INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: A Multi-Agency Approach to Building Capacity

Published: Mon 28 Sep 2009 02:17 PM
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RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHTO #1064/01 2711417
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 281417Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY MAPUTO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0790
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MAPUTO 001064
SIPDIS
STATE PLEASE PASS TO OGAC
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID KHIV SOCI MZ
SUBJECT: A MULTI-AGENCY APPROACH TO BUILDING CAPACITY
THROUGH PEPFAR SMALL GRANTS
1. SUMMARY: In response to the new objectives of PEPFAR II,
and as a result of an internal review of Post's Small Grants
Program (SGP) selection process, Post is initiating new
procedures for selecting, assisting and overseeing its PEPFAR
Quick Impact grant recipients. A multi-agency approach is
being used to ensure selection of grant recipients that fit
more closely within the overall portfolio of the Mozambique
PEPFAR program. Moreover, a new emphasis will be placed on
involving Peace Corps Volunteers, Prime Partners and
Public-Private partnerships to nurture small grantees in
order to meet the PEPFAR II goals of building local capacity
and sustainability. These new approaches will help Post
fulfill PEPFAR II's goal of fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic in
Mozambique through field-driven approaches that strengthen
country capacity and nurture small local organizations into
mature civil society institutions. END SUMMARY.
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THE MORE, THE MERRIER
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2. The PEPFAR reauthorization bill highlights the continued
need for partnerships with an emphasis on mentorship,
employing a conscious strategy of shifting to an indigenous
response. Post's Small Grants Program (SGP) in the
Political/Economic section previously had been solely
responsible for the advertising, evaluation, and selection of
its PEPFAR Small Grant recipients. In response to OGAC
concerns about the lack of integration of the SGP into the
larger PEPFAR portfolio, the SGP is initiating a new
multi-agency approach for the selection of its small grant
recipients. This approach involves the assistance of USAID,
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the
Peace Corps. Henceforth, grant proposals will first be
circulated to the inter-agency technical working groups for
Prevention, Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC), and System
Strengthening. Each technical working group will review the
proposals and evaluate them based on criteria, including the
type of assistance to be provided, the geographical location
of the project and synergies with the overall PEPFAR
Mozambique portfolio. The selected proposals from the
technical working groups will then be sent to the
inter-agency steering committee for the final selection.
Although this procedure is more time consuming, it results in
the selection of small grant recipients that fit more
precisely within PEPFAR Mozambique's assistance strategy.
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WEAK CIVIL SOCIETY AND NGOS
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3. The weak state of civil society in Mozambique reduces
local implementing capacity. For example, only one local NGO
is currently funded as a Prime Partner. Despite concerted
efforts towards building local organizational capacity, most
Mozambican NGOs, including potential Small Grants recipients,
are too undeveloped to qualify or participate in capacity
building programs. As a result, although past PEPFAR SGP
recipients have received funding for delivery of much needed
HIV/AIDS-related services, additional technical assistance
was needed to help them build capacity within their
organizations. The PEPFAR Mozambique Team sees these small
organizations as key members of civil society and a crucial
component of a nascent multi-sectoral, indigenous HIV
response. We are thus putting a new emphasis on providing
the training necessary for small grants recipients to begin
their own institutional growth process.
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PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS KEY
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4. Post has initiated a new program whereby all future small
grant recipients will receive a package of
assistance/services tailored to their individual needs to
include financial management, grants writing, monitoring and
evaluation, administrative and operational management, and
technical assistance to improve program content. Utilization
of Peace Corps Volunteers is the first step in this process.
When selecting new proposals, wherever possible we will pair
the organization with a Peace Corp Volunteer. Volunteers
will receive training and guidance from other PEPFAR agencies
in core competencies such as proposal and grant writing and
program monitoring and evaluation. In addition, a concerted
effort will be made to pair each organization with a PEPFAR
Prime Partner that is already working in that geographical
location. By sharing their knowledge and experience with the
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small grantee, the Prime Partners can provide invaluable
assistance to the local organizations and help them to attain
sustainability. Lastly, we are actively seeking
Public-Private partnerships in Mozambique with the potential
to lend support to these grant recipients. By pairing our
new grantees with local banks and businesses, we hope to
provide them with much needed financial management
assistance.
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COMMENT: CAPACITY-BUILDING IS KEY
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5. The future of PEPFAR in Mozambique will be measured by our
ability to build capacity and sustainability of local
organizations. These new approaches will help Post fulfill
PEPFAR II's goal of fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic in
Mozambique through field-driven approaches that strengthen
country capacity and nurture small local organizations into
mature civil society institutions.
ROTH
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