GOVERNANCE MECHANISM

The governance structure for Caribbean Cooperation in Health (CCH) is designed to facilitate effective decision-making and action for an inter-governmental, multisectoral, multistakeholder and multiagency initiative. Given the intent of cooperation and collaboration in CCH, the structure addresses:

1. Shared Leadership (whole of society model)

2. Responsibility for Coordination

3. Accountability for Implementation as well as programme management (against agreed-upon measures)

4. Opportunities for inclusive participation by multiple stakeholders

5. Transparency of decision making; communication and information sharing (that enables implementation); resource mobilization and allocation

6. Flexibility to adapt to the issues/challenges Member States are likely to face over the plan period for CCH-IV to 2025.

Governance arrangements for the CCH IV build on existing mechanisms such as the Conference of Heads of Government, the Council on Health and Social Development (COHSOD), the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), the Meeting of the Chief Medical Officers and the CCH Secretariat to ensure leadership by, and accountability to, Member States. The modus operandi and lines of authority and accountability of these structures are well-established and will be maintained over the lifetime of the CCH-IV.

The Council for Human and Social Development – Health COHSOD, as the principal organ in CARICOM, has overall accountability for the CCH. The Council will receive reports on the progress of implementation and as a high-level decision-making body, will i) ensure an enabling policy environment for CCH; ii) facilitate and contribute to mobilisation of the required resources for successful implementation; and iii) advocate to their Heads of Government and Cabinet colleagues to advance CCH. Ministers of Health take responsibility for ensuring that the complementary national measures needed to optimize their contribution to, and use of the RPGs are in place.

The CCH Steering Committee patterns the whole of society model of governance and makes it central to CCH. The representation of the Committee includes Chief Medical Officers selected from the Body of CMOs, Permanent Secretaries/Senior Planners of the Ministries of Health, Regional Nursing Board, civil society, youth, private sector, labour, regional institutions, academia and development partners. The Committee, to be chaired by a CMO, is designed not to duplicate the Secretariat and, therefore, will have oversight of the progress of CCH IV against the agreed targets, and is responsible for reporting to COHSOD.

The CCH Secretariat is comprised of three regional entities – Caribbean Community Secretariat (CCS), the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), each of which are the designated lead agency for one or more of the five strategic priority areas in CCH Phase IV. The Secretariat will be implementation focused. Each Lead will have responsibility to coordinate the efforts of the partners in their priority area(s) and monitor progress, working with ‘cluster coordinators’ as needed. The Secretariat will also work closely with CMOs, who are the national CCH focal points.