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…

• Honduras Honduras – 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

KnowledgeKnowledge Leads to Leads to EmpowermentEmpowerment!!!!

Nora Quesada, MBARegional Director for Latin America and the CaribbeanE-mail: nora_quesada@jsi.comBogota, ColombiaTel: (571) 253-7639Cell: (57) 310-221-9909