Stakeholder Leadership Group Principles of Operation and Terms of Reference

The Stakeholder Leadership Group (SLG) is comprised of representatives of human resources for health (HRH) decision-makers, both producers and consumers of HRH information. (For more information about the SLG, please see "Establishing the Stakeholder Leadership Group" included in this Toolkit). Often the formation of an SLG results in new collaborations and therefore requires new definitions of how the group will work together to accomplish common goals. The purpose of this tool is to assist the SLG in developing the operating principles and other agreements that will guide the group's work. The two documents described below provide a reference for the group about the ways in which it will function and what its purpose and goals are.

Principles of Operation

During the initial meetings of the SLG, the members should decide how the group will operate. The first step is to create a document that outlines the group's Principles of Operation. This document will define the specific ways in which the group will function and the values that underline the group's operations. The final record provides a reference for the group and ensures that expectations are clearly defined.

The SLG should consider several questions while discussing the Principles of Operation. Although the following list of questions is not exhaustive, it provides a starting point for the group's discussion:

  • Logistics
    • Are all necessary groups represented in the SLG, including internal and external groups?
    • What is the group called?
    • When and how often will meetings be held?
    • Where will meetings be held? Is a neutral location preferable?
  • Group roles
    • Who will facilitate and lead the meetings?
    • Is there a smaller guiding committee of the SLG?
    • Are there critical participants without whom the meetings cannot take place?
  • Decision-making
    • How will decisions be made? By consensus? Majority rule?
    • Is the group comprised of primary and secondary stakeholders, or are all members of the SLG equal?
    • How are agendas decided?
    • How is activity ownership determined? Is activity ownership uniform for each area of HRIS strengthening, or does it vary according to area of focus?
  • Communication
    • How will data be shared? What policies or agreements need to be drafted to address issues of data-sharing?
    • What documentation will be produced in these meetings? Who will produce and maintain the documentation? How will the documentation be distributed to members?
    • Is there a feedback procedure?
  • Membership rules
    • Are others welcome to attend or join SLG meetings?
    • What attendance record is acceptable?
    • Are all members expected to contribute to the work?
    • Are all members expected to act as resources for one another?

Terms of Reference

After the Principles of Operation have been established, the SLG should discuss the Terms of Reference. The Terms of Reference describe the group's purpose, vision and goals. In addition, the Terms of Reference may clarify the specific activities to be undertaken, which team members are responsible for each activity and when projects should be accomplished.

The final Terms of Reference document should reflect the SLG's goals and needs. It can be organized into the following format:

  • Background
    • What is the country's current HRIS system? (Describe)
    • Why was the SLG formed?
  • Purpose
    • What is the overall mission and vision of the SLG? (Example: To create a central source of HRH data)
    • What are some of the SLG's specific goals and how do these goals relate to the group's larger mission? (Example: To link data from existing systems, to ensure stakeholder access to data)
    • What are the major obstacles to accomplishing these goals? How will these obstacles be addressed?
    • Does the SLG have any other specific duties?
  • Structure and composition
    • To whom is the SLG accountable?
    • Who is the chairperson of the group? Who is the secretary? Are there any other roles that need to be established?
    • Are there any smaller working groups within the SLG? Who are their members? What are their functions?
  • Operations
    • What is the group's scope?
    • What does the group intend to accomplish? What is the timeline?
    • What are the expected functions of the group?
  • Policies
    • Who will own the group's outputs (e.g., the HR information system)? Who will have access to them?
    • Can these outputs be used for commercial purposes?

Collaboratively, the SLG can decide how detailed the Terms of Reference should be. In some cases, it may be helpful to craft the document as a general overview of the group's purpose and functions. In other cases, it may be beneficial to develop the document more fully to include objectives, scope of work and deliverables.

Once the Principles of Operation and the Terms of Reference have been drafted, they should be shared with the members of the SLG and maintained as reference documents. These documents provide a record of the expected roles, expectations and goals of SLG members and should guide the subsequent work of the group.