at least:
  • 1 member active in Somaliland (currently COOPI)
  • 1 member active in Puntland (currently Merlin/permanent)
  • 1 member active in Mogadishu (currently vacant)
  • 1 members active in Central Region (Bay, Bakool, Galgadud, Hiran, L. Shabelle, M. Shabelle) Currently CISP, IMC
  • 1 members active in Southern Region (Gedo, Lower Juba, Middle Juba) currently GHC)

Replacement of members will be by a regional NGO fulfilling the basic conditions described above. When there is more than one candidate for a region, the regional candidate should be endorsed by regional/zonal coordination meetings.  The candidate should be endorsed every six months.

INGOs playing permanent roles in the management of Global fund projects (Merlin, CCM Italy and World Vision) will be permanent members of the HSC for as long as their role in the GFATM projects would last, so as to ensure direct participation and linkages to the technical working groups (malaria and TB) facilitating the oversight role of the HSC over the GFTAM projects.

Participation of Local NGOs (one per zone) within the HSC is accepted according to the same selection criteria than the one requested from INGOs– as follows:

1. Be a health related NGO
2. Be endorsed by the NGO Consortium as representing the local NGOs operating in each zone
3. Have record of active presence on the ground for at least 1 year
4. Be registered in the zone of operation with the local authorities
5. Be financially capable to cater for their own travel & accommodation expenses when necessary
6. Their participation in terms of attendance to the SHSC general meeting during the previous six months should be 70%

All HSC partners are invited to support Somali NGOs to reach these criteria.

Currently Chaired by Dr. Renato Correggia (Italian Cooperation)
Vice Chairs: Gabrielle Appleford (Merlin) and Rosemary Heenan GHC 

Endorsed April 5th, 2007
last rotation September 2006