I have just returned from Geneva where I went to join two IHP+ events aimed at strengthening mutual accountability.

An evolving conversation

One, on 18 May, was a technical side-event on “Enhancing Mutual Accountability for Results”.  Given the competing demands of the World Health Assembly on representatives of IHP+ signatories, the event was well attended – there were around 70 people there, including many from IHP+ Country Governments, bilateral and multilateral partners.  Maybe the event built on the momentum of 10 new signatories to the IHP+ on the previous day; but it provided an important opportunity for signatories to reflect on progress and challenges in really putting accountability into practice.  Shaun Conway, IHP+Results Director, launched our first annual progress report with a presentation that touched on findings and lessons from IHP+Results experience in 2009.  I was particularly interested to hear about progress in monitoring aid effectiveness in the DRC and Rwanda.  I’ll try to track down more information on these countries and post those here in due course.  Overall, I felt the meeting provided a useful barometer of how the conversation within the IHP+ has shifted over the past 12 months, and a signal that IHP+ signatories are taking their commitment to mutual accountability seriously.

Standardising efforts to track implementation

This commitment has been further demonstrated through the establishment of an IHP+ Working Group on Mutual Accountability.  IHP+Results made a recommendation to the SuRG in our internal draft interim progress report (discussed by the SuRG in February 2010) that such a working group should be established to oversee revisions to IHP+Results approach in 2010 and to strengthen mutual accountability within the IHP+.  The Working Group has met 4 times since March, with the fourth meeting taking place yesterday (19 March).  This meeting saw the Working Group reach broad agreement on a set of Standard Performance Measures that will be used to track progress in implementing IHP+ implementation in 2010.  Click here for more information these standard measures.  We look forward to future IHP+ Executive Team and SuRG discussions that will ensure the Working Group’s work is taken forward to strengthen mutual accountability at country- and international- level.

So overall, it was a good trip to Geneva.  It is a complex process, dealing with sensitive issues.  IHP+Results is doing cutting edge work, as built in independent mechanisms are not common in political initiatives that are similar to the IHP+.  But I feel we are in a much stronger place than 6 months ago, and there is cause for optimism that this trend will continue during 2010.  We look forward to collaborating with IHP+ signatories over the coming months to realise this promise.