Secretariat
Purpose |
Scope of work |
Specific functions
The role of the secretariat is to serve and support the Stop TB Partnership in terms of administration, operational implementation and strategic innovation in pursuit of the achievement of partnership goals and objectives.
The secretariat is housed by WHO in Geneva.
The purpose of the secretariat is to support Stop TB partners in fulfillment of the vision and mission of the partnership. To demonstrate the nature of the partnership, the secretariat is staffed by secondments from partner organizations, and its activities are usually carried out in collaboration with specific partners.
The secretariat aims at facilitating, creating synergies and adding value to the work of others in the Global Partnership to Stop TB. It is charged with implementing in the most effective ways available the tasks assigned by the Coordinating Board, to whom the secretariat is accountable.
Once the Coordinating Board has set a number of goals, the secretariat finds the best ways to achieve them. Like the forum and the board, the secretariat should be representative of the component elements of the partnership. It is very important that the partners should second staff and their funding to meet the varied skills that the secretariat needs to perform its tasks. The secretariat also benefits from the position of Executive Secretary, currently held by Dr Marcos Espinal.
The principal role of the Executive Secretary is to prepare a global strategic work plan for the secretariat and to facilitate the achievement of the aims and decisions of the Partners' Forum, Coordinating Board and working groups. In addition, the Executive Secretary coordinates the secretariat's work in the areas of partnership building, resource mobilization, the Global Drug Facility, and advocacy, communication and social mobilization.
There are four areas in which the secretariat accomplishes more than would be possible individually. These areas are closely interrelated:
- Advocacy, communication and social mobilization
- Investment mechanisms
- Coordination and mobilization
- Drug supply
No single organization in the partnership has a monopoly on knowledge. The secretariat collects and collates information and resources produced by individual partners and disseminates them to the wider partnership.
- Stop TB is a campaign as well as a partnership. Having started out as an initiative comprising a relatively small number of agencies working in TB control, the partnership has evolved to become a global movement encompassing a wide range of organizations and individuals. Through the ACSM Working Group, the Partnership develops strategies to support this campaign, promoting greater awareness of the social, economic and political aspects of the global TB epidemic.
- Lack of clarity leads to confusion. In support of the ACSM Working Group, the secretariat coordinates advocacy efforts to ensure harmony of messages among partners and working groups, and shared themes for World TB Day (24 March).
- National and international investments in TB control and elimination have increased but remain inadequate. The secretariat collects information on resource flows for TB control, and identifies funding gaps and priorities.
- The secretariat, mainly through the ACSM Working Group, is involved in resource mobilization at three levels:
- general resource mobilization to promote increased investment in TB control through a wide range of local, national and international funding mechanisms;
- specific resource mobilization for specific global initiatives, such as the Global TB Drug Facility (GDF) and the Working Groups;
- specific resource mobilization for the activities of the Stop TB Partnership Secretariat.
- Stop TB is a dynamic and rapidly growing partnership incorporating diverse groups of organizations and individuals.
- Effective coordination is facilitated through structures and systems that evolve with the changing nature of the partnership.
- Mobilization of new partners includes identification of the comparative strengths of each partner, and development of structures to facilitate their contribution to the partnership.
- The GDF is a special initiative of the Global Partnership to Stop TB managed by the Stop TB Secretariat. It offers a novel approach to securing quality-assured anti-TB drugs to enable and sustain DOTS implementation.
- The GDF aims to offer assured, high-quality anti-TB drugs at cheaper prices and promote standardization of treatment, to avoid the development of drug resistant TB and to improve drug management.
Specific functions and responsibilities of the Secretariat
- To maintain close and regular contact with working groups to facilitate coordination and support their work.
- To maintain a regular flow of high-quality information within and outside the global partnership and its constituent elements.
- To mobilize financial and other resources.
- To manage the GDF.
- To propose and implement an annual work plan and budget for approval by the Coordinating Board, and accordingly supervise staff appointed to the secretariat and manage financial accounts as may be required.
- To assist the Coordinating Board in organizing the Partners' Forum, and prepare the required report(s).
- To present a report on secretariat activities to each regular meeting of the board, and prepare an annual report on the activities of the board and secretariat for dissemination to all partners and to external bodies.
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