PMNCH

Executive Director: 2015-16

PMNCH, Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland

Leadership of the secretariat serving 700+ organizations from eight diverse constituencies. Leading the establishment of the Adolescent & Youth constituency – putting young people at the heart of their futures.

Leading discussions with the government of South Africa to ensure African engagement with the Global Strategy, and mobilising young people and adolescents to play a central role

I was responsible for leading PMNCH during the time when the Partnership oversaw a major consultation process to update the UN Secretary General (UNSG)-led Global Strategy for Women’s Children’s and Adolescents’ Health; overseeing the establishment of the Global Financing Facility (GFF) and pressing for civil society engagement, through the Investors Group; growing and delivering evidence-based advocacy and communications.

Key achievements:

  • Re-positioned and promoted the Partnership; expanded the membership by over 100 new partners (15% growth) established a new, effectively resourced and structured Adolescent and Youth constituency; secured the meaningful engagement of youth and adolescents;
  • Substantial resource mobilization, including successful mobilization from new donors and sustained growth for annual budget (over $12 million), including through development of 1st-ever 3 year Business Plan for multi-year resource mobilisation;
  • Leadership and management of secretariat, including securing new organizational structure and filling key positions, in line with WHO HR and admin requirements;
  • Led a tough and successful Strategic Planning process, aligning PMNCH with the SDGs, the updated Global Strategy, and Every Woman Every Child movement; carved out a major new role to secure independent accountability; managed the diverse needs and expectations of members, donors and other key stakeholders (eg UNSG’s office); communicated an energetic new vision to all stakeholders;
  • Oversaw major consultations with 7000 stakeholders to shape the SDGs, and the updated Global Strategy on Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (launched at the SDG Summit) ensuring integration of diverse perspectives and voices, notably from marginalised communities, people from the global South, youth and adolescents;
  • Communicated diverse stakeholder views and advocated for change on multiple senior bodies, including FP2020 Reference Group, Global Finance Facility Investors Group and SCG developing the updated Global Strategy;
  • Innovated new approaches to communication, securing the first strategic approach to communications with an annual road map, inc presenting monthly Video Blogs digests;
  • Regular speaker at high level events, including the keynote lecture at Australia´s prestigious Nossal lecture on Global Health; speaking at multiple events at the UNGA; Women Deliver; side events at WHA; Lancet Adolescent Commission etc;
  • Initiated and oversaw a Governance Reform process, including delivering a new staffing structure for the secretariat to deliver in the 4 new Strategic Objectives; re-deploying staff and recruiting new team members to secure a lean effective, fit for purpose secretariat.