Introduction:

UNAIDS has initiated a Case Study on Access, Quality, Effectiveness of Technical Support to Global Fund Grant Implementation at Country Level. This study is expected provide clear and practical advice for policy and programming changes that will  improve technical support provision in different settings. The study will be conducted simultaneously in a sample of 9 countries and will collect information related to technical support to planning, managing implementing, monitoring and evaluating AIDS prevention, care, and support and treatment efforts in the country.

Coverage:

Initiated by UNAIDS, the study would examine Technical Assistance and Support to Global Fund grants provided by all players to the grant recipients in the sample countries. The outputs of the study would also be shared and discussed with these players as an essential step in improving the quality and impact of Technical Assistance. However it should be noted that the study does not intend to evaluate the performance, outcomes or impact of any specific player but only collects perceptions of the users and providers of Technical Assistance and Support.

 In keeping with the “Three Ones” principles, the study would examine the Global Fund grant within the context of the wider national programme even in the case of a sample country not having a coordinated national response or local ownership.

Sample countries:

The sample countries selected for the study represent a range of countries across the world at different stages of the epidemic and levels of inputs and efforts in AIDS prevention, care, support and treatment. The role of UNAIDS, its Co-sponsors, bilateral and donor agencies, INGOs are also much different between these countries. Some of these sample countries are also covered by the ongoing 5-year evaluation of the Global Fund (SA2 - Effectiveness of the Global Fund Partner Environment) that also evaluates Technical support.

This study, unlike the Global fund 5-year evaluation, is not an evaluation but involves case studies, problem identification and search for solutions. The sample countries selected are:

Asia:     India, Cambodia, and Vietnam

Africa: Zambia, Ethiopia, and Senegal

Latin American and Caribbean: Peru, Haiti

Eastern Europe: Ukraine

Methodology:

The broad methodology for the study will be the ‘case study’ method. Information will be gathered through the following:

(a) Interviews & discussions with providers (both consultants, and donors who fund Technical Support to Global Fund Implementation) and users of Technical Assistance & Support

(b) review of records and documents

(c) self-administered questionnaires , and

(d) workshops.

 
Self administered tools, Qualitative discussion guides and information checklists will be used by the researchers. Certain cases of informal support provided that were critical or important will  be documented. Should there be numerous instances of Technical Assistance(TA) and Technical Support(TS),  purposive sampling of those TA/TS instances will be done, to ensure a broad coverage of the different types of support, different players, different regions within a country, and different stages of the programme cycle. It will primarily focus on all instances of TA & TS during GFATM grant implementation from 2007 onwards, from proposal development, technical reviews, grant negotiation, and Implementation (programmatic, financial, governance, M & E, reporting).


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