3 AMPATHGlobal_TOR_LeadershipGroup_English_7-29-24_Version2

Terms of Reference

AMPATH Global Leadership Group

Subject: AMPATH/MAPAS Global Leadership Group

APPROVED DATE:
TBD
EFFECTIVE DATE:
TBD
VERSION:
2.0
REVIEW CYCLE:
Annual

Overview:

The following Terms of Reference (TOR) is meant to be a guide for members of the AMPATH Global Leadership Group (AGLG) to assist in keeping the AGLG focused, effective and strategic.

The AMPATH/MAPAS Global Leadership Group (AGLG) will oversee and approve the creation of policies and procedures for AMPATH Global and joint activities across AMPATH partnership locations. The required policies and procedures will be identified by the AGLG and then drafted by appropriate strategy teams and groups with final versions approved by the AGLG. Additionally, this group will provide input, information and recommendations to AMPATH Global strategy teams, the AMPATH Consortium, the Secretariat and other groups as needed to inform and support effective program and partnership management. The AGLG is composed of senior staff of AMPATH Consortium and in-country institutions from across the AMPATH partnership locations.

Key Definitions:

●
AMPATH/MAPAS – Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare
translates in Spanish as Modelo Acad
é
mico para Proveer Acceso a la Salud (MAPAS).

●
AMPATH Consortium – AMPATH Consortium partner institutions support care, training and research based on their areas of expertise and capacity as well as the needs of each AMPATH partnership.

●
AMPATH In-country Partners – Academic health centers, universities and public sector health institutions that partner with AMPATH Consortium institutions to support holistic and sustainable healthcare in their communities.

●
AMPATH Consortium Anchor – Members of the AMPATH Consortium that lead and coordinate the Consortium’s partnership in a specific AMPATH partnership community.

●
AMPATH Global – Refers to all AMPATH partnership locations – including consortium and in-country partners involved at each AMPATH partnership.

●
AMPATH Secretariat – Provides key infrastructure support to ensure the AMPATH partnership remains focused and can achieve its collective mission.

Purpose:

The AGLG’s purpose is to oversee and approve policies and procedures that are applicable to joint initiatives that span across all AMPATH partnership locations (individual partnerships will utilize their own leadership structures for location-specific policies). The group also provides strategic planning, guidance and input across all AMPATH partnerships that require the attention of senior management as a whole.

Scope of Work:

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Terms of Reference

AMPATH Global Leadership Group

The AGLG will address shared strategic, operational and technical matters that impact the work of AMPATH and that would benefit from input of members.

These will include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following:

●
Coordination between established AMPATH partnerships;

●
Approval and onboarding of new AMPATH partnership locations;

●
Approval and oversight of AMPATH Global strategic planning;

●
Engagement of established AMPATH partnerships with external groups, when the engagement may impact other AMPATH partnerships or the consortium as a whole;

●
Approval of joint publications between AMPATH partnership locations;

●
Approval of the approach to funding opportunities that either a) have the potential to create competition between established AMPATH partnerships, or b) should be applied for in collaboration; and

●
Overseeing the monitoring and evaluation of collaborative partnership outcomes.

Regular agenda items will include:

●
Discussion of upcoming AMPATH Global events/meetings to build and/or promote the partnership;

●
Review of new and/or renewing SOPs and MOUs related to AMPATH Global; and
●
Progress reports on attainment of shared goals and strategic priorities.

Voting guidelines:
 

●
Refer to th
e consensus-based
 
Decision-making Addendum
 
for details about the process.

Membership and structure

The AGLG will be composed of:

●
Executive Directors and senior leaders of AMPATH Consortium anchors (e.g., UT-Austin, Mt. Sinai, NYU and IU)

●
Executive directors and senior leaders of AMPATH in-country partners (e.g., Moi University School of Medicine (MUSM), Moi Teaching & Referral Hospital (MTRH), University for Development Studies (UDS), Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH), Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), Dhulikhel Hospital (DH), and Kathmandu University School of Medicine (KUSM))

●
Up to two additional AMPATH Consortium representatives approved by the consortium to represent the other members with the goal of rotating representatives every 3 years.

Responsibilities of individual members will entail:

●
Attend all AGLG meetings

●
Contribute to the agenda with both short- and long-term issues that require input or request suggestions from participants

●
Review documents and/or information shared before each meeting to prepare for discussions at meetings

●
Gather background information on specific issues and provide to team members prior to discussion at meetings

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Terms of Reference

AMPATH Global Leadership Group

●
Share and review resources in the AGLG Google folder:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vdAe9ZIQJ_lLPMLwrk9Ss-ijygceY00-?usp=drive_link
 
●
Weigh advantages, disadvantages, risks and opportunities on all issues facing the program
●
Show respect for all member contributions

●
Make suggestions and recommendations based on knowledge and experience

The AGLG may invite others to attend to present issues or provide information as necessary (be it on a one-time or recurring basis).

Occurrence

The AGLG will meet at least four times a year on a quarterly basis, on the last Monday of each quarter, unless a meeting is canceled. Planned duration will be one hour unless critical issues require additional time.

Role of Chair

The Chair will be the executive director of the AMPATH Consortium and will be responsible for finalizing the monthly agenda, following up with group members on their assigned action items and finalizing decisions.

Role of Secretary

The Secretary will be selected by the AGLG Chair and will be responsible for sending out a draft agenda no later than five business days preceding the meeting and for finalizing said agenda by close of business (based on ET) one day before the meeting, at the latest. The agenda will be saved in the
 
AGLG
 
Google folder
for future reference.

Notes and related materials from each meeting will be sent to the whole of the AGLG and also saved in the
 
AGLG Google folder
 
for future reference. The notes will highlight decisions made, key issues discussed and items assigned for follow-up.

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Voting Addendum to Terms of Reference

AMPATH Global Leadership Group

Overview of Consensus-based Decision-making Process*

The goal is to reach a decision that is acceptable to all members.

1. A simple majority of voting members (at least one person per each member organization) is required as a quorum before polling can occur during the meeting. If a quorum is not reached during the meeting and/or additional discussion is needed, a virtual poll can be utilized after the meeting with members requested to respond by a specific date and time (at least 10 business days after notice is given for the vote); and

2.
Proposal

The decision-making process begins with a proposal or motion presented by an AMPATH Global Leadership Group (AGLG) member to the AGLG Chair at least one quarter before the next quarterly meeting. This proposal should be well-defined and address the specific issue or decision at hand. The proposal and any supporting materials will be shared with members by adding the information to the
 
shared AGLG Google
 
drive folder
,
 noting it as an item to discuss on the
 
draft agenda
 
of the next meeting and sending an email and/or discussing during the quarterly meeting to members as soon as the materials are available for their review. The goal is for documents to be approved by the AGLG after they have been created and discussed in AMPATH Global Strategy Teams and through other forums leading up to the quarterly meeting where they will be voted upon.

3. Discussion

During the meeting a specific amount of time (based on the level of discussion needed) will be allocated on the agenda for the proposal to be discussed. AGLG members will actively participate in the discussion by sharing their perspectives, concerns, and suggestions related to the proposal. The goal is to ensure that everyone has a clear understanding of the topic and its implications.

4. Amendments and Revisions

During the discussion, members can propose amendments or modifications to the original proposal based on input from others. The group collaboratively works to refine the proposal to accommodate as many viewpoints as possible. The AGLG Secretary will record the revisions and share an updated version of the proposal after the meeting.

5. Poll the Group

If a quorum of voting members has been established at the meeting, the AGLG will announce it is time to poll the group once discussion has ended. If quorum is not met at the meeting, the poll can be conducted virtually.

Each voting member of the group (see TOR for definition of voting members) will utilize Sam Kaner’s Gradients of Agreement (see image below) to indicate their position on the proposal. Anyone who polls greater than a 1 will briefly state their reason and their reasons will be recorded by the AGLG Secretary.

Voting Addendum to Terms of Reference

AMPATH Global Leadership Group

5. Time Limit and Decision Progression

The discussion will continue based on the time limit allocated on the agenda to reach a consensus. If consensus (defined as all polling between 1-4) is not achieved within the specified time, the decision-making process may progress to the next stage (e.g., voting), another decision-making method or be tabled for a future meeting after additional revisions and discussion in other AMPATH forums. The next stage will be determined and announced by the AGLG chair based on the importance, necessity and timeliness of the issue being discussed.

6. Decision Confirmation

Decision Statement: When strong support is achieved and the threshold for approval is met, a clear and concise statement of the decision will be recorded in the meeting minutes. This statement will outline what has been agreed upon and include any amendments that have been accepted.

7. Post-Decision Communication

Communication: Following the decision, the AGLG Chair will ensure effective communication of the outcome to all members. This includes sharing the decision statement, any amendments, and the rationale behind the decision.

8. Review and Evaluation

Review and Evaluation: After the decision has been implemented, the AGLG should annually review and evaluate its impact to assess whether adjustments or modifications are needed.

*Adapted from Sam Kaner et al, Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making (1996, 2014)