Founding Documents

Strengthening Capacity

The capacity to generate evidence from community based information systems such as the DSS is weak at many levels. The Network will strengthen capacity at the level of individuals and member sites through:

  • internships and research fellowships for developing country nationals at field sites
  • short on-site training courses
  • fostering south-south and south-north partnerships
  • providing cost-effective remote-technical assistance through electronic networking


Linking to Policy and Programs

      Policy and practice is often slow to assimilate and use information and evidence from local population based sources, even when such information may be of superior relevance and quality to conventional sources. The Network will assist sites to package and interpret their products in ways which are more likely to have timely policy and programmatic influence by:

  • identifying, synthesizing and presenting the policy implications of results generated across multiple field sites to maximize their impact
  • increasing the profile, visibility, and credibility of individual sites in the Network
  • skills transfer in communications, media relations, and policy dialogue

Towards an Organization Structure for INDEPTH

Several key principles inform the organizational structure of the proposed Network. These principles are derived from the experience of successful health networks which tend to be characterized by:

  • a strong core focus
  • commitment of its members to participate
  • commitment of its members to abide by internationally recognized standards of ethical conduct with regard to the populations and individuals who are the subjects of their surveillance systems
  • the principle of self-selection by eligible members
  • an appropriate location of the Secretariat that is in close proximity to activities
  • a strong sense of ownership
  • a lean structure
  • an adequate resource base,
  • a process of phased implementation

The key elements of the proposed organizational structure of the Network are as follows:

Membership

A two-tiered membership structure is proposed consisting of full and associate members.

 A DSS-based site with existing or committed funded is eligible to be a full member. A site is defined by a single management structure. Full members are eligible to receive technical and financial support from the Network and vote in the election of the Coordinating Committee and the Chair (see below). Voting will be based on the principle of one full member site, one vote.

Interested professionals, research institutions or donors are eligible to participate as associate members. Associate members will benefit from information materials and research outputs, participation in meetings, conferences etc.

Coordinating Committee

A coordinating committee composed of six general members and one chairman will constitute the governing body of the INDEPTH network.

  • Chair: The Chair will be elected for a period of three years by the full members on the principle of one site, one vote. No individual may serve two consecutive terms as Chair, and the Chair must be drawn from a different site for each three-year period. For the first election all full members present at the Constituting Meeting will elect the Chair and the Coordinating Committee members. The Chair will have the flexibility to appoint a Deputy Chair or to require additional clerical staff that he may deem necessary to make it possible for him to meet his obligations as Chair.
  • Committee: A six-member Coordinating Committee proposed by the Chair will be elected by the full members for a period of two year. No more than one individual from each site can be elected to the Coordinating Committee at one time and regional representation will be encouraged. The Coordinating Committee will meet at least once per year in advance of the Annual Network Meeting which may be linked to the annual meeting of the Global Forum for Health Research or other such opportunities.

The Chair and the Coordinating Committee (see below) will be responsible for allocating Network resources to functional and technical support activities, organizing the Annual INDEPTH Meeting, and initiating and implementing priority Network activities with support from the Secretariat and the Professional Resource Staff.

Secretariat

The Secretariat will consist of the Chair (at a fixed percent salary) and one full-time assistant to the Chair. The Secretariat will be located at the Chair's site, and change with the Chair with the expectation that INDEPTH administrative and informational materials developed will be passed on to the site of the new chair. A transition mechanism is suggested whereby a new chair is elected one year prior to the actual assumption of office in order to allow ample preparation for assumption of Network tasks. The outgoing chair cannot be re-elected immediately. INDEPTH resources will be managed by the Secretariat.

Professional and Technical Resource Staff

 Professional and technical resource staff will provide technical support to the DSS (software, DSS logistics, electronic communications, field operations, etc). A proportion of their time will be paid out of Network resources. Appropriate regional representation will be encouraged. Such resource staff will be part-time in order to assure continued career development. The DSS consulting team will be appointed by the Coordinating Committee. To assure quick response capability, a travel budget will be allocated to each resource person and each will have considerable discretion in the management of support activities. Each consultant will submit an annual report on activities which is to be evaluated by the Coordinating Committee.

Multiple Donor Support Strategy

 A broad-based donor support strategy is envisaged to assure that major resource needs of the Network are met both at its initial creation and over time.

Resource Management System

 A variety of mechanisms for the management and flow of resources will be explored using lessons from what has worked elsewhere (e.g. creation of an NGO, affiliation with and existing institution, finding an initial temporary base with a subsequent shift to another mechanism). The establishment of such a resource management system should be facilitated by appropriate intermediaries.