Summary

This explainer presents assumptions and results of a modelling of the funding commitment required to cover 80% of high priority outputs’ budget as defined during the country, territory and area priority-setting and budget costing in preparation of the Proposed programme budget 2024-2025. Eventual allocation of flexible funds may differ given the dynamic nature of voluntary contributions. 

Context

A strengthened approach to priority-setting was an integral part of the development of the Proposed programme budget 2024–2025. As a result of the consultation process around the priorities, a set of prioritized Programme budget outputs for countries was identified in three priority tiers (high, medium or low). The priority ranking (high, medium or low) does not indicate the importance of a specific result but rather the level of technical cooperation that Member States can expect from WHO, considering WHO’s mandate to work towards the achievement of all outcomes and outputs. Outputs ranked of high and medium priority indicate where the Secretariat’s technical support is most needed in a particular country during the biennium. Priority setting excluded enabling functions (outputs contributing to outcomes “4.2 Strengthened leadership, governance and advocacy for health” and “4.3 Financial, human, and administrative resources managed in an efficient, effective, results-oriented and transparent manner”). Results of the priority setting could be viewed in the Dashboards of the Programme budget 2024–2025 digital platform. 

Based on priority-setting, the major offices proceeded with their respective bottom-up costing process by outputs, outcomes and finally aggregated to major office and global levels. Details of the WHO costing process are provided in the Programme budget explainer entitled “Overview of the programme budget costing process” available on the Programme budget 2024–2025 digital platform. 

The Proposed programme budget 2024-2025 proposes a new approach to the allocation of flexible resources, which includes also assessed contributions, which will be directly related to high-priority outputs, with particular emphasis on the country level and those prioritized outputs that traditionally present large financial gaps. It is proposed that the Organization focus its efforts on funding high-priority outputs up to 80% of their budget through a combination of voluntary contributions and flexible funds. 

This explainer presents the details of high priority outputs by Major office; their budget and what it would signify to fund them up to 80%.