Interministry Cooperation
8.1.20 Interministry Cooperation
The responses to several questions related to inter-ministry cooperation are presented below.
About a third of education ministries reported that they had a written protocol with the health ministry over HIV/STD/sexuality.
Figure 77
| Have Written Protocol on Cooperation re HIV/Sexuality | Yes |
No |
Don’t Know |
| MOE-23a | 36.4 |
27.3 |
36.3 |
A similar question asked of health ministries resulted in a similar proportion of responses saying that there was a written protocol between ministries.
Figure 78
| Have Written Protocol on Cooperation Re HIV/ Sexuality | Planned in next 2 yrs |
Regularly |
Once within last 3 yrs |
Once in last 4-10 yrs |
Never |
Not role |
Don’t Know |
| MOH-27c | 8.3 |
8.3 |
8.3 |
0.0 |
50.0 |
8.3 |
16.7 |
The responses to questions asking if there was an active interministry committee also indicated that the interministry cooperation level is not high. About 1/3 of education ministries reported working with a committee sponsored by the health ministry to facilitate interministry cooperation.
Figure 79
| Participate in an Active Interministry Committee led by Health | Yes |
No |
Don’t Know |
| MOE-23d | 36.4 |
36.4 |
27.3 |
A similar question asked of health ministries gave similar results. Two-thirds of health ministries are not sponsoring active committees at this time.
Figure 80
| Active Interministry Committee led by Health Exists | Planned in next 2 yrs |
Regularly |
Once within last 3 yrs |
Once in last 4-10 yrs |
Never |
Not role |
Don’t Know |
| MOH-17 | 16.7 |
33.3 |
16.7 |
0.0 |
8.3 |
8.3 |
16.7 |
Similar questions were asked about interministry committees convened by the education ministry to advise on school programs and policies and curriculum. Only 18% of education ministries report that they have a committee with regular meetings.
Figure 81
| Education has Interministry Committee on AIDS/Sexuality Education | Standing
Committee/ |
Standing
Committee/ |
Ad hoc Committee |
No Committee |
| MOE-17 | 18.2 |
18.2 |
9.1 |
54.5 |
A similar response was received from health ministry respondents when asked if they participated in a education-led committee on school programs. 58.3% of health ministries report that they attend such committees coordinated by education.
Figure 82
| Participates in Interministry Committee on AIDS/ Sexuality Education | Does not have committee |
Yes |
No |
Don’t Know |
| M OH -29 | 16.7 |
58.3 |
8.3 |
16.7 |
Similar questions were asked of education and health ministries about other aspects of interministry cooperation.
Figure 83
| Has a active process for interministry cooperation | Yes |
No |
Don’t Know |
| MOE-23b | 27.3 |
27.3 |
45.4 |
Health ministries, who would normally play more of a coordinating role, were asked if they assigned staff time to facilitate cooperation. They responded as follows.
Figure 84
| Assigns staff time for interministry cooperation. | Planned in next 2 yrs |
Regularly |
Once within last 3 yrs |
Once in last 4-10 yrs |
Never |
Not role |
Don’t Know |
| MOH-27e | 16.7 |
25.0 |
16.7 |
0.0 |
16.7 |
8.3 |
16.7 |
Education ministries were asked if they encouraged their respective agencies to cooperate with the health system. Less than half said that they did so.
Figure 85
| Has encouraged school districts units to cooperate with public health | Yes |
No |
Don’t Know |
| MOE-23c | 45.5 |
45.4 |
9.1 |
A similar question was asked of health ministries. A small minority of health ministry respondents said that they regularly publish a framework for interministry cooperation. Almost one-half said that they had done this in the past.
Figure 86
| Has published a framework on cooperation | Planned in next 2 yrs |
Regularly |
Once in last 3 yrs |
Once in last 4-10 yrs |
Never |
Not role |
Don’t Know |
| MOH-27g | 8.3 |
8.3 |
33.3 |
16.7 |
16.7 |
0.0 |
16.7 |
About one-half of the education ministry respondents reported that they have a process to disseminate interministry information.
Figure 87
| Has process to disseminate interministry information within MOE | Yes |
No |
Don’t Know |
| MOE-23e | 45.4 |
36.4 |
18.2 |
Health ministries were also asked if they had funded or organized staff professional development in facilitating cooperation with staff. About 40% reported that they had done so in the past, but very few reported that they were providing this training on a regular basis.
Figure 89
| Funded or Organized Staff Development in Cooperation | Planned in next 2 yrs |
Regularly |
Once in last 3 yrs |
Once in last 4-10 yrs |
Never |
Not role |
Don’t Know |
| MOH-27h | 1 |
8.3 |
25 |
16.7 |
16.7 |
0 |
33.3 |
Most health ministry respondents reported that they had designated contact people to work with the education ministry on sexual health issues.
Figure 90
| Health has designated contact people to work with education ministry (MOH-28) | Health |
Sexuality |
HIV |
| Yes | 66.7 |
50.0 |
91.0 |
| No | 8.3 |
25.0 |
8.3 |
| Don’t Know | 25.0 |
25.0 |
0.0 |
Both ministries were asked if they encouraged cooperation with universities about HIV and sexual health promotion. Education ministries had rarely played this role.
Figure 91
| Encourages school district cooperation with universities | Planned in next 2 yrs |
Regularly |
Once within last 3 yrs |
Once in last 4-10 yrs |
Never |
Not role |
Don’t Know |
| MOE-21h | 0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
63.7 |
18.2 |
18.1 |
About one-half of health ministries reported that they encouraged cooperation between public health units and universities. Public health units were asked a similar question about whether they encouraged cooperation with universities and, similarly, about one-half had regularly.
Figure 92
| Encourages PHU cooperation with universities | Planned in next 2 yrs |
Regularly |
Once within last 3 yrs |
Once in last 4-10 yrs |
Never |
Not role |
Don’t Know |
No Response |
| MOH-15f | 0.0 |
50.0 |
16.7 |
0.0 |
8.3 |
8.3 |
16.7 |
0.0 |
| PHU-11e | 1.1 |
52.0 |
12.0 |
3.5 |
17.9 |
5.0 |
6.2 |
2.3 |
Health ministries were also asked if they encouraged cooperation with private foundations. About a third said they did so on a regular basis.
Figure 93
| Encourages Cooperation with private foundations on HIV/ sexuality | Planned in next 2 yrs |
Regularly |
Once in last 3 yrs |
Once in last 4-10 yrs |
Never |
Not role |
Don’t Know |
No Response |
| MOH-16h | 0.0 |
33.3 |
16.7 |
16.7 |
25.0 |
8.3 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
Facilitating Cooperation at the Local Level
Several questions were asked of school districts and public health units on how they facilitated cooperation among different agencies and professionals. Similar or matching questions are reported here comparing the different levels of operations within the two systems.
Summary of Results Related to Interagency Cooperation
About one third of school districts reported that they had a written protocol with the local public health unit on HIV/sexuality.
About one-third of school district administrators said they participated in an interagency committee sponsored by public health. One-third of public health units reported that they sponsor such committees on a regular basis.
About one-third of school districts reported that they have active interagency committees to advise on sexuality education. About one-half of public health respondents said that they have representation on these committees sponsored by the education systems.
About 40% of school principals said that they often invited health professionals to advise their school health committees. About one-third of public health nurses said that they participated in such school-based advisory committees.
Four out of ten school districts told us that they have an active process to implement interagency cooperation, while 65% of public health unit respondents said that they assign staff time for such interagency cooperation.
Almost three-quarters of school districts reported that they encourage schools to work with health agencies. Four out of ten public health units said that they regularly fund professional development in interagency cooperation skills.
A majority of school districts (68.2%) said that they have a process to disseminate interagency information to schools. Over 88% of public health units reported that they had named contact people for education in health, sexuality and HIV.
The above findings indicate that the first level of cooperation, namely exchanging information, is being practiced at the agency level. The second level, that of actively working together in committees and through written protocols, is being achieved in a fewer number of jurisdictions. The detailed results follow.
Table of Contents