[e-drug] Call for nominations to International Drug Purchase Facility Board

["Asia Russell" <asia@healthgap.org>]

E-DRUG: Call for nominations to International Drug Purchase Facility Board
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear colleagues

Pasted below is a call for nominations for civil society representatives to
the Board of the International Drug Purchase Facility (IDPF). Note the
deadline: September 15, 2006.

Best

Asia Russell

-- 
Asia Russell
Health GAP (Global Access Project)
tel: +1 267 475 2645
asia@healthgap.org
http://www.healthgap.org

------------
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
 

Civil Society Representatives to the International Drug Purchase Facility
(IDPF) Board
 
 
This is to inform you that there are 2 seats available for civil society
representatives at IDPF Board:  1 seat for communities living with HIV/AIDS,
TB and malaria, and 1 seat for NGOs fighting the diseases.
 
We therefore are soliciting nominations for the following positions:
* 1 Board member and 1 Alternate from communities living with HIV/AIDS;
* 1 Board member and 1 Alternate from NGOs fighting the diseases;
 
The selection committee will ensure that the developing and developed
countries are equally represented.
 
Draft Terms of Reference (ToR):
 
A Civil Society member of the International Drug Purchase Facility (IDPF)
Board represents the viewpoint and needs of Civil Society concerning the
IDPF (see background information about IDPF).
 
In particular, Civil Society IDPF Board members actively promote that IDPF
decisions would:

1.     respond to the needs of people living with the diseases, NGOs
fighting the diseases, and programs to provide care to people living with
the diseases;

2.     lead to responsible and efficient use of the resources channeled
through IDPF;

3.     have a positive impact on resources available to pre-existing
essential institutions fighting the three diseases, such as the Global Fund;

4.     advance the global fight against the three diseases, through
facilitating the use of compulsory licensing to ensure generic competition
of medicines; financing IDPF through wholly additional funding; and
supporting evidence-based, comprehensive HIV prevention programs for all;

5.     increase the accountability of the IDPF to people living with the
diseases, to NGOs fighting the diseases, and to programs providing care to
people living with the diseases.
 
The role of an IDPF Board member is that of a volunteer - there is no
payment for participating. Travel and per diem costs to attend Board
meetings are expected to be covered by the IDPF. The Board shall meet on
average 4 times a year. Candidates should expect the position to demand 25%
of their working time.
 
(A) IDPF Board Member functions:
 
1.    Discuss, amend and approve proposed Constitution and Business Plan
(mainly at first Board meeting, September 2006);

2. Determine, modify and approve IDPF¹s objectives, scope and workplan;
monitor and evaluate its progress;

3. Oversee and solicit the contributions of partners;

4. Review the annual financial statement prepared by the Secretariat and
approve the budget;

5. Appoint the Executive Secretary (and other Secretariat members where
appropriate); 

6.    Discuss and approve IDPF support to treatment provision programs in
developing countries; monitor reports about these programs and their use of
IDPF support;

7.    Discuss and approve IDPF contracting and partnership policies, as well
as any other Board-approved policies;

(B) Mandate and working methods for the IDPF Board member position:
 
-       Participate fully in all meetings of the IDPF Board (study all
relevant documents in advance in order to provide relevant input in the
decision-making process);

-       Participate in teleconferences and other virtual means of
communications among Board members, among civil society Board members, and
among constituency members (communities living with the diseases, NGOs
fighting the diseases);

-       Advocate for the participation of civil society representatives in
the design, implementation and evaluation of all policies and programs at
all levels of the IDPF;

-       Provide input into equitable and appropriate allocation of
resources;

-       Maintain a focus on issues of importance to the community and civil
society movements;

-      Represent the views of various civil society constituencies;

-       Seek input from communities living with the diseases and/or NGOs
fighting the diseases on key issues related to IDPF Board decisions;

-       Consult with and report to the broader constituency of communities
living with the diseases and/or NGOs fighting the diseases, both before and
after working group meetings;

-       Consult with advisor-status members of the civil society delegations
to the IDPF Board.
 
(C) Qualifications and criteria for selection
 
Based on the IDPF Board functions, including representing the various
constituencies (communities, NGOs), the selection committee for the Board
members should look for the following qualities in candidates:
 
IDPF-specific requirements:

·       Understanding of global treatment access scale-up blockages, and of
the role of commodity prices in these blockages;

·       Understanding of HIV, TB and malaria commodity procurement and
supply issues;

·       Understanding of global drug accessibility determinants, especially
market-based determinants, including the role of intellectual property
rules;

·       In-depth knowledge of the needs of people living with the diseases,
especially from a gender and vulnerability perspective and of issues facing
NGOs fighting the diseases;

·       Understanding of political environment of global health initiatives
including IDPF, Global Fund and of issues related to financing for
development.
 
Requirements common to Boards of all global fight initiative:

·       Has time and ability to carry out the tasks derived from his/her
role as a Board member;

·       Has minimum 3 years experience in front-line civil society work in 1
or more of the 3 disease areas;

·       Is able to communicate and network effectively and broadly (must
have functioning communications linkages such as telephone, fax, computer
and email);

·       Is able and willing to recognize gaps in own abilities when new work
requirements arise, and to seek out and enlist outside help in order to fill
these gaps;

·       Is able to act within a team setting;

·       Has proven record of sound advocacy and media relations;

·       Is gender sensitive; has good skills in gender and age analysis, as
well as understanding of the needs of vulnerable groups;

·       Has diplomatic and strategic thinking skills, ability to prioritize;

·       Fluent in written and spoken English (additional languages are
preferred)*;

·       Has linkage to an organization that can facilitate communication and
liaison as well as provide consultation and support;

·       Possess assurance from employer regarding availability of up to 25%
of working time for Board related duties, until September 2007.
 
* IDPF Board documentation will generally be provided in English (large
volume), and group discussions will be in English.
 
(D) Length of term
 
The Board members are selected for 1 year from September 2006 to September
2007. Alternates are selected for 2 years from September 2006 to September
2008 to serve 1 year as an Alternate followed by 1 year as a Board member.
It means that in the future only Alternates will be selected with the
expectation that they progress to the Board member position in the 2nd year
of their 2-year Board mandate.
 
The length of terms and criteria of selection will be reviewed after one
year. 
 
(E) Cessation of Appointment
 
A civil society appointee to the IDPF Board will cease to be Board member
if:
 
-       He/she resigns
-       He/she no longer has an employer who is supportive of the time
commitment required, or he/she no longer has links to the organizations that
secured his/her nomination and/or selection to the IDPF Board;
-       He/she is unable to perform the agreed upon tasks;
-       He/she is unable to work with the other civil society delegates to
the IDPF Board as part of a team; and,
-       If a conflict of interest is declared.
 
(F) Alternate member functions:
 
1.    Provide support to the Board members between and during the Board
meetings, including review of IDPF documents, advising on specific issues,
preparing background information, drafting motions and position statements
and support the Board member in other functions as above;

2.    Liaise with the communities living with the diseases and/or NGOs
fighting the diseases to coordinate the civil society position and seek
input on important matters that are debated and discussed at IDPF Board;

3.    Assist in preparation of briefs and updates for the communities living
with the diseases and/or NGOs fighting the diseases on key issues discussed
and decided on at the IDPF Board meeting.
 
(G) Application Process - Read carefully
 
Nominated individuals to sit in the IDPF Board need to prepare and submit a
4 page application (only the first 4 pages in the application will be
considered) that covers the following:
 
1. Name, contact information, age, organizational affiliation, communities
served, position applied for;
2. Short Curriculum Vitae (CV) outlining experience; (maximum 2 pages);
3. Short Narrative outlining your understanding of the IDPF and of the
challenges and opportunities it represents the global fight against
HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria; your civil society and community linkages in terms
of relevant experience (particularly experience in southern and developing
countries) ; and the most significant capabilities and strengths you would
bring to the civil society delegations to the IDPF Board that address the
specific criteria mentioned in these ToR (maximum 2 pages).
 
Also attached to the 4-page application will be:
 
    * 2 letters of reference from relevant organizations other than your own
(1 page per reference only);
    * 1 letter of reference from your own organization, or closest
affiliated organization, agreeing to the additional travel and workload (1
page only).
 
The CLOSING DATE for nominations is Friday, September 15, 2006. The
International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO) will serve as a
mailbox for applications. Please send applications with all required
documents to:    Natalia Ciausova
c/o ICASO Secretariat
E-mail: nataliac@icaso.org <mailto:icaso@icaso.org>
Fax: (1-416) 921-9979; tel: (1-416) 921-0018 ext.24
(email messages preferred)
 
We thank all applicants for their participation but only those selected will
be contacted. The results of selection process will be announced on Friday
September 22 through the listserves:
                   
* AF-AIDS          
* SEA-AIDS         
* Gender AIDS      
* INTAIDS          
* Community Research
 ·       ProCAARE ·       Healthgap
* PWHA-Net         
* Stigma AIDS      
* Partners GF      
* AIDS INDIA       
* AIDS ASIA        
* Indian Network   
* ITPC    

[and E-drug? ;-]  Wilbert, Moderator]    
_________________________
 
Background Information on IDPF
 
IDPF stands for the International Drug Purchase Facility. It is a new
initiative meant to purchase pharmaceutical and diagnostic products needed
for the treatment of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in developing
countries. IDPF also exists under the brand name UNITAID. Both names are
interchangeable and refer to the same initiative.
 
In order to have added value compared to other initiatives which purchase
medicines and diagnostics against the three diseases (such as Global Fund or
PEPFAR), IDPF will focus on products which are currently inaccessible in
most developing countries due to very high prices, such as pediatric or
latest-generation HIV drugs,  and artemisin-combination therapies against
malaria. 
 
The governments which are spearheading this new international tool in the
fight against the three diseases are France, Chile, Brazil, Norway and the
UK. These 5 countries are expected to contribute to IDPF between 300 and 400
million USD in 2007. Several other international organizations have been
enlisted as partners of the IDPF, most notably the Global Fund and the World
Health Organization. The Global Fund will help match IDPF¹s drug and
diagnostic offer with the demand from fast-growth treatment access programs
in developing countries. The WHO will help IDPF make sure that the products
whose purchase it funds are of high quality. IDPF has also enlisted the
services of the Bill Clinton Foundation to negotiate price reductions from
manufacturers ­ especially generic manufacturers.
 
The first meeting of the IDPF Board is currently planned for late September
2006, probably September 28. This first Board meeting will discuss, amend
and approve proposals for a Business Plan, as well as a Constitution, for
the IDPF. A consultation will be organized in Paris on September 8 to allow
civil society to comment and request changes to these proposals. The
proposals will be circulated to civil society by the 5 governments on
September 1st.