A Collaborative on Contracting Organizations for Health-Related Services Call for Expressions of Interest

Summary: Contracting is an essential governance tool in mixed (public plus private) health systems. This collaborative is for countries interested in learning about how to contract organizations – specifically, organizations that deliver selected TB and other health-related services – using domestic financing and systems. Though this offering would be conducted with TB used as an example, the knowledge and tools it produces would be generally applicable and invaluable to any health system leader interested in sustainable health financing options within mixed health systems. The goal of this initiative is to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to take steps towards establishing, improving, or expanding contracting for TB and other health-related services, including those that support the achievement of TB goals. Countries where health services contracting is an emerging or existing policy priority are especially encouraged to apply. The Collaborative will run for one year and is open to all USAID priority countries with high TB burdens and all JLN member countries.

USAID’s Health Systems for TB (HS4TB) Project is collaborating with the Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage (JLN) to offer a Collaborative on Contracting Organizations for Health-Related Services. The JLN brings countries together for productive and high-impact practitioner-to-practitioner exchanges on a variety of health systems topics, often related to health finance or primary health care service delivery. We invite countries to submit an Expression of Interest to participate in this opportunity.

Participant Profile:

We invite countries (for JLN member countries, their Country Core Groups) to nominate contracting for TB or other health-related services as an emerging or existing health policy priority. We aim to bring together countries at different stages of progress in contracting – from information gathering to advanced planning – for a mix of experiences and rich cross-learning.

To maximize the anticipated benefit from participation in this collaborative, country teams would ideally include both:

●  Two national-level officials from health ministries or other relevant agencies responsible for either private sector reforms and engagement and/or with procurement, health financing reform or contracting; and

●  One national TB Program stakeholder involved in policy, planning, and/or financing.

How to Submit an Expression of Interest

Country teams should respond with their Expression of Interest through this link (one form per country). You will be asked to:

●  Summarize how the topic is of relevance to your country’s current UHC agenda

●  Briefly describe specific interest in or experiences with contracting organizations for selected TB and other health-related services that your country can share with other countries, including policy considerations, successes, or challenges.

●  Identify 2 representatives from the MoH units or another agency’s policy and planning and/or health financing unit and 1 representative from the NTP who fits the participant profile description.

The technical facilitation team will review all Expressions of Interest and make every effort to accommodate all interested countries. Any knowledge products developed by the collaborative will be shared publicly as they become available.

Engagement Duration: 12 Month