Summary of CCM size topic [30 April 2008]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In response to Dolores from Salomon Island post, Bonnet Mkhweli from the Global Fund Secretariat referred to the Global Fund Guidelines on the Purpose, Structure, Composition and Funding of Country Coordinating Mechanisms and Requirements for Grant Eligibility. These guidelines state that a CCM should determine the details of its functioning, including organizational structure, election procedures, frequency of meetings and terms of references. The Global Fund encourages that CCMs should remain of a manageable size in order to work and discharge responsibilities effectively. It is important to emphasise that size is not an eligibility requirement for CCMs. It terms of composition the only requirement on CCM membership that can make a CCM not eligible for funding is failure to show membership of People living with HIV/AIDS, TB and/or Malaria. One member is sufficient to meet this requirement. Read the full post.
Clearconscience from Cameroon questions the independence of the CCM in each country and if this policy is suitable to African countries. He questions how these results in guaranteeing that people living with the diseases are part of the CCM and states that 90% of the population of the communities in the rural areas of Africa has never benefit from Global Fund funded projects. Read the full post.
In response to Clearconscience from Cameroon post, Bonnet Mkhweli from the Global Fund Secretariat explained that there are many successful and well functioning CCMs in Africa that have received Global Fund financing. He further explained thatall CCMs are required to show evidence of membership of people living and/or affected by the disease before they can be funded. The Global Fund has systems and procedures and human resources for monitoring the use of the funds as per the grant agreement signed with each country. In addition there is a Local Fund Agent, an organisation appointed by the Global Fund in each country to monitor and verify implementation and use of the funds as per the detailed plans included in a grant agreement signed between the Global Fund and the principal recipient of the funds in each country. There is also further information about which populations are benefiting from Global Fund resources, the funds that have been provided, and how that money has been used. This can be viewed in the Global Fund websiteby selecting a country. Read the full post.
Summary of Awareness on Global Fund CCM Policies topic [30 April 2008]
Balikungeri from Rwanda believes that awareness is about engagement, meaningful participation, leadership and most of all about action. He thinks that CCMs need to think beyond representation as many times representation is mixed with participation. Read the full text.
Summary of CCM Structure topic [30 April 2008]
Kizza Paul from Uganda thinks that the CCM structure of a country does not matter as long as it’s designed to facilitate CCM members carry out their 5 core functions; have effective and efficient Secretariats to support all CCM activities; have workplans as guiding tools of CCM activities. He stresses that CCMs may have committees, portfolios managers or technical structures responsible for spearheading the activities of each function but these structures can only function well if they are supported by effective and efficient financed technical secretariats. Read the full post