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South-South and Triangular Cooperation in Health

Summary of Findings02 December 2014

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Content

1. Study objectives and boundaries2. Current Status of South-South Cooperation in Health3. Current Trends in South-South Cooperation in Health4. The Way Forward in South-South Cooperation in Health

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• This study is not a comprehensive or representative review of SSC experiences in health.

• Limited to the cooperation initiatives that are published on the internet and that met our search criteria.

• Some of the larger South-South development partnerships with a prominent bias towards those supported by ODA agencies in TrC initiatives.

SSC & TrC in health – summary of findings

Study objectives and boundaries (1)

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• Internet search for published documents, websites and other relevant publications in Dutch, English, French, Spanish and Portuguese : 60 SSC and TrC in health

• 36 interviews with senior headquarter staff of international development agencies and with key informants in 10 developing countries, including academics, civil society representatives, government representatives and country-based staff of development partners

SSC & TrC in health – summary of findings

Study objectives and boundaries (2)

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• The term South-South Cooperation (SSC) is applied to partnerships between institutions in developing countries in support of institutional or national development goals, while the term Triangular Cooperation (TrC) refers to such partnerships that, in addition, are supported by a development partner from a high-income country or a multilateral agency

• Learning or capacity building are explicit objectives of the cooperation

SSC & TrC in health – summary of findings

Study objectives and boundaries (3)

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• Initiatives of SSC and TrC are not sufficiently documented and shared

• The documented SSC experiences appear to focus especially on health services delivery

• There are regional differences in experience with SSC and TrC; sharing is limited

• PAHO is the only international organisation that has included SSC and TrC in its organisational policy

SSC & TrC in health – summary of findings

Current Status of South-South Cooperation in Health (1)

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• There is general agreement that SSC and TrC are useful modalities for development cooperation. “A ‘paradigm that does not require further proof”

• Perceptions of the added value of SSC and TrC differ• The bilateral development agencies interviewed do not

have the flexibility to support ad-hoc SSC initiatives unless they are part of an on-going programme

SSC & TrC in health – summary of findings

Current Status of South-South Cooperation in Health (2)

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• No internationally agreed definition of SSC and TrC, and there are different perceptions about what should be included under these labels.

• Results measurement is generally weak in SSC initiatives but often stronger in TrC programmes

SSC & TrC in health – summary of findings

Current Status of South-South Cooperation in Health (3)

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• SSC and TrC are dynamic models of cooperation• Interest in SSC and TrC increased in the wake of the

2011 High-Level Meeting on Development Effectiveness in Busan

• Most stakeholders do not consider SSC to be a substitute for traditional North-South Cooperation

SSC & TrC in health – summary of findings

Current Trends in South-South Cooperation in Health (1)

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• Need for a more structured (or institutional) approach towards SSC and TrC.

• At the global and regional levels, there is a need to increase the quality and intensity of the exchange of information

• International development agencies should make their intentions about supporting SSC explicit and transparent by developing relevant policies and strategies

SSC & TrC in health – summary of findings

The Way Forward in SSC in Health (1)

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• International development agencies may consider global/regional funding modalities for SSC / TrC

• There is a need to know more about the costs and benefits of TrC compared to traditional North-South Cooperation (NSC).

SSC & TrC in health – summary of findings

The Way Forward in SSC in Health (2)

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• Operational challenges Mobilising resources for predictable funding of sustained SSC

and TrC initiatives Careful planning, matching development needs to the offer of

assistance, integration in national health or institutional plans, performance monitoring and assurance of accountability

Monitoring, evaluating and documenting the results Breaking linguistic and cultural barriers Strengthening institutional sustainability of SSC partnerships

SSC & TrC in health – summary of findings

The Way Forward in SSC in Health (3)

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Thank you for your kind attention

Leo Devillé