This paper provides a summary of the December 2014 Board Retreat held in Maryland, USA. This retreat was aimed at starting the conversation on the 2016-2020 Strategic Plan process due to the plan to launch it in early 2016. The Board of Directors discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the current operational model and agreed on a pathway for strengthening the platform.

The outcome of the retreat was a clear pathway forward for the Secretariat and the Board to develop a five-year Strategic Plan (2016 – 2020). Following the Retreat, the Board agreed to work to be undertaken on two key Workstreams: (1) Strengthening the Global Partnership's Operational Model; and (2) Defining the mission, vision, principles, and prioritizing key objectives and areas of focus.