The Joint External Evaluation is a voluntary process where a country conducts a self-assessment of its health security capacities using the WHO Joint External Evaluation tool. An external team of experts then reviews the self-assessment, visits the country, and jointly assesses capacities with national experts. The objectives are to measure and allow countries to identify needs to strengthen their health security systems, inform work plans, and engage donors. The evaluation is open, multi-sectoral, and uses consensus-based peer review to develop a publicly available final report with priority actions.

1. Joint External Evaluation:
Objectives, Methodology and Expected Outcomes

2. Joint External Evaluation
Background & rationale
The IHR Review Committee on Second Extensions for Establishing
National Public Health Capacities and on IHR Implementation
recommended:
“…options to move from exclusive self-evaluation, to
approaches that combine self-evaluation, peer review and
voluntary external evaluations involving a combination of
domestic and independent experts”
EB136/22 Add.1, 16 January 2015

3. Joint External Evaluation
JEE Objectives
● to measure country specific status and progress in achieving
IHR core capacities
● to allow countries to identify the most urgent needs within
their health security system
● to inform the updating and revision of national work plans,
prioritizing opportunities for enhanced preparedness
● to engage with current and prospective donors and partners
to target resources effectively

4. Joint External Evaluation
Joint External Evaluation
A process where
– National experts conduct self-assessment using WHO
Joint External Evaluation (JEE) tool
– External team of experts review self-assessment report
prior to on-site visit
– External team visit country and uses the same JEE tool
for evaluation, working together with national team to
“jointly” assess capacities
– Recommended frequency of JEE is every 4-5 years

5. Joint External Evaluation
Voluntary evaluation characterized by openness and transparency
Multi-sectoral including agriculture, security, etc.
Joint peer-to-peer review based on discussion and consensus
with both external and country teams
Field visits support and inform technical area discussions
Final Report includes recommended priority actions; Publicly available
A common platform for broad donor and international support
JEE Process:
A different kind of evaluation

6. Joint External Evaluation
JEE Process
Self-assessment
Host country completesJEE
self-assessment
Joint Technical
discussions
Field visits
Consensus
scoring
E.g. border crossings,
laboratories
country introduces scores and
discuss with experts
Reporting
JEE final report
published online