PROGRAM DELIVERY UNIT

156. Effective delivery and implementation requires human resources with the right skills and ‘execution’ mindset as well as the necessary routines for a robust performance management system. The ‘Program Delivery Unit’ (PDU) will be constituted to provide this support to the PSC and to the implementing agencies. This PDU will have highly skilled resources that the states can draw on as well as the capacity needed to plan and manage the program. The PDU will also provide coaching and capability building to the Government staff that will be working alongside.

157. The PDU is the ‘nerve centre’ of the whole reform. It will need a mix of public and private sector as well as local and international skill sets.

158. The PDU will monitor progress toward the program objectives, component by component. It will collect and analyze relevant data, coordinate with implementers to ensure that results are on track, solve problems early and rigorously, and when necessary, escalate issues to the PSC for corrective action to achieve aspirations.

159. The PDU will provide on demand technical assistance to the states in specific areas by troubleshooting delivery challenges and through capability building. The PDU will also support the Steering Committee in driving the Initiative and report regularly to the Chair of the PSC.

160. The PDU will also have functional expertise that states can draw on to drive execution. This functional expertise will include problem solving and analytical skills, strategy, demand generation, procurement, supply chain management, training, communication and data management and analysis.

161. The PDU will incorporate a team of 10-15 data analysts. This team will define a list of KPIs to be collected on weekly and monthly bases and getting the system into the habit of collecting them. As data becomes available, it will be analyzed to create managerial reports that can be used to prioritize interventions and resolve performance issues.

162. A key element of the PDU is to coordinate the building of capabilities to drive and manage delivery at the State and Local Government levels and in the Primary Health facilities. The capability being build will cover both technical and managerial elements. On the technical side, the PDU will support scaling up of existing training and capability enhancing initiatives. It will focus enhancing competencies as will be monitored through improvement in performance.

163. On the managerial or systemic side the PDU will tailor training and capability building at multiple levels in the system on topics relevant to day to day management of health service delivery. Building on the success of the Middle-level management training organized by the NPHCDA, but with an expanded scope and range of participants, this will include; formal executive and leadership training for key leaders at the State level.

164. The PDU functions are in two major categories: the Administrative/Strategic staff and the Implementation Units. The Secretariat would be based in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and managed by the Project Coordinator/Adviser and Deputy Coordinator/Adviser.

165. The Strategy and Operations unit which consists of core staff like:

a. Project Coordinator/Adviser: to drive the planning, implementation and eventual success of the Saving One

Million Lives Program. He/She will also serve as the secretariat to the PSC

b. Deputy Coordinator/ Adviser: provides support to and deputizes for the Project Coordinator.

c. Performance Management Adviser: responsible for monitoring and evaluation of the Programme. He will report directly to the Program Director and Deputy Director and will be based at the PDU Secretariat.

d. Procurement Advisor: This person will report directly to the PDU secretariat.

e. Financial Management Adviser: will ensure compliance with standard internal (e.g., audit) and external (e.g., disbursement) processes. He/She will also maintain adequate financial M&E and prepare quarterly reports for delivery unit and work with the Local Funding Agents and Project accountants for the relevant programs.

f. Supply Chain Advisor: an expert in the supply chain management procurement, storage and distribution. He will report directly to the PDU Secretariat. He will coordinate a complementary supply chain system all implementation activities and managing SLA’s with private sector and other partners.

166. The implementation unit is responsible for the core activities of the program components, monitoring and evaluation exercises. This unit will consist of:

a. Six Regional Coordinators (RC): the RCs will report directly to the PDU Secretariat and will be responsible for liasing with state data agents to pursue, collect and review weekly data. In addition, they will conduct training exercises for State Agents in proper data collection and management

b. Data analysts: works with the Regional Coordinator at the

Federal level to review, analyze reports in preparation for presentations to the Steering Committee. They will be located within the PDU Secretariat in the FCT.

c. State Liaison Agents: Two State liaison persons/agents present in 36 states and the FCT. The State Agents will report to the Regional Coordinators and will be responsible for pursuing facility data and providing monthly data reports to their respective Regional Coordinators. These agents will also maintain a comprehensive database of facilities, which will

include location, mobile number of key contacts, HR staffing and other relevant information.

d. Technical Advisers: within each intervention area, a technical adviser will provide on-demand problem-solving expertise to regional data coordinators /state liaison officers and engage with relevant focus-area partners and implementing partners to ensure alignment with targets. e. Administrative staff: responsible for the day to day

administrative activities of the secretariat.

167. This multiphase program over 1-2 years will reach the 37 Permanent Secretaries and other key positions at the state and local government levels.

168. It is anticipated that some DPs will support the GON’s Saving One Million Lives initiative Program through a Sub -Sector Wide Program Approach. Some of this support would be financial. There will be a Joint Financing Arrangement (JFA) between the GON and these DPs. The JFA will guide both the pooled and non-pooled fund contributions of the DPs as well as provide detailed arrangements for disbursing, managing and reporting on the use of funds.

169. In addition, there will be a coherent multi-year integrated and consolidated TA plan of the Program, to support the Program implementation, strengthen institutional capacity at different levels, increase focus on achieving results as well as carrying out the agreed upon reforms. The GON will carry out the Project in accordance with the Environment Management Plan (EMP) and the Social Management Framework (SMF).

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, DISBURSEMENTS AND PROCUREMENT