Association structure

Médecins du Monde and its management

Médecins du Monde's organisation is based on board members with experience overseas, volunteers in France, voluntary workers for international operations, and a permanent paid staff. The support of hundreds of thousands of donors ensures Médecins du Monde's financial independence. Thanks to this diversity, MdM operates permanently on the basis of debate, the views of civil society and the operational efficiency of its programmes for beneficiaries. As a result there is a strong and original rganisational structure which is distinctive amongst large NGOs.

> Decision-making authorities

Once a year, MdM's members (1,562 in 2005) meet in the General Assembly (GA), the highest decision-making body and the only one with the authority to amend the articles of association. The GA elects the twelve members of the Board of Management for three years, to which are added three substitutes.
From amongst its members, the Board elects the President and the organisation's Officers for one year: the Vice-Presidents, Treasurer, Deputy Treasurer, General Secretary and Deputy General Secretary and a Representative.
The Board, the organisation's executive body, meets monthly and takes any decisions concerning the organisation's management. To carry out its task properly the Board relies on :
• an advisory structure of Association members;
• a permanent operational structure;
• joint decision-making bodies bringing together permanent staff and Association members;
• the regional offices.

Board of Governors

Elected at the General Meeting of 02 june 2007

President
Dr Pierre MICHELETTI, Director of the Grenoble Public Health and Environment Department

Vice-Presidents:
Docteur Thierry BRIGAUD, médecin de prévention, Valenciennes
Dr Patrick DAVID, anaesthetist, Reims
Secretary General:
Dr Fabrice GIRAUX, general practitioner, Paris
Assistant Secretary General:
Docteur Frédéric Jacquet, médecin Inspecteur de Santé Publique, Montpellier
Treasurer:
Catherine GIBOIN, university teacher, Paris
Assistant treasurer:
Pierre KEMPF, hospital director, Lyons
Mission representative:
Dr Jérôme LARCHE, resuscitator, Nancy
Members of the Board of Governors:
Docteur Pascale ESTECAHANDY, hospital doctor, Toulouse
Dr Françoise SIVIGNON, radiologist, Paris.
Docteur Olivier BERNARD, paediatrician, Marseille
Claire Boulanger, cadre, Montgaudry
Deputy members of the Board of Governors:
Dr Didier CANNOT, general practitioner, Beanie
Docteur Patrick Beauverie, Docteur en pharmacie, Vincennes
Joseph DATO, lecturer at the University of Grenoble

> The advisory structure

This includes the continental groups and thematic groups. Each of these groups, made up of volunteer members with overseas experience involved in projects, proposes or issues an opinion on the continent or theme for which it is responsible. Their role is vital in terms of analysing contexts, modes of intervention, and drawing on the experience of projects. The Association has five continental groups, eight thematic groups and a France group including the Mission France and Harm Reduction steering committees. The members of the advisory groups are elected according to the internal regulations.

> The permanent operational structure

This is led by two Directorates. The Humanitarian Aid Directorate includes the international operations department, the Mission France co-ordinating body, project logistics, the adoption department and the communication department. The Management Directorate includes the human resources department, the development department, the finance and IT systems Department and the legal department. Non-strategic operational decisions are made each week during a project meeting for project-related decisions and at a management meeting for other aspects. International programmes are managed by the programme's medical co-ordinator, who is responsible to the Head of Project who deals with aspects of policy or specific expertise and is in operational contact with the desk officer at head office or the project officer in some regional offices. Heads of Projects are proposed by the different internal bodies and ratified by the Board.

> The joint decisionmaking bodies

They include the Management Committee, which brings together the staff members involved in management each week and examines strategic decisions concerning projects, passe au crible les décisions bearing witness, political lobbying and publicity. Other joint decision-making bodies are the human resources group and the management group who meet each month to define human resources and management policies which are finalised and ratified by the Board.

> The regional delegations

In the regions, MdM has set up regional delegations. Elected every two years, the regional colleges represent the Association in the regions. The delegations carry out international or regional projects, within the overall framework defined by the Board. All the board members, Heads of Projects, group co-ordinators, regional and board representatives meet three times a year for a National Advisory Council meeting.
More information

> The Donor Committee

The Donor Committee is made up of a dozen co-opted members and it provides constructive criticism and consensual analysis on MdM''s projects, ratios or communication strategy. It is given funding to go and evaluate projects in France and abroad. Through its president, it can express its views to the Board and the general assembly.
This specific set-up encourages debate at all levels. It allows MdM to be an active association which is both politically and financially independent. It encourages voluntary commitment by health workers in the service of the most destitute and vulnerable people, and has a constant concern for the quality and effectiveness of its international or local projects.
More information (French pages)