DPG Health
Preliminary Input1
The DPG Health will hold a Retreat at the end of September where the draft JAS will be discussed in
detail with Government Counterparts (Ministry of Health, President's Office Regional Administration
and Local Government) using the guidance given by the Core JAS Group as a basis for this process
(Sector Dialogue, Division of Labour, Technical Assistance & Capacity Development, Aid modalities,
M&E). The expectation is that the Retreat will allow for candid discussions in which collectively
Development Partners and Government will have the chance to really unpack some of the key
elements for the Sector – opportunities, synergies, complementarities, challenges and constraints
based around the key themes of the JAS. It is hoped that the Retreat will establish consensus and
understanding that can be fedback into the JAS process.
Therefore, no substantive input will be available until after the Retreat and thus the preliminary input
given below reflects that which was mainly presented in late August2.
Technical Assistance & Capacity
 Clear distinction needs to be made between technical assistance and capacity building
(particularly relevant in the Health Sector where there are Technical Agencies);
 The various responsibilities and complexities of the Sector have to be taken into consideration
when addressing this issue.
 All Development Partners in the Sector can secure more technical assistance from their HQ.
 Need to address both the current and future capacity needs of the Sector.
Aid Modalities
 Address Aid modalities with an emphasis on flexibility (project, basket/sector budget and
General Budget Support).
 Consider the optimal mix of aid modalities (advantages/disadvantages, synergies,
complementarities).
 Health Sector Basket functioning well.
Division of Labour
 The majority of Development Partners wish to remain in the Sector.
 Silent or delegation not considered an option by the majority of partners.
 Roles, responsibilities and representation remain a challenge.
 In the case of representation, there is a need for a Code of Conduct.
 Institutional perspectives that go beyond Tanzania have to be taken into consideration with
respect to the Division of Labour.
 There are a number of Global Health Initiatives in the Sector (e.g., GFATM, GAVI, Clinton
Foundation) and their role needs to be clarified within the JAS.
 Role of the Private Sector – approx 40% of service delivery is provided by faith-based
organisations.
Comparative Advantages
 Development Partners currently have a wide range of competences available to support the
sector;
 The majority of Development Partners' personnel are working on contracts with a limited
time duration (average of those surveyed appears to be two-years).
Similar to the presentation that was given in early August to the DPG which drew on a light-mapping exercise
undertaken by the DPGHealth, an extraordinary DPGHealth (27 th of July) meeting that discussed the draft JAS
and input that was given during the presentation.
2 Some further correspondence was received in between.
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Architecture
 Mature SWAp in the Sector – supporting one Strategy linked to the MKUKUTA, one national
health policy, MTEF, Monitoring& Evaluation incl. one annual Joint Review and supported
through various modalities of funding (Project Support, Basket/Sector Budget Support, GBS).
MKUKUTA
 Issue of Sector Dialogue and the challenges of cluster working.
 With whom major dialogue is needed? Which thematics?
Budget Support Principles
 Consistency between the Health Sector and these principles.
 Links between the Sector and the Core Reform Programmes.
Ministry of Health's Initial Perspective
 The Sector has taken tremendous steps with respect to the JAS – strong partnership, reduced
transaction costs by harmonising procedures and by working through the SWAP.
 Need to be careful not to be too prescriptive/or that one size fits all – the Health Sector is
extremely complex.
 Concern over the tendency to promote big and small donors – the sector has a range of donors
all playing a critical role.
Jacqueline Mahon
Chair – DPG Health
Health & Poverty Adviser
SDC.
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