ASAP assisted PMNCH to develop, and play a part in implementing, a strategic engagement plan to enhance commitments by donor governments to the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health.

The goal was to support PMNCH and its key partners, among them the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General and the UN Foundation, to identify new and enhanced financial, policy and service delivery pledges from the global donor community.

A strategic plan was prepared in advance of the UN General Assembly session of September 2011, the first anniversary of the launch of the Global Strategy, which is focused on achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Four and Five, which have specific targets for reducing child mortality and improving maternal health.

ASAP supported PMNCH (and others) to secure a broad range of new financial, policy and service commitments to the Global Strategy, and helped to set new directions and a strategy for future action.

Client

Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH)

Process

A small ASAP team undertook an extensive desk review of the existing commitments, development policies and priorities of more than four dozen donor countries. The team focused on existing policies, funding history and potential for pledges to numerous multilateral and bilateral sources that could count as a contribution towards the Global Strategy.

ASAP’s review allowed for the identification of target sources for new and enhanced commitments that could be achieved prior to the Strategy’s first anniversary.

In addition, ASAP gathered strategic intelligence to review the likely success rate of various approaches, and maintained regular review, through informal sources as well as published materials, to assess likely interest.

This proved a demanding task, as government donors had shown substantial interest in the Global Strategy on launch in 2010 making it hard to mobilise additional interest.

ASAP’s approach was to prepare and submit fact sheets on each donor country, with overviews of recent and projected development assistance trends and commitments. These fact sheets were organized by suggested priority to help PMNCH and its allies identify the most likely sources for new and enhanced funding over a constrained time period.

Together, these fact sheets informed a comprehensive strategy document, which included proposed approaches that PMNCH could take.

ASAP also provided regular ad hoc advice to PMNCH and its partners on ideal approaches, and supported the engagement of PMNCH in activities designed to enhance commitment to the Global Strategy.

ASAP’s work supported the drafting and completion of elements of the report presented at a special event at the UN General Assembly listing new commitments pledged.

Report

2011 Commitments to advance the Global Strategy for Women’s & Children’s Health