The Joint Action is a temporary programme, with a flexible organization created to coordinate and oversee a set of related projects and activities. The programme provides a framework for these projects in the form of work packages, allowing them to work under the coordination of the programme management.
The overall organization of the Joint Action is shown in the picture below:
The Plenary Assembly represents all associated partners and collaborating partners in the Joint Action and is gathered once a year. The Plenary Assembly takes a strategic overview of the work of the Joint Action and provides awareness on related projects and actions or changes within the EU Health Programme. The Programme Manager of the Joint Action is chair of the Plenary Assembly, to establish the link between the Executive Board and the Plenary Assembly.
The Executive Board is the main executive body of the Joint Action and provides a forum for discussion and decision making. The main purpose of the Executive Board is to drive the Joint Action forward and approve the outcomes and deliverables. The Executive Board gathers at least twice a year and reports to the Plenary Assembly. The Executive Board is chaired by the Programme Manager. Other key members of the Executive Board are the Work Package 1 leader, the different Work Package Leaders and representatives of the European Commission & the the Consumer, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (hereinafter as Chafea).
At each EB meeting, WP1 presents the progress of the project (deliverables and financial reporting) based on information gathered from the Work Package progress reports and the associated partners‘ activity logs.
The Programme Manager has overall accountability for the success of the Joint Action, ensuring that it meets its objectives and realizes the expected benefits. The Programme Manager communicates the vision of the Joint Action and is the chair of the Executive Board as well as the chair of the Plenary Assembly.
The Work Package 1 leader and his/her team ensures the actual implementation of the Joint Action in accordance with the agreement between the Chafea and Work Package 1. The Work Package 1 Leader is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Joint Action, including the supervision, controll and closing of the Joint Action. The Joint Action Leader prepares the Executive Board meetings and Work Package Leader meetings, based on the Work Package progress reports and associated partner’s Activity Logs. He/she also organizes the monthly electronic meetings with the Work Package Leaders.
The Work Package 2 leader and his/her team is responsible for the external communication and dissemination management of the Joint Action. He/she is responsible for the stakeholder analysis conduction and organization and management of the Knowledge Broker network.
The Work Package 3 leader is responsible for the interim and final evaluation of the Joint Action and takes therefore the role of Joint Action Assurance from work package perspective in the Executive Board. The Joint Action Assurance is the assessment to control and ensure the effective and correct management of the Joint Action and that it is on track to realize the expected deliverables and achieve the desired outcomes.
The Core Work Package leaders take part in the Executive Board in the role of senior suppliers. The senior supplier represents the interests of those who develop, deliver and implement the Work Package deliverables. The Core Work Package Leaders are responsible for the quality of the deliverables and for the intrinsic integrity of the Joint Action.
The representatives of the EU Commission take part in the Executive Board as Senior Users. The senior user is responsible for the specification of the needs of those who will benefit from the results of the Joint Action (the European Member States). He ensures that the benefits of the Joint Action meet the needs of the beneficiaries in terms of quality.
The Chafea Representative takes the role of Joint Action Assurance from the user perspective in the Executive Board and therefore ensures the effective and correct management of the Joint Action from the Chafea viewpoint.
The Work Package Teams work on project level and execute the core work of the Joint Action. Each Work Package team consists of a Work Package leader, work package members, work package partners (organisations acting as associated or collaborating partners of the Joint Action), Work Package collaborators and members of the knowledge brokers netwok.
Each Core Work Package Team does have a Work Package Leader. The Work Package Leader manages the Work Package’s resources and planning. He/she participates in the monthly electronic meetings organized by the Joint Action Coordinator and in the Work Package Leader Meetings and Executive Board meetings that take place every 6 months.
A Knowledge broker is an intermediary person in a Member State or professional organization who will be contacted by the Work Package Team when information on the member state’s or organizations’ health workforce figures, planning, forecasting or other information concerning health workforce is needed. The network of Knowledge brokers, as well as their full functioning is managed by Work Package 2.
During the realization of a Work Package Stage, deliverables are created. Partners and stakeholders are sometimes involved in this creation process by the means of workshops or questionnaires. To assure the quality of every deliverable, each Work Package organizes consultation rounds (e.g. Delphi rounds) to reach a consensus on the final deliverable among work package members and work package partners. Once the internal validation is achieved, the deliverable is sent to Work Package 3 in order to start the Evaluation process. The deliverable is likewise transfered to the Executive Board. In the next Executive Board meeting, the Work Package Leaders are invited to present the finalized deliverables related to their work packages. After the presentation, the deliverable is discussed by the Executive board. If the quality of the deliverable is not sufficient, it is sent back to the Work Package for further revision. If the EB considers the quality of the deliverable sufficient, the deliverable is approved and considered to be ‘delivered’.
The Joint Action on European Health Workforce Planning and Forecasting has received
funding from the European Union in the framework of the Public Health Programme.
Joint Action Management Team: euhwforce@health.belgium.be
Responsible:
Eng. MSc. Michel Van Hoegaerden on behalf
of the belgian FPS Public Health, Food Chain Safety & Environment