Global Fund Issues New Information Notes for Round 10 Applicants

Author:

David Garmaise

Article Type:

Article Number: 3

ABSTRACT The Global Fund has produced 17 information notes to assist Round 10 applicants.

The Global Fund has produced 17 information notes to assist Round 10 applicants.

Twelve of the Information Notes are new for Round 10. The following is a list of these documents, with brief explanations of the contents:

• “Strengthening Implementation Capacity.” Provides guidance on the inclusion of technical assistance plans in Round 10 proposals and grants.
• “Dedicated Reserve for Round 10 HIV/AIDS Proposals for Most-at-Risk Populations (MARPs).” Explains how the new dedicated reserve for MARP proposals works. This reserve is for Round 10 only.
• “Prioritization for Round 10.” Describes how the new prioritisation rules will be applied for Round 10 in the event there is not enough money to immediately fund all proposals recommended for approval.
• “Prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT).” Provides basic information to countries on scaling up PMTCT activities within their HIV and TB programmes. Also lists where to find more comprehensive information.
• “Harm Reduction.” Describes how a comprehensive package for the prevention, treatment and care of HIV among people who inject drugs can be incorporated in proposals.
• “TB/HIV Co-Infection.” Explains how to integrate collaborative TB/HIV activities in proposals.
• “Pharmaceutical Systems Strengthening.” Describes the types of support available to strengthen pharmaceutical systems. A pharmaceutical system consists of functions and activities to select, quantify, procure, store, distribute, use and monitor quality-assured health products.
• “Unit Costs for Selected Key Health Products.” Provides information on the lowest unit costs available on the market for a selected list of the most commonly used health products.
• “Improving Value for Money.” Explains what “value for money” is, why it is important, and how it can be integrated into proposals.
• “Improving Aid Effectiveness.” Provides recommendations on how to integrate the principles of aid effectiveness into the development of proposals.
• “Multi-Country Applicants.” Describes the types and characteristics of multi-country applicants, the eligibility requirements for multi-country proposals, the requirements that the proposals themselves must meet (e.g., demonstrating the added value of a regional approach), and the strengths and weaknesses of previously submitted multi-country proposals.
• “Non-Country Coordinating Mechanisms (Non-CCM).” Describes the criteria used to determine whether Non-CCM applicants are eligible for consideration, and describes the extent of the information Non-CCM applicants must provide.

Four of the information notes were also available for Round 9, but have since been substantially re-written. These are as follows:

• “The Global Fund’s Approach to Health Systems Strengthening (HSS).” Explains why HSS is so critical, how it relates to the mandate of the Global Fund, and how HSS can be included in proposals. Also describes the lessons learned from HSS components submitted in previous rounds.
• “Assessing Women, Girls and Gender Equality.” Describes how applicants can address issues of gender in their proposals.
• “Sexual Orientation and Gender Identities in the Context of the HIV Epidemic.” Describes how applicants can strengthen their focus on the HIV-related vulnerabilities of people who are marginalised due to sexual orientation, gender identity, or consensual sexual behaviours; and how sexual orientation and gender identities can be addressed in proposals.
• “Community Systems Strengthening (CSS).” Provides definitions of CSS-related terms; and explains why CSS is important, what the core components of CSS are, and how CSS can be integrated in proposals.

The 17^th information note, on “Dual Track Financing,” is basically unchanged from Round 9.

The Global Fund has also produced an FAQ document on the Round 10 applications process. It contains two main sections, one on eligibility and one on the contents of the proposal form.

The information notes and the FAQ document are available in several languages at www.theglobalfund.org/en/applicationfaq.