Improved harmonisation from policy dialogue? Realist perspectives from Guinea and Chad

Area of Science:

• Health Policy and Systems Research
• International Health
• Development Studies

Background:

• Harmonisation is a core principle of the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness.
• The Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Partnership supported health policy dialogues in the WHO African Region (2012-2015).
• The UHC Partnership aimed to strengthen national health policy development in countries like Guinea and Chad.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze whether policy dialogue improved health actor harmonization in Guinea and Chad.
• To understand the mechanisms and contextual factors driving harmonization.
• To assess the impact of policy dialogue on health system strengthening.

Main Methods:

• Analytical reflection using realist evaluative approaches.
• Key informant interviews at national and sub-national levels, including government, civil society, and development partners.
• Review of policy documents and reports to contextualize findings.

Main Results:

• Harmonization was perceived as stronger in Guinea than in Chad.
• Shared understanding of policy dialogue and its potential existed in both countries.
• Contextual factors in Chad, such as pre-existing dialogues and resource constraints, influenced harmonization perceptions.

Conclusions:

• Policy dialogue effectively fosters information exchange among health partners.
• Policy dialogue does not appear to influence the operational procedures of health actors.
• Findings have implications for improving aid effectiveness in health sector support.