NDPHS Strategy Working Group 2014
First Meeting
Berlin, Germany
16 December 2013
Title Minutes from the 1st Meeting of the NDPHS Strategy Working
Group 2014
Submitted by Secretariat
Summary / Note This document outlines the main discussion points and decisions
made during the 1st meeting of the SWG 2014
List of Annexes Annex 1 – List of documents submitted to the meeting
Annex 2 – List of participants
1. Welcome and opening of the meeting
The meeting was opened and chaired until agenda item 3 by Ms. Dagmar Reitenbach, Chair
Country representative, the Federal Ministry of Health of Germany. From item 4 it was
chaired by the newly elected Chair of the Strategy Working Group (cf. item 3).
2. Adoption of the agenda
The Meeting adopted the Provisional agenda with timetable as submitted in document
SWG2014 1/2/1.
3. Election of the SWG Chair and the vice-Chair
The Meeting unanimously elected Dr. Marja Anttila as the Chair of the Strategy Working
Group and Dr. Eduard Salakhov as the vice-Chair.
4. Implementation of the assignment – an overall discussion
With reference to the:
 Terms of Reference for the Strategy Working Group (submitted as document
SWG2014 1/4/Info 1);
 A document compiling the views and recommendations of the NDPHS Evaluation
Team and the CSR regarding the Evaluation Consultant’s recommendations and other
issues (submitted as document SWG2014 1/4/Info 2);
 Outcome of the ministerial-level PAC 10 discussion on the future priorities for the
NDPHS (submitted as document SWG2014 1/4/Info 3);
 A project description to support the development of a pragmatic, value-adding NDPHS
Strategy 2014-2020 (submitted as document SWG 2014 1/4/Info 4);
 A non-paper listing proposals regarding the topics in the NDPHS Strategy 2014-2020
and its Action Plan,
the Meeting discussed overall issues related to the implementation of the assignment.
The Meeting took note of the presented information and the views expressed and agreed as
follows:
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
The project to support the development of the priorities for the NDPHS Strategy
2014-2020 (submitted as document SWG 2014 1/4/Info 4 and presented by the
Secretariat) will serve as a useful contribution to and a background paper for the
SWG’s work. The Secretariat shall engage the Expert and Task Groups’ leaderships
in the development of the paper mapping the interests, competencies and activities in
the region regarding the topics listed in the above-named non-paper. To that end, the
SWG Chair will send a letter to the EG/TG leaderships inviting them to contribute to
the mapping;

There are variations in terminology (for example, objectives vs. outcomes, aims vs.
goals etc.) that can lead to misunderstandings when preparing the strategy.
Therefore, no later than during its next meeting the SWG shall agree on the
terminology to be used when developing the NDPHS Strategy and its Action Plan. To
that end, the SWG Chair and the Chair of the HIV/AIDS&AI EG will submit a
document clarifying the meaning of terms commonly used in planning before the next
SWG meeting;

Without prejudice to the above-named agreement on the terminology, the SWG
preliminary agreed on the following general structure of the NDPHS Strategy and
its Action Plan:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)

Overall objective, to be written based on the Oslo Declaration;
Priority areas, as agreed during the ministerial-level 10th Partnership Annual
Conference. However, it cannot be excluded that, based on the outcome of the
mapping process, the SWG will suggest that some of the agreed priority areas
may be revised in the NDPHS Strategy and, therefore, its Action Plan. In such
case, the reasons for deviating from the PAC 10 agreement will be explained;
Specific objectives, to be decided by the 23rd meeting of the Committee of
Senior Representatives (CSR) to be held on 24-25 April 2014. To facilitate the
CSR’s decision, the SWG will, during its next meeting, develop a paper (draft
strategy) listing priority areas and recommending the specific objectives to be
discussed under each priority area. The paper will be developed taking into
account the mapping document to be prepared by the Secretariat. When
making its decision, the CSR should also take into account the Expert and
Task Groups’ views on what is desirable and possible to achieve;
Topics, outcomes, activities, targets and indicators, as developed by the
Expert and Task Groups following the CSR 23 decision on specific objectives.
As required by its ToR, the SWG will also develop and submit to the CSR 23 for
adoption a NDPHS Vision 2020 (cf. item 5 below).
5. Development of the vision and goals of the NDPHS Strategy 2014-2020
The Meeting discussed inputs to be provided by the CSR members and the Expert and Task
Groups in the development of the vision and goals of the NDPHS Strategy 2014-2020 and
agreed as follows:

The SWG Chair will inform the Expert and Task Groups’ leaderships about the
mapping to be performed by the Secretariat and will request the groups to contribute
to it. The groups will not be asked to provide specific inputs to the goals/objectives, as
the SWG will develop those, based on the mapping. However, the groups will be
invited to provide their views in a free format if they wish so;

The SWG members will submit their ideas and inputs regarding the NDPHS Vision
2020 to the Secretariat before the next SWG meeting; the SWG Chair and the Chair
of the HIV/AIDS&AI EG will provide a methodological guidance.
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
The SWG Chair will request the CSR members and the Expert and Task Groups to
submit to the SWG Chair and the Secretariat short proposals regarding the NDPHS
Vision 2020 by 15 February 2014.
6. Development of the NDPHS Strategy 2014-2020 and its Action Plan
The Meeting discussed issues to be taken into account and addressed when developing the
proposals for the NDPHS Strategy 2014-2020 and its Action Plan and agreed as follows:

For the Strategy and its Action Plan to be adopted by the PAC 11 in autumn 2014, the
preliminary timeline should be as follows:
- A substantial part of the next EG Chairs and ITAs meeting, to be held in February
2014, shall be devoted to the issues related to the development of the NDPHS
Strategy and its Action Plan;
- By 31 August 2014 the Expert and Task Groups shall submit their operational
plans to the SWG Consultant who will review them and return to the groups with
possible comments and advice how to improve them, if necessary;
- By 15 September 2014 the Expert and Task Groups shall submit their revised,
finalized operational plans to the SWG Consultant who will compile them into one
Action Plan;
- The 3rd SWG meeting, to be held in mid-October 2014, will be devoted to finalizing
the Strategy and its Action Plan for submission to the PAC 11, to be held in the
end of November 2014.

One way of addressing the cross-cutting issues (e.g. those mentioned in the Oslo
Declaration) could be in the context of finding new ways of cooperation within the
NDPHS. The cross-cutting issues should also be identified in the mapping performed
by the Secretariat. Adoption of a cross-cutting objective in the Strategy, with all Expert
Groups responsible for it, could also be an option;

The responsibility of one Expert or Task Group for a specific objective vs. a shared
responsibility should be decided at a later stage. However, the most effective
approach would be to have one group responsible (including for the reporting) and, if
necessary, other groups contributing to the specific objective;

The outcomes and targets should be realistic and measurable;

The issue of resources necessary for leading an Expert/Task Group should be
discussed during the CSR 23 meeting and the Partners should explore, already before
the CSR meeting, their possibilities for assuming the leadership;

The input regarding the NDPHS’ role in the EUSBSR will be developed by the
Secretariat and first version will be submitted already to the 2nd SWG meeting;

It is important to employ a consultant to assist the SWG. The consultant’s main task
would be to work with the Expert and Task Groups to ensure that the groups’ inputs
meet the expectations of the SWG. He/she would also be tasked to draft the Strategy
and its Action Plan based on the inputs from the SWG and the groups. He/she would
need to start the work after the CSR 23 meeting. Consequently, the issue of funding
necessary for the employment would need to be solved by then. Germany promised to
look into the issue of possibly providing funding for the consultant’s employment.
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7. Additional requests from the CSR 22
With reference to the document SWG2014 1/4/Info 2, the Meeting discussed the additional
requests from the CSR 22 and agreed as follows:
 The request to “develop new approaches for future collaboration within the
NDPHS, in order to maximize the benefits and added value of cooperation within the
network” should be addressed, in particular, by expanding the cooperation with other
regional networks. The request should not be addressed as a separate goal in the
Strategy, but should be taken into account when developing the targets and
indicators. Germany will develop a discussion paper regarding this issue and submit it
to the next SWG meeting;

The request to “develop new approaches to ensure that the relevant results and
recommendations from the Expert Groups’ work are conveyed to the policy level, both
within the NDPHS and nationally, and taken into account in policy development
process” should be addressed, in particular, in the context of the CSR members’
responsibilities to act as the main contact points and coordinators in their countries
regarding the issues related to the NDPHS. The SWG Chair will develop a discussion
paper regarding this issue and submit it to the next SWG meeting;

The Secretariat will develop a paper regarding the request to “define what a NDPHS
project is” and submit it to the next SWG meeting;

The request to “look into the roles of and expectations from the various NDPHS
actors, including the experts, the Secretariat, the Committee of Senior
Representatives and the Partnership Annual Conference” might result in the
development of the Terms of Reference for all NDPHS structures, including the CSR
and the PAC. The HIV/AIDS&AI EG Chair will develop a discussion paper regarding
this issue and submit it to the next SWG meeting.
8. Next SWG meetings
The Meeting thanked the WHO Euro for the offer to host the 2nd SWG meeting and Lithuania
for the offer to host the 3rd SWG meeting. Further, it decided that the 2nd SWG meeting would
take place in Copenhagen on 20 March 2014 (the date is subject to confirmation by the
Host)1. Finally, it agreed that the 3rd SWG meeting would take place in Lithuania on 17
October 2014 (the date and place are subject to confirmation).
9. Any other business
The Meeting took note with appreciation of the information provided by the Secretariat
regarding the training session for the Expert and Task Groups’ leaderships regarding the
development of the logframe, targets and indicators.
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20 March 2014 is not a suitable date for the Host. It is proposed to hold the meeting on 25 March
2014. The SWG Members are invited to inform the Secretariat, by 30 January 2014, in case the date is
not suitable.
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10. Adoption of the SWG 1 meeting minutes
The Secretariat proposed that it would send out draft SWG 1 meeting minutes to the
participants on 23 December 2013 and that comments on the draft would be due, at the
latest, on 17 January 2014. The revised minutes would then be distributed on 20 January
2014 to be adopted per capsulam provided that no further comments are submitted within
one week.
The Meeting agreed to the proposed procedure.
11. Closing of the meeting
The Meeting terminated at 16:15 hours on 16 December 2013.
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