ARHEN Support for UDRH Staff Networks

Excerpt from ARHEN Policies and Procedures Manual

Part of the role of ARHEN is to support the development and operations of networks of UDRH staff.

The ARHEN office provides full secretariat support to the ARHEN Board of Directors (the UDRH Directors).

With regard to other networks of UDRH staff, ARHEN will generally provide the following limited level of administrative support:

• Assist with the establishment of contact lists for each network, and assist with keeping these lists current.
• Provide access to a website to facilitate exchange of information.
• Act as a conduit for information between network members where requested and feasible.
• Provide a conduit between the network and the ARHEN Board of Directors; and between the network and relevant external organisations, as appropriate.
• On request, provide a dial-in number for network teleconferences, provided the costs of such teleconferences are reimbursed.
• Attend teleconferences and face-to-face meetings of network members, if requested and if feasible given workload and other constraints.
• Offer advocacy, advice, and practical support in relation to activities undertaken by networks (eg the development of funding proposals) as practicable, providing such activities are supported by Directors.

Due to resourcing and staffing constraints, ARHEN generally cannot offer the following forms of support to networks unless additional specific resources are provided by participating UDRHs or from another source:

• Organisation of teleconferences and face-to-face meetings of network members.
• Provision of secretariat support (agenda, minutes, etc) for such meetings.
• Provision of funding to meet the costs of network meetings.
• Taking on the lead role in developing documentation (eg funding proposals, position papers) on behalf of networks.

In general, it will be expected that networks will organise and minute their own meetings, and independently undertake other activities as appropriate (eg through establishing a role of network convenor which could rotate amongst UDRHs); and that participating UDRHs will make arrangements to share or take turns to meet the costs of network meetings and other activities.