Phiên họp đột xuất của Ủy ban thường trực và lãnh đạo Ủy ban giám sát của CCM 25/05/2023

Phiên họp đột xuất để Trao đổi về khó khăn của CCM hiện nay.

Phiên họp đột xuất của Ủy ban thường trực và lãnh đạo Ủy ban giám sát của CCM 25/05/2023;

Mục đích: TRao đổi, đề xuất giải pháp tháo gỡ khó khăn về nguồn tài chính phục vụ hoạt động của CCM hiện nay.

Biên bản cuộc họp như sau: Extended CCM Standing Committee Meeting

Present:

1.Dr.Le Tuan Pham, CCM Chair

2.Dr.Nguyen Tien, Oversight Officer for CCM

3. Dr. Nguyen Trong An, Vice Chair of the CCM Oversight Committee

4. Ms. Deepanjali Sapkota, CCM Hub, Global Fund

5. Ms.Lin Liu, PEPFAR

6. Mr.Gilles Angles, French Embassy;

7. Mr. Nguyen Anh Phong, member of CCM Standing committee

8. Dr.Pham Nguyen Ha, Coordinator PR VUSTA

9. Mr.Le Hung Viet, Vice director of PR VUSTA

10. Ms. Duong Thu Hang, Coordinator PR VAAC

11.Ms. Inga Oleksy, EF TA for CCM

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

1 – What CCM have done during 5 months (Jan – May 2023)

Although there is no budget and no salary pay for the secretariat, CCM has successfully completed its tasks, specifically:
a) Completing the election of CCMs in the community: According to the plan; with GF’s support in recruiting consulting support, and UNAIDS support; CCM has completed the election of community members since February 2023. The CCM Secretariat has also held an orientation for them on the oversight process.
• For the selection of candidates from the government ministries, this is still pending. CCM sent a letter requesting MOH to promote this action, but due to many difficulties so far, the selection of government representatives for the CCM has not been completed. Therefore, CCM required GF to send a special notice to extend the term of CCM from 20-2022 until the procedures for submitting funding requests are completed.
b) In the past 5 months, with the efforts of the Secretariat, experts and the cooperation of PRs; CCM has done well in coordinating the development of FR for the 24-2026 cycle for the proposed P/c HIV, Tuberculosis, Malaria and Extended C19RM Project 2023-2025. Activities included many meetings, country dialogues, direct liaison with the writing teams; and CCM meetings to approve FRs. Completed submission of project proposal for RAID4 (P/c malaria), extended C19RM. On track to complete and submit FRs for HIV and TB before May 30, 2023.

The CCM has also conducted 1st Oversight Committee meeting, and discussed oversight process, and revised the Oversight framework document and plans.

c) The CCM Secretariat has actively participated in a number of activities in preparation for the 49th meeting of the Global Fund’s Board of Directors in Hanoi;

d) Besides actively and enthusiastically completing professional work; CCM has repeatedly sent letters to MOH requesting to strengthen the new CCM among Government constituency; and also to ensure the use of financial resources from GF to serve CCM. However, there have been many letters from the CCM to the Minister, the vice minister of the MOH, the Departments of the MOH, but CCM has never received any replies.
e) The process of solving difficulties with accessing GF’s financial resources for CCM;
• Faced with difficulties such as lack of funding, CCM still maintains operations for common purposes; development partners/DPs have taken steps to find solutions, specifically to identify a Fund Holder to manage the Global Fund/GF’s support for CCM. Several options were explored, including APCASO, CHAI, UNAIDS and UNDP. In the end, UNDP and GF agreed to let UNDP Vietnam manage the financial resources for CCM. The budget and plans have been already negotiated with GF and UNDP and UNDP is ready to step in. However, despite letters from CCM, UNDP and GF requesting MOH to approve this procedure, there is still no response from MOH, and no clarity on their official position. In addition, some DP representatives would mention this issue of DPs, when meeting with MOH leaders. Thus far, however, the MOH has not responded to agree or disagree (from the end of March 2023 up to now). Therefore, UNDP cannot initiate perform the financial management role for CCM.

2 – Proposing solutions for the CCM

Current difficulties: CCM has no funding, but still have to fulfill the duty for the country. It’s been 5 months, enthusiasm fades; Some secretaries quit their jobs after 5 months without salary; What is the solution for CCM? There can be 3 options:
• First: CCM is temporarily closed; This will greatly delay the receipt of GF funding for Vietnam ($132 million), because in addition to submitting the project proposal, there are still steps to negotiate the grant in several steps, from September through December 2023. This is something that UNDP as well as some agencies warn, why do you still work without a salary? This choice greatly affects the country and is a negative image of Vietnam.
• Second: CCM sends a letter to the leaders of the Government, to present and propose the Government to settle. If the Government knows, it will immediately advise the MOH to settle within a certain time limit.
• Third: CCM continues to wait for MOH’s reply (agree or disagree to transfer CCM financial management to UNDP Viet Nam). It is difficult to know when the MOH will respond. If the wait is too long, the secretariat is no longer working, the CCM will probably have to close.

MEETING MINUTES:

1) Opening from Dr.Le Tuan Pham, Chair of the CCM:

· Thanked all participants for joining.. CCM has been functioning under very difficult circumstances and that currently, after 5 months, we need guidance from the Executive Committee on how to go forward. The Chair invited Dr.Tien to present current CCM situation as the background for discussion.

2) Dr Tien presented the current difficulties (as few paragraphs mentioned above).

3) Ms. Inga: Added for some information as:

* Many stakeholders have been working really hard to try to resolve the situation, but there is not much progress made.

* When facing some difficulties in January this year, none of us would have thought that this would last this long, and unfortunately there is no clarity for final resolution date.

4) Dr Chair invited participants to comment.

a) Ms. Lin Liu:

o Thanks all CCM, especially CCM secretariate efforts to keep going well, but she also recognized that no one should be expected to work without getting paid and that this needed to be resolved.

o She really appreciated that Ms.Deepanjali from CCM Hub was present on the call and she would also like engagement from the Country Team. Multiple partners in Vietnam, together with the GF CCM Hub and Country Team have been involved in identifying and facilitating the solution and it is unfortunate that this is still unresolved. But we will continue to support the joint process.

o She like to agreed with option 2 (send a CCM letter to Prime minister for help).

5) Dr.Chair explained how the situation is stuck within the MOH.

* To renew CCM every term CCM, the MOH needs to send an official letter to different Ministries – the agency will nominate a person become CCM member. This time, vice minister of MOH, Mme. Nguyen Thi Lien Huong asked ICD, which/ what basis legal to sign that letter? (Mme. Huong is new in a position of MOH vice minister).
* ICD did not find enough supporting documents then proposed for the MOH to send a proposal to PM to get decision assigning MOH to do that. Dr. Tien has already assisted with the legal team of MOH in the process of that proposal preparation. But it’s been more than 2 months that this proposal has not yet been sent to PM.

* During the Global Fund CT team working visit in Hanoi, in February, in a meeting with MOF – Dr. Tien participated this meeting- MOF pointed out that the budget for CCM is not ODA (it is likely budget for representative office of The Global fund). So GF and UNDP can go ahead with signing an agreement for CCM Fund Holder (actually MOH approved the CCM budget as projected, then ICD followed that procedure).

The decision from PM to assign MOH to CCM still needs to be resolved. This is still only Vietnamese internal process and MOH is main agency to take action.

6) Ms.Deepanjali from GF CCM Hub stated that she’s been following up the issue closely. She also reported that she was able to meet with Ms.Trinh Thi Ngoc Linh (liaison officer – from ICD-MOH) and her Director yesterday, during their Geneva trip to attend International Conference.

–She felt that she gained a better understanding of the complexity faced by the CCM with the legal registration process in Vietnam. Ms. Linh explained to her that MOH will not be able to send that letter to UNDP, and that such letter should come from MPI and MOF to follow the process of ODA management in Vietnam. This is now a challenge, since while the details of UNDP taking on the Fund Holder role were already worked out between CCM Hub and UNDP, they still require such letter from MOH; but that letter is not forthcoming. She will be following up with UNDP on this matter, to continue searching for the solution.

She also stated that from CCM Hub they will be ready to write a letter to MOH about the situation and to request an official clarification about it; CCM has been based within MOH-ICD for 20 years, and since this relationship appears to have ended, there is no written documentation nor background explanation about it.

She is committed to working through this process with all partners as necessary.

7) Mr.Gilles Angles from French Embassy also sympathized with the CCM secretariat and acknowledged that all partners have been following the situation very closely. He stated that the French and American governments are major contributors to the Global Fund and that they want for it to work properly on the ground. That’s one of the reasons why they are involved in the CCM. He raised a direct question to CCM Hub; what would be potential consequences to any slow-down, disruption in CCM functioning from the perspective of the Global Fund financing for the country?

8) Ms.Deepanjali responded that thus far, CCM has met the standard minimum eligibility criteria for the submission of the FRs by the end of May, so that the FRs can be received by the Global Fund. However, these criteria will be assessed on a continuum basis and situation may be viewed differently later during the year, as the country is negotiating the grants. She would not comment any further.

o About question: Can ask CHAI (International NGO in Hanoi) to help solving salary for CCM secretariate; that will be discuss among GF country team further

9) Dr Tieu Thi Thu Van, Vice chair Oversight committee; send her opinion that: To solve this difficult situation is responsible for Ms. Pham Thi Minh Chau, Vice chair of CCM, and Vice director of ICD; that is government jobs; not CCM.

10) Mr Nguyen Anh Phong: The Government has a responsibility to solve difficulties; CCM is a voluntary organization, with an agreed function between the Vietnamese government and the global fund; CCM needs to be respected by the parties.

Mr. Phong suggested to temporarily close CCM, send notice to the Government, MOH, global fund to know;

11) Ms. Dinh Thi Thu Hang, VAAC; The projects really find it very difficult in terms of administrative procedures when working with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health; always scolded.

o CCM should also sympathize with MOH, because of the current difficulties, everything is delayed, hope CCM tries to overcome difficulties at this stage, for the sake of the country.

12) Dr.Tien: so finally what decision has the committee decided to take? He reminded us of the three options:

a. Option 1: CCM to stop working now, the FRs are not submitted to GF;

b. Option 2: The FRs are submitted to GF on time, but CCM will slow down afterwards; an official letter is sent to PM;

c. Option 3: CCM continues to work normally and continues to wait for the MOH letter; though it’s unclear how long it may take.

13) Ms. Inga strongly recommended that CCM submit the FRs on time, this is for the good of the country, and to be respectful of all the hard work that went into these FRs, and to consider slowing down from June. There were further comments, but in the end it was decided to stick with Option 2.

14) Dr Nguyen Trong An; submit then close CCM; need to be respect from MOH;

15) Dr Nguyen Van Tien; The CCM Secretariat has made great efforts, even without salary; as the Vietnamese proverb is: If you love it, you will love it for the last… so make sure that CCM will submit all FRs on time; then maintain the minimal functionality of the CCM, since there is no money to do.

16) Dr Chair: Everyone in active the discussion, but few opinions on the choice of solutions; but it can be concluded that: If you have done it, you will do all the responsibility; because we are kind people; responsible to the country.

o CCM will complete the submission of the FRs.

o Please complete the minutes of today’s meeting and send it to CCM HUB; MOH and CCM members.

o Make a report on CCM’s activities, that will be prepared for submission to the Prime Minister and recommendations.

End of meeting, at 17:00 May 25 2023

Take note Meeting chair

(signed)                                                                  (signed)

Ms. Inga Loestky, TA for CCM               Ass.Dr Pham Le Tuan, CCM Chair