The PQMD Collaboration and Learning Forum Opening Session kicks off with a warm welcome from PQMD's Executive Director, EJ Ashbourne, setting the stage for the event. Mercy Ships CEO, Gert van de Weerdhof, will then extend his greetings, introducing the collaborative spirit of the forum.
This panel will delve into how PQMD members are responding to the increasing frequency and severity of global disasters and crises without coinciding funding. Members will speak to escalating needs and discuss their strategic approach to how they prioritize response efforts and any implications on organizational bandwidth, partnerships, level of engagement, and relationships with donors. Additionally, members will share their experiences on shifts in effectiveness and articulating the impact of their work.
This critical conversation will explore the nuances and realities of how humanitarian work makes an impact. Organizations have always been keen to articulate their value proposition and the results of their work in general and that can quickly become customized. With the recognition that we are living through complex changes in how we work, we can further pursue deeper understanding about why our work is valuable, what we can measure, the assumptions we make and who should inform metrics decisions. ESG, the localization movement, expansion of partnerships and growing interest in wrap-around programming all influence organizational approaches to monitoring and evaluation. PQMD members will discuss “what is truly working – and how do we know?”
In this dynamic session, PQMD members will deliver rapid-fire "snapshots" of their programmatic successes that create impact for Regional Partnerships and Health Infrastructure. This is an opportunity for the membership to hear directly from their peers who have expertise in discreet programmatic areas. This session was directly requested from our members and built to inspire and provide opportunities for deeper understanding - leading to further collaboration and cross-pollination of ideas. After the presentations, participants will work together to share their own experiences around the topics.
As climate change impacts health and shapes the changing scope and scale of humanitarian work, PQMD members are on the frontlines of action. This session will tap into PQMD member experiences as they adapt and mitigate their work. Participants will hear “take-home” messages and contextualized insight from partners working on climate action every day.
In this session, newly-joined PQMD member organizations will introduce themselves and share their unique missions and contributions to the network. This session offers a valuable opportunity to welcome and learn about the fresh perspectives and innovative approaches these new members bring to the PQMD family.
Since the implementation of PQMD’s Strategic Plan in 2020, the Executive Committee annually reconfirms PQMD’s goals as a Standards Setter, Network Builder & Convener, and Information & Knowledge Broker. These standards reflect PQMD’s ongoing commitment to sustainable development and global access to healthcare and well-being. We have made great progress toward these goals while evolving as a global thought-leader and dynamic organization. Earlier this year, PQMD recruited a cross-section of member representatives to volunteer and serve as a “core team” to engage in a Strategic Refresh process focused on examining PQMD’s organizational structure to ensure we continue to be fit for purpose and continue to accomplish our strategic goals. During this session, we will hear an update on the group’s progress and learn what’s next!
Program highlight and warehouse tour (closed-toed shoes required).
Explore Mercy Ships’ Warehouse Operations: Supporting Global Missions from Lindale, Texas Mercy Ships operates two key warehouse facilities that are essential to supporting our two ships. Our Lindale, Texas facility serves as the primary hub for a majority of our medical supplies, while our Rotterdam, Netherlands facility handles food, general supplies, and marine operational needs. Together, these facilities manage around 125 container shipments annually, showcasing the agility of our supply chain in adapting to varying lead times, allocations, and surgical schedules. In addition to container shipments, we utilize DHL, air cargo, and couriers to ensure timely delivery and high-quality care for our staff and patients.
We invite you to join us for a tour of our Lindale warehouse to gain insight into how we support our two-ship operation. Please note that closed-toe shoes are mandatory for the tour to ensure safety. We look forward to sharing the intricate details of our supply chain and the vital role our warehouse plays in our global mission.
Day 2 of member showcases will highlight success in Maternal and Child Health (MCH), support for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Health Workforce development, and Access. In this engaging session, PQMD members will present rapid-fire “snapshots” of their innovative approaches and achievements in these vital areas. The session will conclude with breakout discussions, offering participants the opportunity to exchange experiences and strategies related to each topic.
Requested by members and guided by Standard Co., PQMD has leveraged basic benchmarking data and developed a member-exclusive digital resource to help organizations learn, connect and collaborate with their follow members.
This session will provide an in-depth exploration of the complexities and rising costs associated with supply chain logistics. It will focus on procurement strategies, managing inventory constraints, and optimizing cost management while ensuring quality and sustainability. Following the panel discussion, participants will engage in a round robin of topic discussions sharing ideas to address these logistics challenges and identify effective strategies for improving efficiency and impact. Breakout groups include: Planning and Preparedness; Cost Management Strategies; Procurement Models; Infrastructure and Distribution; Quality Assurance and ROI; and Environmental Sustainability.
"Leaning into Sustainability and Resilience: What's Working and What's Driving Success" comes to a close, PQMD leadership will wrap-up of the CLF and deliver PQMD announcements for future meetings.
Fundamentals of Humanitarian Logistics (Facilitation by: Airlink) This interactive session will offer participants an opportunity to learn about the requirements and key considerations for moving aid cargo by air to international programs. Looking at aid mobilization through the lens of an emergency scenario, participants engage directly with shipping documentation, cargo preparation, and arrangement of in-country receiving requirements in order to get donated goods onsite quickly following a disaster. This session is geared towards NGO members and Corporate members that routinely work in disaster response as a tool in building logistics capacity and assessing current or partner capabilities. Participants will walk away from this session with a deeper understanding of the documentation required to dispatch aid (whether procured or donated) to program sites using air freight, access to templates and guidance on preparing cargo for shipment by air, and a list of considerations for important consignee vetting to ensure shipments arrive where and when they are needed.
Mental Health & Resilience Training For Frontline Workers (Facilitation by: Project HOPE) The Mental Health and Resilience Training program was originally designed for frontline healthcare workers and has been adapted to provide PQMD members knowledge, tools, techniques and practical guidance on building resilience, self-care and how to support themselves and others in times of crises. It will push participants to think about operationalizing mental wellbeing and advocating for organizational mental health practical initiatives. This training will provide insight into what humanitarian staff, emergency response volunteers, and frontline workers are faced with and provide helpful tools on how to support our own mental wellbeing and wellbeing of peers / personnel. The session will cover the continuum of stress; warning signs and responses to stress; common effects of stress on frontline workers; self-care techniques and skill building techniques to aid our teams through self care, support and assessments.
Operationalizing Climate Action – A Primer(Facilitation by: International Medical Corps) The humanitarian sector is in the era of incorporating climate action into our programs and across our pursuits. In many of the geographic areas targeted by interventions led by PQMD’s members, larger numbers of people are likely to be severely affected by increases in water-borne and vector-borne diseases. The scientific consensus anticipates increases in the frequency and intensity of floods, extreme heat, wildfires and droughts, as well as increases in the intensity of tropical storms and the complexity and overlapping of disasters occurring simultaneously. Recognizing the profound threat that climate change poses to the communities with which our members work, this workshop will provide a high-level road map for how organizations, and the companies they partner with, can develop, implement and resource a multi-pronged approach to address the impacts of climate change – ultimately to better support the communities served as they adapt to changing healthcare needs in a hotter and more dangerous world. The session will cover areas such as: development of internal buy-in and working groups; measuring climate impact; program strategies for adaptation; capacity strengthening for local partners; and explore tools to measure the environmental impact of our own activities.
