Recommendations for Structure and Operation
of Commodity Security Task Force/Committee
Introduction
New stakeholders and mechanisms for funding and procurement of commodities for priority
health programs require the public health logistics system to evolve and accommodate the needs
for increased coordination and information sharing. This is important during all stages, but
particularly during quantification, supply planning, procurement, and supply status monitoring.
The multiple supply chain stakeholders need a clear objective and process for ensuring
stakeholder collaboration. To ensure optimal supply and commodity security (CS) for priority
health programs, information, decision making, and responsibility need to be shared.
Mechanisms for coordination already exist for reproductive health (RH) commodities (family
planning and condoms). (Insert if relevant: That experience can serve as the basis for an
expanded Commodity Security Committee that deals with an expanded list of key commodities
that need to be in Full Supply to meet Priority Public Health Goals). Suggested commodities to
receive priority focus in this CS committee are (Insert relevant commodities).
An active, multi-sectoral CS coordination committee can help to maintain a focus on CS and
long-term product availability issues, strengthen coordination between stakeholders, and reduce
duplication and inefficiencies. In a recent survey conducted by the project, 36 of 40 countries
surveyed reported that they had a committee that works on CS. However, the effectiveness and
sustainability of these committees varies considerably.
A strong CS committee can be an effective mechanism for on-going monitoring of the
commodity security status in a country. However, a number of factors impact the central role CS
committees can play to ensure commodity availability in their countries.
The key problem areas are—
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lack of clear processes
poor planning or no planning
poor information sharing
lack of integration between multiple operational partners and working co-operatively
poor coordination and lack of shared decision making
duplicate functions.
Government mandates are vital to setting a policy commitment. However, often ministerial
decrees and policies do not clearly state the mandate for participation; members; terms of
reference; period of operation; required outputs and deadlines; funding, if any; communication
and decisionmaking matrix; and a monitoring and evaluation plan. If the mandate is not clear,
specific or appropriately authorized, the committee will not be sustainable; they will not have the
operational tools to help them carry out their key role and responsibilities of providing tactical
and strategic oversight to the commodity security situation in their countries.
Following is a proposal that outlines the need for a CS committee and recommendations for how
it could be structured and operated.
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Why Have a Commodity Security Committee?
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Multiple operational partners for the same commodity category could result in overlap or
synergy; the outcome will depend on coordination.
Significant financial resources are targeted at priority diseases.
Significant recent shifts in drug financing/procurement mechanisms with the (Insert relevant
examples such as Global Fund Voluntary Pooled Procurement (VPP), World Bank/UNPFA
funds joining the in kind donations/funding of the USG, implemented by USAID|DELIVER
PROJECT, and others); new mechanisms and systems still being established and/or tested.
Many commodities of significant public health and political priority for both the
governments and donors supporting country programs, with substantial financing and in-kind
donations.
Ambitious health program goals depend on and impact the logistics system.
Rapidly evolving drug policy environment that impacts supply chain participants and their
ability to supply the national system on time. This subsequently impacts the supply chain’s
ability to respond to program needs. Donors and implementers need time to adapt systems
and operational procedures to the new policy environment.
Financial resource constraints to support the transportation of commodities more often
(central —provincial). Some products need more frequent distribution because of limited
shelf life (Insert relevant example/s) and program responsiveness to client needs (Insert
relevant example/s). To increase access to and quality of commodities, programs need
resources and transport flexibility.
Data availability and sharing needs to support various stakeholder quantification and
procurement operations, long term financial planning, and reporting requirements.
Complete visibility is needed for actual and planned inbound shipments from multiple
sources (particularly, for example, the Global Fund) and national stock status to inform
coordinated decision making among stakeholders with shared commodity focus (within the
Ministry of Health [MOH] and among operational partners and donors). Currently no one has
this full visibility, which cripples the ability of the MOH and its partners to responsibly
coordinate their various support to the national system and to work as a well-performing,
collaborative team. With more operational staff involved in supplying priority program
commodities there is an increased need for coordination.
Tools and technical capacity to coordinate logistics exist. What is missing is an agreed -to
process that regularly brings the relevant operational partners together to share information
on the status of their shipments, analyze the commodity security status for key commodities,
and coordinate decisions.
A constantly changing environment (timely procurement and commodities arrival to country;
and, new legislation on import processes, registration, new partners, new treatment protocols,
World Health Organization recommendations, programmatic campaigns) complicates the
overall picture.
Who Should Participate and How Should it Be Organized?
There will be two levels.
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A. Contraceptive Security Committee
 Leadership—A director-level official from the MOH Composition—Senior MOH leadership
and donors such as (Insert relevant examples such as USAID, UNPFA, EU, DFID, and
others) who are key stakeholders in national drug financing; and technical assistance
providers in logistics, global fund, and financial management.
 Role—Given CS committee representation, the role of this group is to remain informed and
to monitor the overall commodity security status of key commodities for priority health
programs. Their main focus will be to assess the impact of policy and funding decisions on
commodity security. This is the policy making group, that has the ability to mobilize
resources and advocate for change and needed responses, both within the government and the
donor community.
B. Commodity or Program-specific Technical Working Group
 Leadership—Program staff
- Composition: Each commodity category should have its own technical working group
(TWG) comprised of operational supply chain staff of (Insert relevant examples such as
MOH, USAID, UNPFA, and others). These are the people that need to provide their data
to the full picture, and manage the information to continuously update the overall
commodity security picture.
 Role—(1) To manage the data and update the commodities tracking data base in use
(PipeLine) and produce the stock status reports for the wider CS Task Force/Committee. (2)
To analyze the financial impact of the supply plan updates on available budgets.
Timing of meetings:
Weekly or monthly meetings should be held during a crisis or program activity (campaigns,
change of regimen, etc.) when they require effective coordination, close supply chain and
program monitoring, and decision making. Quarterly meetings should be held when the system is
performing well during procurement and distribution.
How should it operate?
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Monthly shipment status updates by the party responsible for ordering, procuring, shipping,
clearing, and receiving shipments (Insert relevant examples such as MOH, UNPFA,
USAID|DELIVER PROJECT, and others). The same party provides data to technical
working group staff (Insert relevant examples such as MOH, DELIVER, UNPFA, etc.)
responsible for managing the PipeLine database (supply chain monitoring and procurement
planning software).
Technical working group staff update key commodities in PipeLine with the latest data.
Review of Stock Status Report from PipeLine for key commodities to—
- Identify any immediate and medium-term commodity security issues that need to be
addressed/resolved.
- Make coordinated decisions and share responsibility for monitoring supply chain status,
resolving identified issues to improve access to priority health commodities for programs.
 Identify a gap and fill it by accelerating arrival of a shipment (if possible) or placing
an emergency order.
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Delay shipments to prevent an overstock situation that would lead to expiry or have a
negative impact on warehousing capacity.
 Make plan to order quantities and confirm stakeholder responsible.
 Identify medium- to long-term financial resource requirements to support national
needs and meet financial planning cycles of the MOH and donor partners.
- Identify information/communication needs for better coordination with broader
stakeholder group operating at the provincial level.
- Discuss with program stakeholders the impact of any supply chain issues that cannot be
resolved in the short-term and that will cause a stock shortage.
- Identify recommendations for the program’s consideration/implementation considering
the logistics and supply situation.
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