Aidspan, publisher of Global Fund Observer, plans to publish four guides for Global Fund applicants and recipients, as follows:

"A Guide to Applying to the Global Fund"

This Guide will go beyond the application guidelines provided by the Global Fund. It will discuss factors that lie behind some of the questions asked in the application form, and will distill conclusions that can be drawn from a detailed analysis of the successful proposals that were submitted to the Fund in Rounds 1 through 3 (all of which are available at

www.aidspan.org/globalfund/grants and www.theglobalfund.org). It will be based on the premise that there is no single "correct" way of completing the application form. The applicant must clearly describe its plan to tackle HIV, TB or malaria, and must make a convincing case that the plan is viable, is capable of delivering the anticipated results, and is something that the applicant is committed to implementing.

"A Guide to Obtaining Global-Fund-Related Technical Assistance"

This Guide will consist primarily of a directory of organizations, of all types and sizes, that have provided technical assistance (TA) to applicants to the Global Fund and/or that are available to do so in the future. It will be based on a survey to be conducted by Aidspan during late November and early December.

Important note: Any person who represents a TA-provider that should feature in this survey, or who is in contact with such an organization, is requested to send an email to TA@aidspan.org with the Subject line "Survey". Anyone sending such an email, and any other people they name in their email, will be sent a copy of the survey form together with instructions and background information. The survey form will also be placed at www.aidspan.org/survey, from where it can be downloaded. Survey forms, which will be provided in several languages, must be returned by mid-December. Organizations that do not complete the survey form will not be listed in the Guide.

"A Guide to Starting Implementation of a Global Fund Grant"

Between grant approval and first cash disbursement, all recipients of Global Fund grants face similar challenges. They have to answer the TRP's questions; they have to negotiate a grant agreement with the Fund; they have to develop a staffing plan, a procurement plan, and a workplan; and they have to negotiate agreements between Principal Recipient and sub-recipients. This Guide will focus on these initial steps.

"A Guide to Building and Running an Effective CCM"

This Guide will be based upon various case studies that organizations other than Aidspan have conducted regarding CCM operations. It will present a list of issues that need to be addressed by most CCMs, and for each such issue it will list some of the actions that the CCM could take. (As such, the Guide will seek to be of value both to CCM members and to observers who would like their local CCM to be more effective.) Issues covered will include choosing a Chair and Vice Chair; determining whether to accept a request by a new organization to join the CCM; deciding what information about the CCM's workings to make publicly available; providing oversight over the work of the Principal Recipient; and finding a balance between being large enough to be representative and small enough to be nimble.

It is hoped that the first two Guides above will be available in January, the month in which Round 4 will be launched.