[afro-nets] Experts for the Global Fund... (2)

[Peter Burgess <Profitinafrica@aol.com>]

Experts for the Global Fund... (2)
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Dear Sarah

I have just seen your message on AFRO-NETS where you seek ex-
perts to help evaluate the projects that the Global Fund (GFATM)
will fund.

I am not much interested in this phase of the GFATM process. It
seems to be under control. But I am very interested in the work
that needs to be done to evaluate the results from money already
disbursed... a not inconsiderable amount.

At this point in time it is relatively easy to find information
concerning the applications, the approvals and the disbursements
of the GFATM. The transparency of all of this is really quite
good, but once the money reaches the principal recipients there
is no easy way of learning what has happened.

I know that the GFATM has contracted with major international
firms to act as the local fund agents (LFAs) with, as I under-
stand it the mandate to ensure that the funds are used cor-
rectly. But information about the use of funds is nowhere to be
found, and the LFAs do not seem to have any process to let the
public know what has transpired. Maybe I am wrong, but no mes-
sages I have sent to LFAs have ever been answered... and nothing
of the use of funds and the results being achieved is visible
(as far as I can tell) in any web accessible location.

Not knowing much about the use of funds and the results being
achieved is, in my view, a major weakness of the GFATM process.
It is, sadly, the standard mode of operation for most of the in-
ternational relief and development sector, and I believe it is
one of the major reasons why socio-economic progress over the
past years has been so weak. Money spent well should have
achieved a lot more durable progress than is evident... yet get-
ting objective information about results and performance is no-
where a high priority. In my view it should be.

Can you point me in the direction of the responsible people at
GFATM who are concerned with the issue of post disbursement per-
formance?

Thanking you in anticipation,

Peter Burgess
Tr-Ac-Net in New York
Tel.: +1-212-772-6918
mailto:peterbnyc@gmail.com
The Transparency and Accountability Network
http://tr-ac-net.blogspot.com
http://www.tr-ac-net.org