High Level Regional Consultation for Policy Makers to Enhance Leadership in Planning the National HIV & AIDS Response S P Aligning AIDS & Development Planning Processes: Why and How To Do It Bob Verbruggen UNAIDS

S P Outline of Presentation The Issue Why align AIDS and development planning ? Discussion: Experiences & Challenges Summary of Lessons Learned

S P The AIDS Perspective… National AIDS Plan Local Government Plans Other Sector Plans NDP / PRSP (MDG) MTEF International AIDS Funding Annual Budget Health Sector Plan Budget Total AIDS Budget Development Partners AIDS Plans (including UN) Civil Society & Private Sector Plans

S P The National Development Perspective… National AIDS Plan MTEF International AIDS Funding Budget Budgets Budget Development Partners AIDS Plans (including UN) Civil Society & Private Sector Plans Local Government Plans NDP / PRSP (MDG) Other Sector Plans National Budget Health Sector Plan

S P AIDS Response and National Development CROWDING IN: Growing diversity of Stakeholders Co-ordinators EXPECTATIONS! Growing focus on RESULTS “EXCEPTIONAL” AIDS RESPONSE INTEGRATED PROGRAMMES NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROCESS VERTICAL PROGRAMMES (Ad. From S. Mogedal)

S P The Issue Why align AIDS & development planning ? Discussion: Experiences & Challenges Summary of Lessons Learned

S P Four Entry Points: Process and Participation Diagnostics Policies, Strategies and Resources Implementation and M&E

S P Why align AIDS & development planning ? What AIDS Planning has to gain What Development Planning has to gain 1. Process and Participation Strengthened leadership and commitment at each level Broadened, more systematic participation of PLHIV and vulnerable groups More in-depth addressing of denial, stigma & discrimination, gender inequality Improved coherence and creation of synergies between AIDS and other development planning processes and their outputs

S P Why align AIDS & development planning ? 2. Diagnostics Improved analysis and understanding of the ‘drivers’ of the epidemic (i.e. the factors that increase HIV vulnerability in a society) through the mobilization of expertise and data sources beyond the AIDS constituency Improved understanding of the two way relationship between AIDS and development: – How AIDS impacts on development at the local, sectoral and national level – How development can aggravate or mitigate HIV vulnerability and AIDS impact

S P Why align AIDS & development planning ? 3. Policies, Strategies and Resources Improved ability to prioritize AIDS strategies and resource allocation Integration of AIDS priorities (as captured under national UA commitments) in national, sectoral and local development plans – incl. for the medium term More predictable medium-term funding for AIDS through: – improved donor coordination around NDP/PRSP, MTEF, SWAp,… – securing AIDS funding within the MTEF and annual budgets Improved relevance and adequacy of development plans and budgets (macroeconomic, sectoral, local) Gradual integration of AIDS funding in national financial management systems, allowing for: – more rational macroeconomic management of large inflows of AIDS funding – optimal resource allocation to strenghten national systems (social sectors, local government, civil society capacity,…)

S P Why align AIDS & development planning ? 4. Implementation and M&E Strengthened governance and implementation of the AIDS response, in particular in sectors and at the decentralized level Improved monitoring and evaluation capacity Gradual integration of the AIDS Response in regular governance mechanisms at central, sectoral and local level Strengthening of sectoral governance & performance thanks to the integration of AIDS

S P The Issue Why align AIDS and development planning ? Discussion: Experiences and Challenges Summary of Lessons Learned

S P The Issue Why align AIDS and development planning ? Discussion: Experiences & Challenges Summary of Lessons Learned

S P Four Entry Points: Process and Participation Diagnostics Policies, Strategies and Resources Implementation and M&E

S P Some Lessons Learned General Significant progress is being made with integrating AIDS into development planning at the national and sectoral level Integration in decentralised planning (‘vertical integration’) remains a challenge in most countries Gender is not featuring sufficiently in-depth in national development plans - and even less so in ‘downstream’ plans

S P 1. Process and Participation Systematic involvement of the AIDS constituency in the (iterative) development planning process leads to more adequate AIDS content in PRSP/NDPs, sectoral and local development plans – even where planning cycles differ Participation of PLHIV and vulnerable groups is often cited but there is little documentation of genuine good practice. National AIDS Authorities have a key role in ensuring participation of AIDS-specific stakeholders in broader PRSP/NDP processes Some Lessons Learned

S P 2. Diagnostics The AIDS constituency is often not sufficiently aware of other existing sources of information and expertise, or not well equipped to access and utilize them An inventory of impact & vulnerability studies is a useful resource to analyse and identify gaps There are some excellent impact & vulnerability assessments but they are often still lacking - particularly at the sector level. Finding the right expertise appears to be a challenge The Joint UN Team on AIDS through its Joint Programme of Support, is well placed to broker technical support in this area Some Lessons Learned

S P 3. Policies, Strategies and Resources Prioritized and costed National Strategic AIDS Plans, guided by Universal Access targets and roadmaps, provide the basis for essential AIDS content in development plans Conversely, involvement in the PRSP process is an opportunity to improve the NSAP, e.g. through Joint Annual Programme Reviews Even though mainstreaming does not mean that everyone should do everything, priority sectors are still often being missed out (e.g. Defence and Tourism) Mainstreaming of AIDS in MTEFs and sector and local budgets is becoming a reality as public finance management mechanisms are being reformed and strenghtened Some Lessons Learned

S P 4. Implementation and M&E The PRSP implementation process offers an entry point for integrating AIDS in sector and local government plans AIDS Operational Plans are a key (and often missing) link between AIDS planning and (sector and local level) implementation Harmonization of monitoring and evaluation frameworks and processes should be part of the process of aligning NSP and PRSP content PRSP monitoring remains a challenge in itself Thank you  Some Lessons Learned

S P Questions for Discussion Round Two How has your country aligned the content of different planning and monitoring instruments to national Universal Access priorities ? Has the integration of AIDS in the NDP/PRSP and other development planning resources helped to address complex socio-cultural challenges such as stigma and discrimination and gender inequality ? Does your Ministry of Finance perceive the inflow of large funding for AIDS as a challenge to proper macro- economic management ? If so how is it dealing with it ?

S P Questions for Discussion Round Two Do you know examples of AIDS funding being used to strengthen social sector systems ? Do you know examples of how the integration of AIDS has actually contributed to improve sector performance ? How is engagement to better mainstream AIDS in development planning processes resulting in improved implementation of AIDS programmes (prevention, care, support, treatment) on the ground ?