Purpose
10 This section of the WHO eManual establishes the policies and procedures implementing paragraphs 3.1 to 3.11 of the Regulations for study and scientific groups, collaborating institutions and other mechanisms of collaboration (EB69.R21, EB105.R7).
Terminology
20 "Institution" means the university, research institute, hospital, academy, or government (or, in most cases, just one of their parts such as a department, division, unit, laboratory) that is proposed for, or is designated as, a WHO collaborating centre.
30 "WHO collaborating centre" (WHO CC) means the part (e.g. department, division, unit, laboratory) of the institution designated as a WHO collaborating centre of a university, research institute, hospital, academy, or government while performing the agreed terms of reference and workplan with WHO (as opposed to the institution performing other activities outside the agreed terms of reference and workplan). A WHO CC is not a legal entity. The legal entity which controls and is responsible for the WHO CC is the university, research institute, hospital, academy, or government.
40 "Head of the WHO CC" means the staff of the designated institution who will be the main focal point for the implementation of the agreed terms of reference and workplan with WHO.
50 "Responsible officer" means the WHO staff member who has been identified as the main focal point for coordinating the activities as well as all issues related to a WHO CC. The responsible officer’s name is indicated in the official database of WHO CCs.
60 "Concerned director" means the director in whose line of supervision the responsible officer serves.
Vision
70 WHO CCs are key institutions with relevant expertise distributed throughout the world. They represent a valuable resource and an extended and integral arm of WHO's capacity to implement its mandated work.
Mission
80 The WHO CCs are a highly valued mechanism of cooperation in which relevant institutions are recognized by WHO as assisting the Organization in implementing its mandated work by supporting the achievement of its planned strategic objectives at the regional and global levels; enhancing the scientific validity of its global health work; and developing and strengthening institutional capacity in countries and regions.
Strategic rationale
90 As WHO CCs assist WHO in implementing its mandated work and contribute to the achievement of the Organization's strategic objectives, their work should be explicitly linked to the strategic plans of the Organization and reflected in the workplans of the technical programmes to which they contribute. Granting WHO CC status to an institution is not a mechanism for recognizing the institution as a centre of excellence per se.
100 The contribution of the proposed WHO CC to the implementation of WHO's mandated work is agreed in the form of terms of reference, and a workplan detailing the specific activities to be implemented during the period of designation. The type of activities to be included in the workplan is described in WHO Manual XV.5.2.120. The geographical scope of the activities to be included in the workplan of WHO CCs may be global or regional, but not purely local (for engaging with institutions to do work of purely local scope use the framework of 'national institutions recognized by WHO'). The terms of reference and workplan are recorded in the designation or redesignation form. Upon designation, the form serves as the formal agreement between the designated institution and WHO.
110 The agreed activities of the WHO CCs should all be jointly planned with and tailored for WHO, and directly contribute to WHO's programmes (as opposed to benefitting public health in general). Standard activities of the proposed institution or activities that are not conducted collaboratively with WHO should not be included in the workplan.
120 There is also added value in encouraging and promoting formal and informal networking of WHO CCs around thematic areas to increase synergy and to strengthen collaborative strategic planning where the collective contribution of WHO CCs to the Thirteenth General Programme of Work (GPW13) is also clearly identified.
Governance
130 In 2000, the Director-General established a Global Steering Committee, with members from all regional offices and headquarters, to advise on the policy for WHO CCs. A secretariat ("Global Focal Point for WHO CCs") located in the Quality Assurance for Norms and Standards (SCI/QNS) in WHO headquarters, and six regional counterparts ("regional focal points") coordinate the process, serve as a focal point and prepare formal notifications to governments and centres.
