Technical Working Groups
Overview
Objectives
The establishment of Technical Working Groups (TWGs) under the HPG is to align with the Five-year health sector development plan (HSDP) and other strategic plans and health priorities, through technical recommendations for key policy issues in a number of areas of the health sector.
TWGs come under the authority of the Ministry of Health (MOH), with the participation of relevant ministry departments, key development partners and other stakeholders. TWGs fulfill a pro-active coordinating role, helping to bring new ideas and issues to the attention of senior sector policy makers and managers, and providing rapid technical responses to issues emerging from ongoing planning and reform processes.
Operation
In general, a TWG is chaired by a MOH Administration/Department leader (Director or Deputy Director level), and co-chaired by a Development Partner (DP) representative. The membership of TWGs is open to all interested stakeholders whose work is directly or indirectly relevant to the area of focus.
TWGs work through different channels, in which meeting periodically or on an ad-hoc mode based on demands is their main way. They have developed their own TORs as guidance for organization and operation.
Areas of support
The key themes for the TWGs’ work correspond to priority areas of the 5-year HSDP or may emerge from mutual concerns between MOH and Development Partners (DPs). They may also include cross-cutting issues and other areas based on the needs identified by the HPG, such as monitoring and evaluation, human resources, etc.
Until now, there are 10 TWGs that have covers areas of nutrition, reproductive health, health environment, health human resource, local health systems, health information, health planning and financing, medical services, pharmaceuticals, and hospital quality management.
Linkage with HPG
TWGs are sub-groups of the HPG which are designated to propose key policy issues for discussion at HPG meetings. TWGs are a mechanism through which decisions made by the HPG can be followed-up at sub-sectoral level, and TWGs are accountable to the HPG for following up on decisions that fall within their mandate.
TWGs are officially facilitated by the HPG, which is responsible for their formation and termination, where appropriate. They have to periodically report to HPG on a rotational basis.
For more information:
Technical Working Groups as identified in VHPD
Study on the Status of TWGs and their linkages with the HPG: Analysis and Recommendations
List of TWGs (along date of establishment)
No. |
Name of TWG |
DOB |
MOH focal point | DP focal point | TOR |
1 |
Reproductive Health Advisory Group (RHAG) | 01 Oct 2010 |
Mother and Child Health Department (MCH) |
UNFPA | RHAG TOR |
2 |
Health Environment Management Group (HEMG) | 01 April 2011 | Vietnam Health Environment Management Administration (VIHEMA) |
WHO
|
HEMG TOR |
3 |
Human Resources for Health (HRH) | 10 Sept 2011 | Department of Organization and Manpower (DOM) Administration of Science, Technology and Training (ASTT) |
WHO | HRH TOR |
4 |
Local Health Systems | 2011 | Administration of Medical Service Management Administration of Preventive Medicine |
LHS TOR | |
5 |
Health Information System (HIS) | 03 Oct 2012 | Department of Planning and Finance (DPF) Administration of Information Technology |
EU | HIS TOR |
6 |
Health Planning and Financing (including Health Insurance) |
03 Oct 2012 | Department of Planning and Finance (DPF) Department of Health Insurance |
EU | HPF TOR |
7 |
Medical Devices Group | 11 Oct 2012 | Department of Medical Device Management | MDG TOR | |
8 |
Hospital Quality Management | 2013 | Administration of Medical Service Management | HQM TOR | |
9 |
Pharmaceutical | 04 Sept 2013 | Drug Administration of Vietnam (DAV) | WHO | TWGP TOR |
10 |
Nutrition | 02 July 2015 | National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) | UNICEF | TWGN TOR |
Potential technical areas
There are a number of technical areas that are drawing attention of MOH as well as international community, which would be considered to be the topic of newly established TWGs:
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
Aging population