Improving Community Engagement with PEPFAR Christian Fung cfung@msmgf.org 30 August 2012
Agenda 1. 5 myths re: community engagement What s the truth? 2. Recommendations for improvement For In-country Community Groups For Host Governments For USG: USAID and CDC 3. Feedback from YOU
Myths Emotions 1) Despair / 绝望 / ส นหว ง / отчаяние / न र श 1) Resigned / 分离 / การปลด / отряд / ջոկատ / ट कड 1) Blame / 责难 / กล าวโทษ / обвинять / द ष 1) Annoyed / 烦恼 / ความน าราคาญ / раздражение /च ढ 1) Indignant / 愤慨 / ความข นเค อง / негодование / र ष
Myths #1 Despair I don t know the CDC or USAID director I have no connections to people in high places
Myths #2 Resigned The money is meant for and we have no chance of getting any funds
ANSWER to #1 & #2 All funding goes through a transparent procurement process Project Design TDYers, OGAC, interagency collaboration Open Competition OAA, RFA, RFP, JOFOC, Sole Source Technical & Financial Evaluation TEC / TEP, AO, CO
Myths #3 Blame George Bush doesn t care about people like me so there s no money for us The US Government is too conservative
ANSWER to #3 U.S. State Department Office of Global AIDS Coordinator CDC GAP USAID OHA Peace Corps DoD CDC Country Director USAID Mission Director GAP Director Health Office Director HIV/AIDS Advisor Strategic Information Advisor Prevention / Clinical / Care & Tx Advisor
Myths #4 Annoyed Why give money to the PSI / FHI / MSH / JSI / RTI / IHAA / CHF / Pact / IPFF? Why don t they just give money to me directly?
ANSWER to #4 Pre-Award Financial Audit Inventory of Foreign Contractors & Recipients Funding to conduct these audits Agreement / Contract Officer & Office of Inspector General ADS 591.3.3.1 Done by Management Bureau / OAA ADS 591.3.4.2 Recipients are expected to pay upfront cost ADS 591.3.5
Myths #5 Indignant Without me, you can t access the community There s no program without my organization s contribution
ANSWER to #5 In the game of donor - recipient relationship, everyone is REPLACEABLE Example #1: shift of Cambodian NGOs from post- Khmer Rouge human rights groups to HIV/AIDS ones in late 90s / early 2000s Example #2: 2000 East Timor became independent. Within 3 months, UN registration of NGOs increased from 10 to over 100
Recommendations For Community Groups (9) For Host Governments (5) For US Government (6)
Local NGO Recommendation Be engaged in the public health and development network in-country Know funding opportunities as they come up Check up regularly on fedbizopps.gov and grants.gov Federal Business Opportunities for contracts Grants.gov for cooperative agreements & grants Be cognizant of USG process Interagency collaboration, COP Country Operation Plan, COP review, annualpepfar Guidance
Local NGO Recommendation Know the rules / regulations / constraints OGAC, CDC, USAID requirements: ADS, CFR, FAR Anticipate unpredictable development Funding decrease Staff change: technical office, OAA, senior leadership Prepare for USG requirements Audit Documentation Languages: procurement reform, pipeline, USAID Forward, GHI, G2G, country ownership
Local NGO Recommendation Link organizational message to PEPFAR outcomes / results / indicators Articulate your comparative advantage Be sensitive to the USG mission s need to achieve results Approach CDC & USAID to ask questions Pre-proposal conference Bring up FOG (Fixed Obligation Grant) and ADS 303 Find a good English writer
Host Government Recommendation Ask USAID about ADS 350 Cash transfer Limited scope grant agreement Prepare internal Standard Operating Procedures to manage, disburse and monitor USG funds All funds have to be used in accordance with USG rules and regulations
Host Government Recommendation Consider mechanisms to contract local or international NGOs for service delivery Use UNGASS, PEPFAR and Global Fund indicators Create agreement with PEPFAR Coordinator re: Country Operation Plan review process Use milestones to come to approved / harmonize national and USG interests Create / lead national Technical Working Groups Insist on adequate government and civil society representation
USG Recommendation Conduct community meeting and pre-proposal conference before procurement process begins Make sure participation can be done by physical presence and via other technologies Consider targeted procurement language Ex: CHAMP (Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project) in Rwanda: 25% of total obligation to civil society groups in Year One, increased to 60% by Year Four Make G2G civil society friendly by defining the parameters
USG Recommendation Know the limitation of USAID Forward and Procurement Reform Recent changes have not streamlined the bureaucracy Know the regulations JOFOC: Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition / Sole Source / Notwithstanding Authority under PEPFAR ADS 202: FOG (Fixed Obligation Grant) Competitive process for awards up to 500K for local gropus 22CFR226.14 Special Award Condition
USG Recommendation Create a procurement page on your Mission website Fedbizzops and Grants.gov can be hard to navigate Understand procurement process timeline Pre-solicitation advertisement for 15 days Procurement advertisement for at least 45, preferably 60 days Half way point should be deadline date for clarification questions Pre-proposal conference should be held in the first week
Thanks for your attention Asante / Merci Beaucoup / 감사하십시오 /Obrigado / 謝謝 / Danke / Вы / Σας / شكرا/ ευχαριστούμε/ Dank u / ありがとう cảm ơn bạn / Tack / Go raibh maith agat / sağ از تشکر با / श क र य olun / Þakka þér / dziękuję / / ขอบค ณ / Gracias / Շնորհակալություն / شما mulțumesc / આભ ર / aitäh / நன ற / hvala