[afro-nets] Call for Expressions of Interest

[Ian Grubb <grubbi@who.int>]

Call for Expressions of Interest to Provide Monitoring and 
Evaluation Support to the WHO Preparing for Treatment Program 
and the HIV Collaborative Fund
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postings
 
 
Background
 
HIV/AIDS treatment preparedness - encompassing advocacy, liter-
acy and community mobilization for people living with HIV/AIDS 
and other affected communities - is central to realizing the 
target of providing antiretroviral treatment to 3 million people 
in developing countries by the end of 2005 ('3by5') and optimiz-
ing the impact of longer term plans, resources and delivery sys-
tems for HIV/AIDS treatment.
 
In order to contribute to improved global treatment preparedness 
in countries and communities, WHO has established the Preparing 
for Treatment Program (PTP), based in the Department of HIV/AIDS 
at WHO headquarters in Geneva. To the extent possible, resources 
available through the PTP will be provided to partner organiza-
tions that have expertise and are currently engaged in or have 
capacity to undertake treatment preparedness activities. The 
initial phase of the PTP involves a WHO contribution of USD 
1,000,000 (one million dollars) to the Collaborative Fund for 
HIV Treatment Preparedness. 
 
The Collaborative Fund is structured as a global partnership be-
tween the Tides Foundation, the International Treatment Prepar-
edness Coalition, more than 15 donors and technical assistance 
providers. The core activity of the Collaborative Fund is grant-
making to support HIV treatment literacy, advocacy and community 
mobilization projects in community-based organizations in Af-
rica, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean and Eastern Europe/ 
Central Asia. Funding priorities, application review and deci-
sions about disbursements from the Collaborative Fund are made 
by autonomous Community Review Panels comprising people living 
with HIV/AIDS and community-based treatment advocates and educa-
tors in each funding region or sub-region. It is anticipated 
that WHO's contribution to the Fund will directly support at 
least 40 small grants to be made in all regions between November 
2004 and December 2005. 
 
The partnership between WHO, Tides Foundation and the Collabora-
tive Fund creates an important opportunity for monitoring, 
evaluation and research into HIV treatment preparedness in order 
to identify what programs and practices affect treatment prepar-
edness, and to assess best practices to guide treatment scale up 
activities in other settings. It also provides an important op-
portunity to promote and evaluate the application to a signifi-
cant global program of the principles of greater involvement for 
people living with HIV/AIDS (GIPA). WHO has therefore undertaken 
to provide additional resources to assist in monitoring and 
evaluating of the Collaborative Fund's activities.
 
Expressions of Interest
 
Expressions of interest are sought from organizations to lead 
the development and implementation of monitoring and evaluation 
activities for the Collaborative Fund, beginning in January 
2005, including consensus building among relevant stakeholders 
about methodologies to be used and the use of monitoring and 
evaluation tools at global, regional and project levels. The 
Evaluation Contractor will also provide and coordinate technical 
assistance for monitoring and evaluating the Collaborative 
Fund's activities, and produce a final evaluation report in 
April 2006.
 
Process for Submission
 
Qualified organizations with appropriate experience in commu-
nity-based and community-driven monitoring and evaluation, and 
monitoring and evaluation of activities at global, regional and 
community levels, are encouraged to submit an Expression of In-
terest in leading this project. Expressions of Interest should 
be brief, summarizing relevant experience and qualifications, 
and sent to Ian Grubb by email (mailto:grubbi@who.int) or fax 
(+41-22-791-4834) by 08.00 hours Central European Time on Tuesday, 
November 16, 2004. The subject field of the fax or e-mail should 
contain the wording "PTP Monitoring and Evaluation Expression of 
Interest". For additional information, contact Ian Grubb by e-
mail, or by telephone at +41-22-791-3304.
 
A short-list of candidates will be developed, based on the Ex-
pressions of Interest received. Short-listed candidates will be 
sent a Request for Proposals in the third week of November, 2004 
and invited to submit a detailed tender for the project. Tender 
proposals will be due at WHO by mid-December, 2004.
 
WHO reserves the right freely to choose, without justifying its 
choice, those individuals or organizations selected for short-
listing based on Expressions of Interest received pursuant to 
this call. It further reserves the right, if it so decides, not 
to pursue further this international call for expressions of in-
terest. No claims or appeals will be accepted from any individu-
als or organizations whose candidatures are not selected. 
 
--
Ian Grubb
WHO, Geneva
mailto:grubbi@who.int