Promoting Global Health Partnership

Partnership is a collaborative relationship between two or more parties based on trust, equality, and mutual understanding and formed to achieve a specific goal. Partnership involves risks as well as benefits, making shared accountability critical. Partnership relationships can be an integral part of reaching objectives since not one donor, organization, or partner country can address all health needs; improving health outcomes in Global Health Initiative (GHI) program areas is a shared responsibility. Likewise, partnership, beyond just coordination, is a key element in improving aid effectiveness. The ultimate goal of U.S. Government assistance is for the partner country to plan, oversee, manage, deliver, and finance a national health program response based on the needs of those living within its borders. We coordinate, collaborate, and partner with others because we hope to achieve the following:

• Increased effectiveness and efficiency
• Increased scalability
• Increased sustainability through greater country ownership
• Increased equity through better access
• Increased mutual accountability

Keys to Success
Country Support: Each partner should be committed to strengthening country ownership.

Vision, Goals, and Strategy: Each partner supports the joint vision, mission, goals, and common measurable or SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound) objectives.

Partnership Governance: Clear structures and processes should be in place to ensure inclusive and joint decision making, representation, transparency, and accountability.

Organizational Effectiveness: Large partnerships should have a strong strategic planning document and a mutually-agreed upon performance and evaluation framework. A statement of goals and objectives may be more appropriate for smaller partnerships. Documentation, information sharing, reporting, and evaluation are key elements of successful formal and informal partnering. 

Potential Partners

• Ministries of Health and other government bodies at the national, provincial/state, and local levels
• Bilateral, multilateral, and regional organizations
• Private philanthropic foundations
• Civil society, including nongovernmental and faith-based organizations and professional societies
• Academic and research institutions
• Private sector (for profit) through private-public partnerships
• Special U.S. Government initiatives 

Monitoring Partnership Results: Possible Indicators

• Public Health Indicators: Program outputs and health impact indicators, such as coverage expansion, increase in service uptake, and increase in the numbers of children fully immunized
• Partnership Inputs, Outputs, Outcomes, and Impact: (added value gained through the partnership action) Resource and program efficiencies, cost-effectiveness, leveraged resources, and reduced duplication of effort
• Country Ownership: Improvements in commitment, alignment, and harmonization, e.g., fewer parallel systems, streamlined policies and guidance, and capacity development of local partners
• Governance, Representation, Transparency, and Accountability: Clearly defined partnership policies, including conflict resolution processes, documentation, and information dissemination protocols

Saving Mothers, Giving Life Partnership In an increasingly networked world, effectively forging partnerships with private sector and civil society actors is an essential part of the U.S. Government’s work. The Saving Mothers, Giving Life partnership engages founding partners to harness energies and resources to co-invest in Saving Mothers, Giving Life programs by filling critical program gaps. The global partnership seeks to leverage respective strengths, experience, methodologies, and resources to foster a game-changing approach that strengthens the local health systems of targeted geographic areas in the developing world in order to reduce maternal mortality in a significant way. Founding partners, who will further mobilize others to support Saving Mothers, Giving Life, include GHI, the Government of Norway, Merck for Mothers, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and Every Mother Counts. Additional information on the Saving Mothers, Giving Life partnership can be found at http://savingmothersgivinglife.org/.

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