About TWGH

The principal function of the Technical Working Group for Health is to ensure effective coordination of the response of the Royal Government of Cambodia, led by the Ministry of Health, in responding to the health challenges of the country. The TWGH provides a mechanism for the MoH and its development partners jointly to: identify priorities; harmonize activities; discuss and address technical issues; improve utilization and mobilization of resources; and facilitate monitoring of progress.

TWGH actions will support Cambodia to attain the Millennium Development Goals through implementation of the RGC`s Rectangular Strategy, the current national development plans and the National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) 2006-2010. While the TWGH helps to identify realistic policy goals it is the RGC/MOH that will take policy decisions.

The TWGH will facilitate the implementation, monitoring and evaluation and, where necessary, modification of the Health Strategic Plan linking with other sectors and their TWGs as needed. The TWGH will help all stakeholders to fully participate in dialogue on issues within its scope.

Functions and Objectives

The major functions of the TWG-H are to:

• Provide a forum for sharing information between key stakeholders

• Advise the MoH on strategic and policy issues

• Provide a monitoring overview of sector performance

• Facilitate intra-sector and inter-sector harmonization and alignment

The objectives of the TWG-H are:

1. To review progress, discuss issues and give oversight to the design, implementation and management of the Health Strategic Plan;

2. To promote the improvement of Sector-Wide Management (SWIM) and progress toward a Sector-Wide Approach (SWAP) in the health sector;

3. To promote efficient use of limited resources in the health sector through prioritization, coordination and joint activities and through use of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework;

4. To review progress and advise on the development and implementation of sub-sector plans;

5. To discuss and advise on plans for the Joint Annual Performance Review and the mid-term review and final evaluation of the Health Strategic Plan and to ensure that review findings are taken into account in the preparation of the Annual Operational Plans and Three Year Rolling Plans (3YRP);

6. To discuss health sector linkages to larger government initiatives for poverty reduction and to ensure adequate health sector input to the Cambodia Development Cooperation Forum (CDCF) process;

7. To discuss implications of, and provide input to, larger government-wide reforms such as those in public administration, public financial management, decentralization and governance in co-ordination with the Government Donor Co-ordination Committee (GDCC) ;

8. To ensure regular sharing of information from health sector partners on progress in implementation of projects and to review plans for new projects to ensure their relevance and to avoid duplication;

9. To enhance monitoring and evaluation of progress through use of agreed indicators (including CMDG indicators), and regular reporting on targets and benchmarks;

10. To review results and give advice on important pilot initiatives in service delivery, financing, management and quality improvement and ensure that lessons learned are used in policy development.

11. To strengthen linkages and mechanisms for coordination with the Sub TWG-H, ProTWG-H and Working Groups to facilitate the achievement of the harmonization and alignment objectives at the implementation level.

Role and Functions

The TWG-H Secretariat has two major roles:

1. Provide administrative support to the TWG-H

2. Take major responsibility for supporting the implementation of the TWG-H Workplan.

The specific Functions of the Secretariat are to:

• prepare the TWG-H meeting agenda and documentation

• prepare and distribute minutes of the TWG-H meetings

• ensure follow-up of decisions taken at TWG-H meetings

• coordinate preparation of the annual TWG-H Workplan

• support implementation of the annual TWG-H Workplan

• identify and monitor JMIs for the sector that are linked to NSDP targets

• report to GDCC on JMIs and TWG-H workplan activities

• facilitate the policy dialogue between the MoH and Health Partners

• facilitate the sharing of information with the TWG-H and RGoC decision making bodies on decisions reached between MoH and HPs

• assume any of the functions of the TWG-H as might be delegated to it by the TWG-H.