WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF GAVI'S TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY POLICY?
The goal of Gavi’s transparency and accountability policy is to ensure that all Gavi support at country level is managed in a transparent and accountable manner through systems that include appropriate oversight mechanisms, and that the support is used according to the programme objectives as outlined in individual country agreements.
The policy governs the transparency and accountability aspects of Gavi support provided in the form of cash, vaccines and vaccine devices at country level. Vaccine (and vaccine device) oversight will focus on cases of misuse and not on issues relating to supply chain efficiency and wastage.
What are the principles governing the transparency and accountability policy?
- Respect aid effectiveness principles: Rely on, build on and ensure alignment with existing country systems, including joint financing and monitoring mechanisms, to the greatest extent possible.
- Focus on prevention: Prevent misuse of any Gavi support through regular monitoring and by ensuring that robust oversight mechanisms for cash and vaccine support are agreed with, established and maintained in each country.
- Relate monitoring to risk: Apply a country-by-country monitoring approach to reduce risks in an equitable and transparent manner.
- Promote flexibility and country ownership: Apply a flexible approach to the use of cash support adjusted to the country context.
- Promote mutual accountability: Agreements governing support will be mutually agreed between Gavi and country with shared responsibility of oversight.
- Strengthen country systems: Work with countries and in-country partners to strengthen country systems.
The policy aims to retain a flexible and non-prescriptive approach to allow for differences in country contexts. Guidance on implementation will be provided to countries through the Secretariat and in-country partners, as relevant. The policy enhances continued efforts by Gavi to support sustainable development of country capacity and systems.
WHEN WAS THE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY POLICY APPROVED AND WHEN WILL IT BE UPDATED?
On January 1, 2009, Gavi enacted its first transparency and accountability policy that governed the management of all cash-based support to Gavi eligible countries.
The policy was reviewed during 2013 through a Secretariat led process that included a desk review of the documented experiences to date, consultations with countries (both through in-depth case studies and through questionnaires distributed to countries), donors and other stakeholders, and a benchmarking exercise. As a result of this review the Gavi Board approved a revised policy in November 2013.
The main changes between the original and the revised policy are: adjustments to the goal to include vaccines in the scope of the transparency and accountability policy, adjustments in the principles (to include prevention), the removal of implementation details and country categorisation (removal of the procedures section in original policy) and the addition of separate sections on risk assessments, cash programmes, vaccines and a misuse/suspected misuse and corrective actions section.
The revised policy took effect on 1 January 2014. The next review of the policy will take place in 2019.
