Programmes and priority setting

As a strand in the reform process WHO is working together with its Member States to set priorities for its work in order to focus its activities and deliver more effectively.

To date, Member States have reached consensus on a set of distinct categories of work for WHO (communicable diseases, noncommunicable diseases, promoting health through the life course, health systems, and preparedness, surveillance and response) and criteria that will guide the process of setting the Organization’s priorities. The new categories of work provide a broader organizing framework for WHO and will allow greater flexibility in allocating resources to priorities within these categories.

Establishing clear institutional priorities will ensure that WHO’s performance can be effectively and objectively measured, and that the Organization will be held accountable for its specific, expected deliverables. The categories and criteria for setting priorities will be used in the development of the Twelfth General Programme of Work that will provide the strategic overview for the Organization during the period spanning from 2014-2019, and subsequent biennial programme budgets.

Reference documents

Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly (WHA66) and Executive Board 133, May 2013

• WHO reform, financing of WHO: report of the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee of the Executive Board to the Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly
  A66/50
  pdf, 40kb
• WHO governance reform: options for criteria for inclusion, exclusion or deferral of items on the provisional agenda of the Executive Board
  EB133/3
  pdf, 47kb
• WHO governance reform: report by the Secretariat
  EB133/16
  pdf, 85kb
• WHO reform - High-level implementation plan and report
  A66/4
  pdf, 374kb
• WHO reform - Financing of WHO
  A66/48
  pdf, 126kb
• Draft twelfth general programme of work
  A66/6
  pdf, 496kb
• Proposed programme budget 2014–2015
  A66/7
  pdf, 1Mb

132nd Executive Board, January 2013

• Draft Twelfth WHO General Programme of Work
  EB132/26 - Draft for discussion by the Executive Board in January 2013
  pdf, 770kb
• Proposed programme budget 2014–2015
  EB132/27
  pdf, 633kb
• Implementation of WHO reform, 2012 - Report by the Director-General
  EB132/5 Add.8
  pdf, 86kb
• Implementation of WHO reform, 2012 - High-level implementation plan
  EB132/INF./3
  pdf, 99kb

Non-Member State stakeholders consultation on the Draft Twelfth General Programme of Work, 30 August –15 October 2012

• Non-Member State stakeholders consultation on the Draft Twelfth General Programme of Work, 30 August –15 October 2012: comments submitted
  In line with the report of the Chair of the Member States’ meeting on programs and priority setting, transmitted to the Sixty-fifth World Health Assembly by the Director-General, a web consultation was conducted to solicit inputs on WHO’s Draft Twelfth General Programme of Work (GPW12), spanning the period from 2014–2019.

Sixty-fifth World Health Assembly (WHA65), May 2012

• WHO reform: Consolidated report by the Director-General (A65/5)
  Consolidated report covering the three areas of the WHO reform, providing an update on developments over the past 12 months (April 2012).
  pdf, 162kb
• Draft Twelfth General Programme of Work and explanatory notes (A65/5 Add.1)
  pdf, 199kb
  Draft strategic overview of the draft Twelfth General Programme of Work for 2014-2019.
• Chairman's report: meeting of Member States on programmes and priority setting (A65/40)
  Chairman's report from the meeting of Member States on programmes and priority setting 27-28 February 2012 discussing criteria, categories, timeline, methodology and guidance for the Secretariat on the next General Programme of Work and Programme Budget.
  pdf, 46kb
• WHO reform: High-level implementation and monitoring framework (A65/INF.DOC./6)
  Implementation and monitoring framework for the programme of reform with milestones.
  pdf, 800kb
• Decisions and list of resolutions (A65/DIV/3)
  Compiled list of decisions and resolutions from WHA65 (reform decision is WHA65(9)).
  pdf, 99kb

Member State meeting on programmes and priority setting, February 2012

• Provisional agenda
  pdf, 24kb
• Programmes and priority setting in WHO (document 1)
  pdf, 81kb
  Summary of the current-priority setting practices in WHO, the relationship between the country cooperation strategies, and the formulation of the General Programme of Work and Programme Budget.
• Mapping of functions of WHO (document 2)
  pdf, 90kb
  Maps the functions of WHO with the categories of work proposed to EB130 including cross-cutting needs and areas of work.
• Analysis of WHO country cooperation strategies (document 3)
  pdf, 94kb
  This document responds to a request by Member States for an analysis of country cooperation strategies that identifies the needs of countries in order to determine on what WHO should focus and how WHO can best add value.
• Twelfth General Programme of Work 2014-2019 and programme budget 2014-2015: road map and timelines (Document 4)
  pdf, 60kb
  Secretariat proposed roadmap and timelines for the preparation of the Twelfth General Programme of Work and Programme Budget.
• Secretariat briefing 26 February 2012 (presentation document)
  pdf, 480kb
  As requested by the Member States at the Executive Board the Secretariat prepared a presentation on current priority-setting practices, focusing on their strengths and weaknesses, country cooperation strategies, General Programme of Work formulation process and budget process.

NGO consultation on programmes and priority setting, February 2012

• NGO consultation on programmes and priority setting February 2012: comments submitted
  In line with the Executive Board's decision at the special session of the Executive Board, arrangements were made for a web-based consultation for NGOs in official relations with WHO to present their views on programmes and priority setting.

130th Executive Board, January 2012

• WHO reform: Report by the Secretariat (EB130/5)
  Outlines the information in each of the documents provided to EB130.
  pdf, 30kb
• WHO reform: Programmes and priority setting (EB130/5 Add.1)
  As requested by the Member States at the special session of the Executive Board this gives an outline of the priority setting process and proposed timeline for development of General Programme of Work and Programme Budget.
  pdf, 150kb
• WHO reform: Programmes and priority setting: summary information on the distribution of financial and human resources to each level and cluster (EB130/5 Add.2)
  This document provides information on the distribution of financial and human resources to each level and cluster in the Organization.
  pdf, 1.2Mb
• Decisions and list of resolutions (EB130(6))
  Compiled list of decisions and resolutions from EB130 (reform decision is (EB130(6)).
  pdf, 203kb

Special session of the Executive Board, November 2011

• WHO reforms for a healthy future (EBSS/2/2)
  Consolidated report covering the three areas of WHO reform prepared by the Secretariat for the special session of the Executive Board.
  pdf, 409kb
• Programmatic priorities - introductory remarks by the Director-General (EBSS/2/INF.DOC./10)
  Director-General's introductory remarks for opening the session on programmatic priorities at the special session of the Executive Board.
  pdf, 35kb
• Decisions: programmes and priority setting (EBSS/2/Div/2)
  Decisions from the special session of the Executive Board on programmes and priority setting.
  pdf, 25kb

129th Executive Board, May 2011

• Executive Board decisions (EB129/DIV/2)
  Mandate for reform (WHO reform is decision EB129 (8)).
  pdf, 81kb

Sixty-fourth World Health Assembly, May 2011

• The future of financing for WHO (A64/4)
  Paper proposing a series of reforms for the consideration of the WHA64.
  pdf, 89kb
• The future of financing for WHO - reforms for a healthy future: development plan (A64/INF.DOC./5)
  This development plan provides detail on WHO reform and gives an indication of the expected outcomes and outputs from the areas of reform.
  pdf, 36kb
• World Health Assembly resolution - WHO reform for a healthy future (A64.2)
  Mandate for reform.
  pdf, 8kb