The Western Pacific Region, the largest and most diverse of all WHO regions, has experienced dramatic political, economic and social changes over the past decade. As a result, some Member States are grappling with challenges presented by an ageing population. Others are struggling with the impact of increasing migration and urbanization. And, in nearly all countries, health systems are overwhelmed by demands for greater access to affordable high-quality health care.
In February 2009, when Dr Shin Young-soo began his tenure as WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, he knew the Organization needed to reform to remain relevant in a rapidly changing world. The reforms Dr Shin has introduced over the past decade have had a central aim – the delivery of services that meet the specific needs and priorities of Member States. Many reforms spearheaded in the Region have helped lead to increased accountability and transparency, greater staff mobility and a more cross-cutting approach to public health work.
These reforms were not imposed from the top. Instead, Member States, WHO staff and partners worked together to develop a new way forward. What started as a modest effort has led to extensive reforms that have dramatically changed the way WHO works in the Region.
The reforms are built around a stronger focus on country priorities. New mechanisms, including a revamped process for developing country cooperation strategies, were introduced to better align WHO support with Member State needs and priorities. New and upgraded WHO country offices and the establishment of the Division of Pacific Technical Support in Fiji enhanced WHO presence and capacity in the Pacific.
In the Regional Office, reforms were introduced to break down organizational silos and encourage greater collaboration across technical divisions, among staff members and with partners. Other reforms focused on improving governance and partnerships, optimizing organizational efficiency, communicating effectively, and evaluating WHO work.
“Our success relies on our capacity to deliver results,” says Dr Shin. “It is paramount to any organization to take stock of what has been done and learn from those experiences to work more effectively in the future.”
To that end, strategic assessments and reviews – both internal and external – were carried out, including assessments of WHO performance in specific countries and the Regional Office’s overall support to countries. The Country Support Unit in the Regional Office, along with WHO country representatives, senior staff and external experts, conducted a comprehensive analysis of the reform initiative.
The analysis found that consultations with Member States, WHO staff and partners have been essential to the reform process, as has clear and consistent leadership.
Moving forward, the analysis recommended that particular attention be paid to strengthening performance in three areas: (1) effectively engaging partners; (2) placing the right people in the right places; and (3) further enhancing communications.