Constitution of Working Groups

Members of the Working Groups are identified by the Advisory Committee following an invitation to all Members to submit the names of potential members and their contributions. The composition of working groups will vary over time to reflect the changing needs and priorities but, overall, a balance of interests, constituencies, gender and geographical representations will be taken into account. Each Working Group identifies a Chairperson who will chair meetings and 1 rapporteaur. The Chair liaises with the technical people in the secretariat on the content of agendas and timing of meetings. The relevant technical person at the Secretariat provides support and secretarial functions to the working group, and ensures effective linkages with other Working Groups. The Working Groups may establish subgroups as needed. The Working Groups and subgroups perform such functions and undertake such tasks and activities as the Advisory Committee shall establish.

Generic Functions

The Working Groups provide a platform to guide and coordinate the inputs of the members and jointly design and implement strategies that will lead to increased resources and actions for WAWLC at country level. Working groups have concrete and specific tasks. The WGs will facilitate but not take on the work of the individual partners. Their generic functions are:
  

• Ensure that there is coherence between the policies and objectives and work plans of The Alliance with those of their respective constituencies and member organizations;
• Coordinate the implementation and monitoring of the plans at country level advocacy, interventions, and monitoring and evaluation, so as to assure coherence and synergy;
• Identify appropriate partners and/or other sources to fund and/or undertake planned tasks and activities on behalf of the WG and the wider Initiative.

Outputs of the working groups

Each working group develops the following:

• An agreed work plan, identifying specific outputs;
• A dissemination plan for information-sharing;
• A list of existing tools for implementation and new ones that need to be developed;
• An annual report on their work.

Support to Working Groups

The Secretariat facilitates the work of the Working Groups, including provision of secretarial support. A budget for activities as defined in the Working Group work plan is identified annually and approved by the Advisory Committee.

Time Commitment of Members

Meetings are held 3 times a year and may be virtual. However, meeting time is only part of the time commitment required of Working Group members. Each organization accepting to participate in a Working Group should indicate the percentage of time and other resources that the focal person (and organization as a whole) can dedicate to Working Group activities.

Interactions between Working Groups and Partners

The Working Groups produce and distribute to all the Alliance members, through the Secretariat, regular periodic informal reports of activities carried out and planned. The Working Groups identify all opportunities for the Alliance members to actively participate in, or support, specific activities.

Working Groups

The following 4 working groups have been established in the WAWLC structure:

• Country Support
• Advocacy and Fundraising
• Program Development
• Research, Monitoring and Evaluation