Most of the GHPRN’s work is carried out by convening expert Working Groups that bring diverse perspectives and new analytic work to bear on global health policy and finance problems. Their aim is to generate creative and practical recommendations for key policy actors.
Elements of the Working Group Process
A working group process can take about a year from the initial conceptualization to the launch of the final report. While the individual steps can vary, the general elements of the working group process are outlined below.
Initiating Papers: The GHPRN has commissioned a series of initiating papers from researchers at participating institutions, and at times from outside consultants, to identify existing health policy problems within the GHPRN’s mandate and to provide a point of departure for the working group.
Composition: Based on the narrowly defined problem and solution space, we identify individuals who have particularly relevant perspectives to bring to bear – including donors, and experts from developing countries, technical agencies, academia and the private sector.
Working Group Meetings: Full- or half-day working group meetings are convened approximately four times over the course of six to nine months, in addition to several teleconferences, to explore the topic in-depth, identify avenues for further research, and discuss the merits and disadvantages of potential solutions. These meetings eventually culminate in recommendations to address the underlying policy problems.
Consultative Reports: The chairperson of a working group and its members draft a report of the group’s findings and recommendations. These are then reviewed, and approved by working group members before distributing the draft for consultation among the broader global health community. Feedback and suggestions are then brought back to the working group for further consideration, after which the draft will be finalized.
Launch: The final report is published by CGD and launched at a public event, where the final recommendations are presented to the broader policy community.
Outreach & Dissemination: Following the launch, CGD assumes responsibility for the wide distribution of the report and the dissemination of its recommendations to policymakers and their staff, often in partnership with other organizations, with the goal of acting as a resource for ensuing policy impact.