Technical Support to countries for GFATM proposals and grant implementation
Situation:
The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) is an independent, public-private partnership, formally launched in 2001. Its primary objectives are to raise new resources to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria by issuing grants to countries with the greatest need, in support of prevention, care, and treatment programmes. GFATM has already made an enormous contribution to country level resources to control the three diseases. Countries have risen to the challenge to work collaboratively in a new way of working through Country Coordinating Mechanisms to secure grants. Their efforts will only be justified, if the first few rounds of funding are effectively spent to reach people in need.
Achievement of this condition will require determined and collaborative working of country partners to carry out large-scale programmes that are both effective and efficient. This is necessary for commitment of new and existing funders and confidence that the Global Fund adds value to other financing approaches. This confidence will grow from reliable evidence of effectiveness and of adaptation of the Global Fund to early lessons.
Response:
The Malaria Consortium is responding to these needs by providing practical professional support linked with capacity building and by contributing to an accurate and informative monitoring and evaluation system. It is building on its current network at international, regional and country level to provide, through multi-skilled teams, a source of flexible and responsive expertise, which is readily accessible and available to countries receiving Global Fund grants. Demand from countries for Malaria Consortium support has already been demonstrated by countries where we work.
The purpose of the programme is to make lasting progress in the fight against malaria and other diseases of poor people by using the findings of monitoring and evaluation to improve utilisation of GFATM support. The objective and outputs are as follows:
To provide high quality support to countries to design and implement monitoring and evaluation of programmes supported by GFATM
Expected outputs: An improved design of delivery mechanisms for intervention strategies based on valid and reliable evidence from implementation of grants supported by GFATM and; improved country capacity to monitor and evaluate large scale projects
In 2006 Eritrea, Mozambique and Indonesia were all supported by Malaria Consortium to develop successful proposals to GFATM.
Points to note:
The amount of time and energy exercised by country teams in working collaboratively to tight deadlines to secure grants has illustrated their trust in the Global Fund process. Their efforts will only be justified, if the first tranches of funding are effectively spent to reach people in need.
A key element of the programme is the capacity development component, which is essential to reap long-term benefits from the Global Fund investments.
For more information from the The Global Fund please click here