Supporting Member States in reaching informed decision-making on engaging with private sector entities for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases

Book excerpt: The Decision-making tool promotes a principles-based approach in engagements with private sector entities so that credibility, integrity and sound government processes are ensured and protected. It offers a systematic methodology for identifying opportunities where the private sector could contribute to strengthening national and subnational NCD responses, while safeguarding public health policies from undue influence and conflicts of interest. The tool was designed to be practical and applicable across diverse contexts and scenarios, and throughout the various phases of an engagement cycle (i.e. planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation). The process consists of three phases, comprising a total of 10 steps that aim to guide users to reach informed decisions on engagement with private sector entities. Each step contains a set of questions presented in a sequential and comprehensive manner. It will help strengthening Member States’ capacity to engage with the private sector, by conducting due diligence of private sector actors, and identifying and mitigating risks, including conflict of interest and other risks associated with the engagement.