1. Accelerating Implementation: Managing bottlenecks and facilitating technical support to grants Duncan Earle December 2005

2. Background The Global Fund and its stakeholders recognized the urgent need for an ‘early warning system’ that would provide several functions Identify grants facing challenges to effective implementation early in the grant cycle Facilitate the mobilization of effective technical and managerial support to address challenges by making information about such grants widely available to partners at country, regional and global levels Minimize the potential consequences of poor implementation and performance in the context of the Global Fund’s performance based funding architecture

3. Purpose & Principles The purpose of EARS: To identify challenges early enough to address them, before Phase 2 To mobilize and coordinate the response from partners To provide notice to countries and partners that there are challenges that need to be addressed Underlying principles Country driven process and response Global Fund finances and does not implement GF Secretariat works with country partners (PR, CCM and other partners) to help identify challenges to implementation and to mobilize a response

4. Country/CCM/PR Role PRs are given an opportunity to describe the challenges they face, technical assistance needed, and their current efforts to resolve the situation CCM and PR will work with the Secretariat to identify types of technical support needed CCM and PR decide how to fund technical assistance –Some partners have limited funds available –GF grants can be used to fund technical assistance, but if budget implications are significant, changes must go to TRP

5. The Secretariat’s Role Generate the EARS list monthly –Analysis of data: burn rates, late disbursements and reports, LFA and FPM ratings, low achievement of indicators –Communication with portfolio teams, partners and countries Communicate countries and partners of challenges to grants Mobilize support for challenged grants –Build relationships with donors and other partners Support to countries will be coordinated by the portfolio teams Identify and implement best practices for addressing grant challenges Provide information and assistance to countries requesting help

6. Operational Partnerships The role of the partners is to identify available resources, technical and financial, to mobilize a response Work with the Global Fund and countries to identify needs and coordinate a rapid, quality response The Secretariat is further developing its relationships with partners to be able to identify and engage partners, at an earlier stage in the grant

7. EARS in Practice Early Alert : Grant Information Analysis: disbursement data, grant performance, information from partners, FPMs, etc. Grant Watch List – generated, reviewed & updated monthly by OPCS & Clusters Country & Stakeholders CCM & PR Technical Partners & Donors If no alert Needed, options: 1.Return to watch list 2.Remove from watch list Response : Diagnosis & resolution Action Plans Technical Assistance Partner engagement Follow up and accountability

8. Challenges Unreliable channels of communication Concerns about stigmatization Technical assistance requirements often ill- defined or not recognized in a timely fashion Resourcing the provision of technical and managerial assistance –Limited resources available from partners –Reprogramming GF grants is allowable but challenging due to tight budgets and reluctance of countries to free up grant resources –Identification of resources to pay for TA often delays response.

9. The Global Problem Solving and Implementation Support Team - GIST Organization of several major partners who meet monthly to improve coordination of the response – one of outcomes of the GTT –Permanent members: World Bank, WHO, UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNDP, UNICEF, The Global Fund –Other partners are involved depending on the country, including: GTZ, USAID, DFID, etc. Participation in GIST is country driven Currently GIST entry point is through HIV/AIDS grants Examples of current countries working with GIST: Guinea Bissau, Niger, Nigeria, Mozambique, Bolivia, Caribbean, Honduras, Senegal

10. EARS Process Data – Quantitative data (burn rates, late disbursements, etc. ) and qualitative data (from FPMs, countries, partners) Watch List Grants reviewed by Secretariat EARS list Posted on website Mobilization of partners Reviewed monthly Assessment Letter to PR Secretariat reviews country response Country Response – includes technical assistance and action plans EARC – Early Alert and Response Committee Partners