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SWAp and Health

Traditionally, aid to developing countries has been provided in the form of self-contained projects, each funded by different donors. However concerns about the efficiency of this approach and about who was really driving the agenda were increasingly voiced.

In response, the international community began to reform its methods of aid delivery and the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) emerged in the mid 1990s. SWAps are now an important component of the international effort to harmonise and align development assistance around national policies and strategies aimed at the achievement of the MDGs.

Key elements of SWAps include that they be embeded in the overall policy framework and anchored in a country’s vision. Government wide commitment to take the lead, as well as development partner will to invest in the partnership in the long term. Clear policy, strategy, medium term expenditure programme and performance monitoring systems as well as formalised processes of consultation and coordination. With time SWAps may progress to the use of government procedures for implementation and the disbursement of funds. In practice, many draw on diverse channels of funding, to make the coverage of the sector more comprehensive and bring ongoing projects in line with sector priorities.

Challenges for SWAps include the need for consistency between what is planned within-sector (SWAp) and across sectors (PRSP processes). The current health aid environment where Global Health Initatives have increasing influence and General Budget Support is emerging as the modality of choice for many countries is giving rise to renewed interest in the SWAp as a coordination mechanism.

Introduction by: SCIH, Swiss Tropical Institute (2008)

Related SDC Projects
 
Community and Basic Health Project (Related Country: Tajikistan)
To provide coherence to its ongoing health programmes, and moreover to better integrate health care reform projects in Tajikistan, the SDC found it rational to co-fund the World Bank "Community and Basic Health Project" (CBHP) which is seen also as a ground work for a future Sector Wide Approach (SWAP) in health sector.
Project Documentation
SDC Documents
 

SWAp: Fiduciary Risk Assessment and Financial Management (12.2007)
The importance of addressing fiduciary risk is important for accountability to both the recipient and donor Governments and ultimately to the populations of both constituencies. The present reviews issues in this area.
A document provided to SDC by the Swiss Tropical Institute
Download (99 K)

SWAP: Monitoring outputs/outcomes (12.2007)
A functional monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system should demonstrate outputs/outcomes and eventually the impact of health related public (and donor agency) spending. In the context of programme based approaches M&E has the objective to monitor the process of the interaction of the different partners and to assess progress towards harmonization.
A document provided to SDC by the Swiss Tropical Institute
Download (151 K)

SWAps: Ownership and Working with Partners (12.2007)
One of the most important and critical element’s with the development of any Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) is the changing relationship between the recipient countries and their stakeholders (Donors, Non State Actors). To this effect, it involves countries and their Ministries of Health taking a clear lead in setting and driving the agenda in terms of their strategic development process/vision; establishing priorities; developing comprehensive strategies; allocating resources; putting in place processes to facilitate implementation and developing uniformed monitoring and evaluating systems.
Download (84 K)

SWAp and project support in health: a brief comparison (08.2007)
This paper presents a brief overview of the recent development in the way aid is delivered to health sectors in developing countries, focusing particularly on the Sector Wide Approach (SWAp), thereby comparing SWAp and the historically older modality of project support. The paper discusses the characteristics of these two modalities, presents recent evidence on the progress achieved and discusses the elements to be considered when a development agency needs to make a choice between those two modalities. A paper provided for SDC by the Swiss Tropical Institute.
Download (137 K)

Proceedings of the SDC Health SWAp Capitalisation Workshop (07.2007)
This documents summarises the results of workshop in July 2007 on SWAp experiences. The workshop reviewed achievements and lessons learnt (what worked, what didn’t), potentials (what is promising and has to be further explored) and a perspective of how SDC plans to address the issue of SWAps in the future.
Proceedings provided for SDC by the Swiss Tropical Institute. (pdf)
Download (395 K)

 
Show archived Items (6)
Resources
 

Website: Sector-Wide Approaches in the Health Sector
The SWAp website constructed and maintained by the Swiss Tropical Institute on behalf of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
external Link

 
Show archived Items (1)
Basics
 

A review of health sector wide approaches in Africa
Veronica Walford, 2007 Hslp Institute
external Link

The sector-wide approach: a blessing for public health?
WHO Bulletin (2004)
external Link

 
     
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