As mentioned in Article 2, the Global Fund has modified the criteria that are used by the Technical Review Panel (TRP) to review proposals. The changes come into effect immediately, and thus will impact the review of Round 10 proposals. The changes are mainly designed to ensure that the review criteria reflect policies recently adopted by the Global Fund Board, including policies on community systems strengthening, gender equality, and sexual orientation and gender identity.

The following criteria were among those added:

• The TRP looks for proposals that use a situational analysis to assess the risk of, vulnerability to, and impact of, the three diseases on women and girls, as well as boys and men, and that adopt appropriate programmatic responses; empower women, girls and youth; promote gender equality; address the structural and cultural factors that increase risk and vulnerability; and contribute to changing harmful gender norms.
• The TRP looks for proposals that demonstrate how the proposal will contribute to the sustained strengthening of civil society and community systems.
• The TRP looks for proposals that demonstrate how continuous process and impact monitoring and evaluation will be implemented.

The information for this article was taken from the "Report of the Portfolio and Implementation Committee," which should be available shortly as document GF/B21/5 at www.theglobalfund.org/en/board/meetings/twentyfirst/documents. The TRP Review Criteria are also contained in the TRP's terms of reference. The May 2009 version of the TRP ToR is available in six languages at www.theglobalfund.org/en/trp; this version does not include the changes that have just been approved by the Board. An updated version of the Review Criteria should also be included in the Guidelines for Proposals to be issued by the Global Fund when Round 10 is launched. Readers should note that for the TRP to recommend funding, a proposal is not required to meet every one of the TRP Review Criteria.