Monthly Bulletin No. 3 March 2009

At the beginning of February, discussions were held with representatives of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to follow-up on their offer; made at January’s Steering Committee Meeting to assist with the baseline costing of the RHI’s. Directly as a result of this, a baseline costing of CAREC commenced on the 16th February; it is being executed by TDV Global Inc., whose services have been retained by PHAC.

This baseline costing exercise will entail the collection and analysis of information from CAREC, which includes historical budgetary expenditure, personnel and capabilities, equipment inventory and facilities. The draft final report is expected to be completed and submitted by the 12th March 2009. This process will then be repeated at the other RHI's in due course.

Also in February Dr. Edward Greene was formally invited by the Public Health Agency of Canada, to submit a proposal for Grant Funding to support the establishment of CARPHA; under their Innovation Strategy—Population Health Fund. The Project Manager prepared and submitted a proposal for assistance in strengthening the Project Management Team. The proposal explained the need for the Project management team to be strengthened by the inclusion of a variety of consultants; to assist with the costing and the development of an integrated management framework, which will address the legal, personnel and administrative issues that are likely to arise, in the establishment of CARPHA.

Meanwhile the Project Manager has almost completed an updated version of the document “The Establishment of The Caribbean Public Health Agency”; this will incorporate the decisions and recommendations of the expanded Steering Committee Meeting; held in Barbados in January.