Mapping of United Nations Resources on HIV and AIDS

Mapping of United Nations Resources on HIV and AIDS

at country level

Background

The call to establish Joint UN Teams on AIDS has emerged within the larger context of both UN reform[1]and international efforts to improve aid effectiveness.[2] In March 2005, a Global Task Team on improving AIDS coordination among multilateral institutions and international donors was formed at the request of leaders from governments, civil society, UN agencies, and other multinational and international institutions who met in London to review the global response to AIDS under the theme, “Making the Money Work: The Three Ones in Action”. The imperative to form joint teams on AIDS comes directly from the recommendations of the Global Task Team issued in June 2005.[3] These recommendations were subsequently endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly during the September 2005 World Summit[4] and the UN Secretary General wrote to UN Resident Coordinators in December 2005 directing them to establish these teams.[5]

The above-mentioned documents provide key lessons that identify enhanced ways of working at country level. The decisions and recommendations provide an opportunity for UN Country Teams to renew and strengthen existing structures to support the national response to HIV/AIDS. It is important to recognise that UN Country teams are not expected to create entirely new structures and processes but to adapt the existing structures (notably UN Theme Groups and Technical Working Groups on HIV/AIDS) to address current shortcomings outlined in the reference documents. Strengthening the integration of HIV/AIDS programming within existing frameworks and processes will be the key for effective and sustained support of national responses.

Responding to the above decisions and recommendations at the global level, the Regional Management Team recommended that all country offices would undertake a mapping of the current UN resources on HIV and AIDS as a first step towards formation of a joint team on AIDS. This is in line with the assessment of the effectiveness of the UN response and a move towards UN joint programming as per therecommendations stipulated above.In particular emphasis is to be placed on strengthening the harmonization among the partners and the national stakeholders as well as alignment to national plans and processes.

The mapping exercise will focus on such areas as human/technical resources, skills mix, financial resources, and geographical coverage. The exercise also fits in well with the letter from the Secretary General to the Resident Coordinators and is part of the reform agenda.

It is therefore highly recommended that each country conducts this very useful assessment prior to undertaking any discussions on UN Country Team division of labor and formation of the Joint UN Team on AIDS.

Objectives

1. To map out existing technical staff and financial resources allocated and spent on HIV/AIDS programme.
2. To assess the extent to which interventions supported by UN agencies are aligned with the country’s National Strategic Framework’s (NSF) key objectives and expected outcomes, and sector line ministries strategic plans.
3. To assess the level of inter-agency coordination and harmonization in programme planning and monitoring of HIV/AIDS interventions.
4. To map out the geographical spread of UN supported agencies (WHO, WHAT, WHERE).
5. To recommend steps to improve joint programming and alignment against the new NSP, Priority Annual Action Plan and the line-ministries’ sector plans.

Justification for the mapping exercise

In the context of one country team on HIV/AIDS, it is expected that UN agencies supporting HIV/AIDS coordinate their programme planning and monitoring of interventions which they are supporting. Often, some agencies develop programmes with little consultation/joint planning with convening roles. At the same time, there is a tendency of agencies implementing programmes without harmonizing indicators. For example an agency might have programmes on OVC without consulting UNCEF either in program planning or monitoring. Although UN is advocating for result based interventions, it is common to find agencies without clear M&E plans, personnel or resources allocated to M&E (5-10% of programme funds)

The assessment will establish the level of inter-agency coordination in joint programming and harmonization of indicators to track progress based on common targets

It will also assess the extent to which UN supported programmes are coordinated and aligned to the key results/outcomes of the NSF and action plan. This implies that UN supported interventions should be clear on level of contribution to national targets and outputs as outlined in the NSP/MTEF.

The assessment will also establish the level of technical staff available to provide technical assistance to the response focusing on: (1) number of technical staff available in each agency; (2) amount of time dedicated to HIV/AIDS by the staff member, and (3) Available skills vis-à-vis the tasks assigned and training needs to strengthen the capacity.

Given the role of the UN is advocating for increased funding for HIV/AIDS, the study will assess the level of financial allocation and absorption capacity in the last three years focusing on allocation, commitment and spending. Attention will be paid to the complexity of teasing out HIV/AIDS funding in context of mainstreaming and budget support approach to funding national programmes

The assessment will also establish agency priorities in the contest of Integrated Support Planning (interventions and targets) and within the context of coordination and equity in service provision, the study will map out the geographical spread of the interventions by source of support.

This will provide an opportunity to map out programme support on key issues such as strengthening the prevention strategy and other key corporate priorities.

Establishment of a Joint UN HIV/AIDS programme as a next step

While this exercise helps to map UN resources earmarked for HIV/AIDS response, it also sets a basis for conducting a more in-depth analysis of the comparative edge each respective agency possesses. Furthermore this ensuing analysis will lay a strong foundation for the establishment of a Joint UN HIV/AIDS Programme in the respective country.Therefore in order that a complete picture regarding the quality of the response is determined, a SWOT analysis is recommended following the completion of the mapping exercise.

Given that the SWOT is designed to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an organization and other entities, it is envisaged that for this purpose special emphasis will be placed on highlighting and identifying the comparative edge that each agency possesses. The process should therefore be informed by the development of a well-defined United Nations technical support plan that includes a clear set of deliverables and detailed collective and individual accountability of the United Nations Country Team. Additionally final consensus should also be based on the agreed division of labor among United Nations Agencies, Funds and Programmes as is stipulated in the Secretary General’s letter, of December 2005, to the UN Resident Coordinators.

Methodology

The tool will be e-mailed to UN agencies to be completed by the HIV/AIDS focal point person/monitoring and evaluation officer. Personnel from UNAIDS will make a physical follow-up on the completed tool and provide support where necessary.

On the finance section, where the agency is supporting a mainstreamed programme, there will be reference to the project proposal and the MTEF key results which should highlight the HIV/AIDS component in the mainstreamed programme. The same is expected in programmes which are receiving funding based on budget support.

Based on justification for the assessment, finding will focus on:

• Interagency coordination and harmonization
• Current human resources
• Available skills vis-à-vis assigned tasks and training needs
• Financial resources (allocation, commitments and expenditure in the last three years
• Current priorities and targets vis-à-vis NSP objectives and actionplan targets
• Geographical mapping (who, what and where)

Outcomes

While the mapping is the starting point of the expected outcomes are:

1. Country support plan for HIV/AIDS which responds to national priorities.
2. Consolidated Technical support plan in line with agreed division of labour (GTT).

Mapping of United Nations resources on HIV and AIDSat country level

Assessment Tool

A. Technical staff allocated to HIV/AIDS

1)How many program staff members does the agency have in all program areas? (Indicate actual #): ______

2)Does your agency have dedicated technical staff for HIV/AIDS programs?

3)If Yes, how many? (Indicate actual #): ______

4)How much time does the staff in A3 above dedicate to HIV/AIDS?

Full time means committing more than 80% of staff time on HIV/AIDS

5)part-time – explain/indicate (in % of total work time):

List number staff (according to key responsibilities) and % of time spent of HIV/AIDS ______

6)How many are seconded to line ministries and other partners (Indicate actual #): ______

7)Do you have staff located outside capital city /based in capital city but covering areas outside capital city?

Please specify region/district by number of staff

8)Which program areas doyour staff work in? Please list, e.g., PMTC, OVC, M&E etc Please indicate educational background

B. Financial resources allocated to HIV/AIDS

1)How much did your agency allocate to HIV/AIDS in:

2)How much was actually spenton HIV/AIDS in:

3)How much of these resources are committed for M&E of HIV/AIDS program implementation?

C. Geographical coverage of programs in 2006

Priority setting

1How does your agency determine how much to allocate/contribute to HIV/AIDS (describe)

2Through what channels do you provide support to the national response to

HIV and AIDS?

Budget support at national level (2006)

Specify program areas

Project support through districts

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4)Were any of these programs co-planned with other UN agencies/development partners?

5)Were any of these programs co-financed by other UN agencies/development partners?

6)If Yes, with whom (list all co-financed programs), and how much was your Agency’s contribution? (The purpose is to establish partnerships and share of agency contributions)

D. Coordination and harmonization within the UN and with government and other partners

1)Harmonization: Indicators used by your Agency to track progress of the above programs, and key stakeholders with whom your Agency has harmonized the indicators

2Key challenges your Agency faces in the addressing of HIV/AIDS programs

3Recommendations to address the above and other broader challenges

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[1] See report of the Secretary General: An agenda for further change (9 September 2002).

[2] See Rome (February 2003) and Paris (March 2005) Declarations.

[3] See Global Task Team Final Report (14 June 2005), section 3.1, page 21.

[4] See World Summit Outcome Document (September 15, 2005), paragraph 57(f).

[5] See letter from Koffi Annan to the UN Resident Coordinators (12 December 2005).

[6] For cases where an intervention is covering more than one district, a list of the districts can be placed in the same box with the accompanying details on funding