Where We Work / Democratic Republic of Congo

The Capacity Project was selected as one of the USAID projects that provide assistance to developing countries through a US Government initiative, Technical Assistance to Global Fund Grants. The purpose is to improve the functioning of grants financed by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) by providing short-term, rapid support to grants that are faltering in their implementation.

AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria are three of the world’s most devastating diseases that kill more than six million people every year. They are both preventable and treatable. The GFATM increases resources to support locally-driven strategies to combat these pandemics.

Countries that have requested assistance from the Capacity Project include Belize, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, El Salvador, Indonesia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nepal, Pakistan, Romania, Senegal, Swaziland, Tanzania and Togo. Examples of the Project’s work include the following:

• Ecuador: After an initial assessment, the Project circulated a report with recommendations for improving performance. As a result, several key changes were made. A humanitarian organization (CARE) was selected to work alongside the Ministry of Health, the management structure for the National HIV/AIDS Program was strengthened and plans for the Ministry of Health Administrative Unit for managing the GFATM grant were further developed. The Project’s second round of assistance resulted in a staffing plan for the National HIV/AIDS Program, streamlined systems and procedures for the Administrative Unit and an agenda for a two-day meeting to assess operations and agree on further improvements.
• Indonesia: The Project formed a team to provide expertise in program management, human resources systems, financial management and monitoring and evaluation. The first visit focused on assessment and recommendations for improvement. A second visit provided additional assistance in implementing high priority recommendations.
• Malawi: The Project assisted the US Government HIV Coordinator to plan and conduct a series of high-level meetings in Malawi to identify and work to resolve critical bottlenecks to implementation of the country’s GFATM grants. The meetings led to resolutions that were expected to put GFATM funds on the ground faster.
• Mozambique: The Project helped to develop consistent, streamlined policies and procedures for awarding grants from the GFATM. The key outcome was a unified operations manual and companion grantee manual that contains a set of policies and procedures for awarding grants and tracking their performance.
• Pakistan: The Project provided technical support to strengthen the functioning of Pakistan’s grant for its National AIDS Control Program. Significant results include eliminating major workload backlogs, generating financial reports faster and with fewer errors, improving workflow between the grant’s Principal Recipient (PR) and Sub Recipients, and enhancing monitoring and evaluation. The GFATM portfolio manager indicated that the “PR is much stronger” thanks to the Project’s assistance.
• Romania: The Project assessed operations and provided an action plan outlining key findings, prioritized recommendations, an implementation timeline and suggested responsible parties. The country’s GFATM program coordinators voted unanimously to adopt the plan and to begin implementing the recommendations immediately.
• Senegal: The Project organized a workshop for Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) members, who play active roles in fighting HIV, TB and malaria. Key outcomes include a better understanding of how performance-based grants work; clarified roles and responsibilities for CCM members; strategies for monitoring grant performance and addressing gaps; and development of an operational procedures manual and detailed workplan for the upcoming year.
• Togo: Under new leadership, the CCM members in Togo asked the Project to help assess and strengthen their performance as they prepared to resubmit their HIV/AIDS grant proposal in Round Seven. Recommendations resulted in a two-day workshop that led to production of a CCM operations manual and legal framework.