Capacity Statement June 2015 The Alliance Regional Technical Support Hub for South Asia was established to build the capacity of civil society organisations, government and the private sector in the South Asia region to respond more effectively and efficiently to HIV/AIDS and related challenges. The South Asia Hub primarily serves nine countries in South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Working with clients like the Global Fund, Grant Management Solutions, KPMG, Levi Strauss & Co., UNAIDS, WHO, the World Bank, GIZ, and Aidspan, the South Asia Hub has developed a rigorous and responsive approach to technical support. Reflecting our commitment to communities affected by the epidemic, we design and deliver technical support that is sustainable, offers value for money, and draws on ground-level implementation experience. The South Asia Hub s technical expertise reflects the Alliance s regional experience in implementing and supporting complex HIV programmes in a range of contexts. We provide exceptional capacity building support and training in programme management, monitoring & evaluation, financial oversight, and grant compliance. Expertise The South Asia Hub designs and delivers technical support that is sustainable, offers value for money, and draws on ground-level experience. The Alliance s implementation expertise from the region and around the world feeds into the Hub s technical support. For every assignment, the South Asia Hub puts together a team of experienced consultants and community-based practitioners with relevant and necessary skills and qualifications. Organizational Development & Management Programme management Financial systems and compliance Grant management Strategic planning Resource mobilization Monitoring & evaluation Research Knowledge management Advocacy Specialist Technical Areas Global Fund grant management Community Systems Strengthening HIV prevention for Key Populations Community based care & support for PLHIV SRH/HIV integration Human rights and gender equity Violence and crisis response
Services The South Asia Hub has delivered exceptional capacity building support and training in programme management, monitoring and evaluation, finance, and grant management, with significant expertise on Global Fund grant and compliance practices. From our founding in 2009 to March 2015, we undertook 72 different assignments in the Asia-Pacific region, totaling 6,538 consultancy days. Management Support The Hub has provided technical support to organisations implementing programmes supported by donors such as the Global Fund, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Aidspan, GIZ, the European Union, UNICEF, UNDP, GMS and UNAIDS, along with the national AIDS control agencies and the Ministries of Health in the region. We support institutions to develop their capacity to identify challenges, develop solutions, and set goals for effective programme implementation. For example, the Hub has provided technical support to build programme assessment and management capacities of Global Fund Principal Recipients (PRs) and Sub-Recipients (SRs). Selected Assignments: Management Support Technical support to strengthen Global Fund PR management capacity to implement Global Fund grants in Lao PRD with the Ministry of Health. Client: Grant Management Solutions (GMS), USA Developing capacity of Global Fund PRs and SRs from South Asia on programme management, SR management and monitoring & evaluation. Client: GIZ, German BACKUP Initiative, Eschborn, Germany Technical support to build capacity of Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCMs) to effectively perform their roles and responsibilities. The Hub worked closely with the CCM Hub at the Global Fund Secretariat and provided assistance on assessments of the CCMs for the Philippines, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka. Technical support to and an initial diagnostic assessment of the Sri Lanka CCM to enable it to meet Global Fund eligibility requirements under the New Funding Model. Client: CCM Sri Lanka Regional Capacity Development Programme for providers of technical support on Global Fund activities in South and South East Asia. Client: GIZ, German BACKUP Initiative, Eschborn, Germany Capacity Development of the Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka to implement Global Fund grant. Client: Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka Development of the Global Fund SR Management Guide and the CCM Guide. Client: Aidspan Alliance Regional Technical Support Hub (South Asia) Capacity Statement Page 2
Technical support to the Ministry of Health, Government of Bhutan, to prepare proposal for the Global Fund in Round 10. Technical support to the Community Action on Harm Reduction initiative in Indonesia, Kenya, China, and Malaysia to build the capacity of programme staff on sexual & reproductive health of people who inject drugs and their spouses. Capacity development of Hridaya programme staff in sexual & reproductive health and legal issues of people who inject drugs and their spouses. Client: India HIV/AIDS Alliance, New Delhi, India Capacity development of members of PLHIV networks and KP organisation in Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Client: India HIV/AIDS Alliance, New Delhi, India On-line TOT (training of the trainers) to local NGOs of several countries in Asia Pacific on facilitating HIV/AIDS in the Workplace training curriculum. Client: Levis Strauss & Co., San Francisco, USA Capacity strengthening of Civil Society Organisations to develop a gender sensitive and female-friendly approach within IDU programmes across Asia. Client: UNDP Bureau for Development Policy (BDP), New York, USA Regional training on SRH-HIV integration for Alliance Linking Organisations, PLHIV networks and key population organizations in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal. Technical support on the establishment of a community-based system for Sexual Minorities of Uganda (SMUG) to monitor and respond to human rights violations against LGBG community members. Technical support to HASAB in Dhaka, Bangladesh to review its existing strategic plan and facilitate the process to develop a new one for 2016-2020. Technical support for the development of a resource mobilization strategy of LEPRA Society (India), Secunderabad, India. Monitoring & Evaluation The South Asia Hub is one of the leading technical support providers on M&E in the region. We have provided this support to Global Fund Principal Recipients and Sub-Recipients and conducted Monitoring & Evaluation Systems Strengthening Tools (MESST) workshops in Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka. We have specific expertise in the development of monitoring frameworks, guidance on data quality assurance (DQA), on-site data verification (OSDV), reporting mechanisms, Alliance Regional Technical Support Hub (South Asia) Capacity Statement Page 3
computerized management information systems (CMIS), cost benefit analysis, social return of investment (SROI), and impact evaluation studies. Selected Assignments: Monitoring & Evaluation Technical support in M&E to Global Fund Round 9 PRs in India. Client: Grant Management Solutions (GMS), Arlington, USA MESST workshop for Global Fund Round 9 PRs in Sri Lanka and Nepal. Client: UNAIDS Technical Support Facility for South Asia, Kathmandu, Nepal Capacity building of PRs and SRs in Bangladesh, Nepal and Maldives on Global Fund M&E mechanisms and processes. Evaluation of Global Fund Round 7 grants supporting the Link Workers Scheme in India. Client: National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) and UNICEF, New Delhi, India Finance and Grant Management The South Asia Hub has helped organisations develop grant management systems, including operating procedures and manuals, to ensure efficient budgeting, procurement, financial disbursement, onward granting and compliance. We have also supported due diligence for organizations in response to donor requirements. Within the Global Fund mechanism, for example, the South Asia Hub has provided technical support to PRs in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka to help them comply with the donor s financial guidelines. Selected Assignments: Finance and Grant Management Capacity building of finance managers and officers of Linking Organizations of the International HIV/AIDS Alliance on financial management and compliance with European Union donor requirements. Client: International HIV/AIDS Alliance, UK Technical assistance and capacity building on financial management for two PRs in India in advance of signing their Global Fund Round 9 HIV grant agreements. Client: Grant Management Solutions (GMS), Arlington, USA Training in programme and grant management for Global Fund recipients in India. Client: UNAIDS Technical Support Facility for South Asia, Kathmandu, Nepal Research The South Asia Hub conducts research to build the evidence base to support improved programme implementation and policy advocacy for HIV, health and development in the region. We have undertaken various policy research and analysis assignments, including reviews of policies and implementation strategies. Selected Assignments: Research Alliance Regional Technical Support Hub (South Asia) Capacity Statement Page 4
Development of CCM Advocacy Reports 1 & 2: Global Fund Country Coordination Mechanisms: A Prescription for Change in a Time of Promise...Peril. Client: International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC), New York, USA Systematic review and evaluation of child protection policies in South Asia. Client: UNICEF, Bangkok, Thailand Mapping of funding mechanisms for community responses to HIV/AIDS in India. Client: World Bank, London, UK Evaluation study on HIV/AIDS among men who have sex with men and transgender populations in South-East Asia. Client: World Health Organisation (WHO), Regional Office for South-East Asia, New Delhi, India Clients & Technical Support Recipients The South Asia Hub collaborates with a range of donors and clients including civil society organisations, governments, and bilateral and multilateral funding agencies in the region to provide capacity building, technical assistance and ongoing support where they are most needed. We have served a variety of clients in range of contexts. Below is a glimpse of our main clients: British Red Cross Society UNAIDS European Union UNICEF Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis World Health Organisation & Malaria GIZ Government of Netherlands UNICEF Grant Management Solutions (GMS) KPMG ICRA Management Consulting Services Limited (IMaCS) National AIDS Control Organisation (India) India HIV/AIDS Alliance Levi Strauss & Co. Ministry of Health, Bhutan UNAIDS Technical Support Facility, Aidspan South Asia World Bank UNDP Contact Us Alliance Regional Technical Support Hub (South Asia) 6 Community Centre, Zamrudpur Kailash Colony Extension New Delhi 110048 India T: +91-11-4601-1552 info@southasiahub.org www.southasiahub.org The Alliance Regional Technical Support Hub is a company registered in India under Section 8 of the Companies Act (2013) with registration number U-85100-DL-2011-NPL-224364. Alliance Regional Technical Support Hub (South Asia) Capacity Statement Page 5