Detailed Mechanism Funding and Narrative

Years of mechanism: 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Details for Mechanism ID: 10085
Country/Region: India
Year: 2012
Main Partner: Science Health Allied Research Education Foundation
Main Partner Program: India
Organizational Type: NGO
Funding Agency: HHS/CDC
Total Funding: $1,300,000

SHARE supports NACO to capacitate District AIDS Prevention and Control Units (DAPCUs) and State AIDS Control Societies (SACS) to lead state-level decentralization efforts and integration of the National AIDS Control Program (NACP) with the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

SHARE provides a range of Technical Assistance (TA), prioritized in consultation with CDC and NACO, to strengthen DAPCUs/SACS to plan, implement, support through training and supervision, and monitor HIV programs and integration. Based in Andhra Pradesh (AP), it provides focused TA to APSACS to further strengthen integration with NRHM, operations research and gender policy. SHARE supports Goals 2 and 4 (Data for Decision Making, Health Systems Strengthening) of the PEPFAR/India Strategy.

The project is implemented at the national level, reaching 22 SACS and 189 DAPCU districts, including 1134 DAPCU staff, 22 DAPCU Nodal Officers and key staff of NRHM and implementing NGOs. A SHARE staff serves as National DAPCU Coordinator in NACOs National Technical Support Unit (NTSU). A SHARE team at Hyderabad serves as DAPCU National Resource Team to support initiatives.

Cost-efficiency will be achieved by leveraging a small TA group to support activities that reach 22 States and 189 districts; in addition the projects focus on service integration will eventually improve broader cost-efficiencies. As part of its transition strategy the project will institutionalize systems for continuous capacity development around integration in SACS and Technical Support Units.

In addition to PEPFAR quarterly and annual reporting the project will continuously monitor DAPCU strengthening activities, including feedback on monthly reports, online and on site mentoring and APSACS related activities.

Funding for Strategic Information (HVSI): $400,000

SHAREs activities strengthen the institutional and staff capacities of NACO and related agencies to improve field level monitoring and reporting of facility-based HIV programs. SHARE will strengthen the capacity of DAPCUs and SACS to facilitate and provide ongoing supervision of compilation of district level strategic information and validation of the information systems. SHARE will help strengthen capacity of APSACS to understand programmatic issues through operational research. The following activities are proposed:

Activity 1: DAPCU online mentoring through feedback on analysis of DAPCU Monthly Reports (DMRs):There are 189 DAPCUs in high-prevalence (Category A & B) districts spread across 22 states. SHARE along with CDC and the National Technical Support Unit (NTSU) of NACO conducted national training of DAPCU staff from July 2010 - February 2011 in a phased manner. One of the outputs of this training was establishment of a monthly reporting system (DAPCU Monthly Report i.e. DMR). NTSU receives the DMRs and with the support of SHARE analyzes their content and provides written feedback to DAPCUs. This feedback is used as a medium for continuous instruction to the DAPCUs to build their skills and capacities. All feedbacks are shared with SACS, and a compilation of the district findings is sent to the SACS as a state report for action on a quarterly basis. SHARE will continue to work with CDC and through NTSU/NACO to provide online mentoring through feedback and phone calls based on need.

Activity 2: DAPCU refresher training on DMRs and SI related to HIV facilitiesSHARE along with CDC and NTSU/NACO provide TA to NACO and SACS across the country to train DAPCU staff on program management and coordination functions. Induction training of all the DAPCUs was completed by February 2011. In FY12, NACO/SACS will lead additional training for M&E Assistants at each of 189 DAPCUs, with support from SHARE. The training will focus on DMRs, including coordination of facility-level reporting, and review and validation of facility-level information, including data quality. M&E Assistants will be trained in groups of 20-25 to facilitate networking for sustainable support. The modules and content of the refresher trainings will be developed in consultation with CDC and NTSU/NACO.

Activity 3:Technical assistance to Andhra Pradesh State AIDS Control Society (APSACS) to fill the knowledge gap through Operations Research:During various interactions with APSACS with SHARE, CDC and APSACS partners for the last 3-4 years, it has emerged that the epidemic in the state of AP and the program response needs further clarity. APSACS recognizes the need for operations research to fill in this knowledge and information gap. The capacities of Centers of Excellence for ART, State Technical Resource Center for prevention programs and other medical and non-medical institutions who are or should be providing this support to APSACS, also need to be strengthened. SHARE proposes to provide this technical assistance by recruiting technically competent persons who would provide continuous support to these institutions and also set up a system within the state to organize these research initiatives including formation of a state level committee which would play the pivotal role connecting institutions with State and NACO.

Funding for Health Systems Strengthening (OHSS): $900,000

NACP initiated steps to systematically decentralize HIV services to district level with a focus on facilitation, coordination and integration of HIV programs within health systems. SACS and DAPCUs due to gaps in technical, managerial, coordination and training capacity are limited in their effectiveness to move this agenda forward. Emphasis on gender issues is limited. SHARE with support from CDC will address them through following activities.

Activity 1: DAPCU induction trainings for new staff and refresher trainingIn FY11, SHARE along with CDC and NTSU/NACO completed induction training for DAPCU staffs. In FY12, SHARE will mentor SACS to facilitate these trainings at regional or state level for new DAPCU staff, and to identify gaps and develop and implement refresher training as needed.

Activity 2: Short term training of DAPCUs and SACS on management development and instructional design and building expertise through ongoing mentoring

SHARE will identify key training needs of DAPCUs and SACS in the areas of management development and instructional design based on the national program strategy and its evaluation and mid-term review reports. Identified needs will be prioritized in consultation with CDC and NTSU/NACO. SHARE will conduct short term trainings to improve management and training skills in district and state institutions like DAPCU, SACS and implementing partners. SHARE will further build local expertise in NACP components at district and state levels by creating or strengthening identified resource persons from SACS, DAPCU and local partners. These resource persons will be mentored on a continuous basis and will be utilized for decentralized trainings.

Activity 3: Mentoring of SACS and DAPCUsDAPCUs are new structures of NACP III, and the extent to which they have been integrated into district public health structures relies largely on individual staff capacities to gain acceptance. To ensure DAPCUs carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively, sustained quality TA is required. SHARE will continue providing this TA through online mentoring and hands on trainings/ mentoring during field visits with SACS personnel. With support and guidance of CDC and NTSU/NACO, SHARE will provide direct TA to SACS officials especially DAPCU Nodal Officers to build their capacities for supporting DAPCUs. TA will also be provided for preparing District Annual Action Plans, Epidemiological Profiling at district level, integration of NACP with NRHM, and other areas of identified need.

Activity 4: TA to SACS and NRHM department for NACPState level TA will be provided in Andhra Pradesh to support integration of NACP with NRHM by placing 2 high level technical consultants in NRHM to work with local staff. SHARE will facilitate various inter-departmental workshops at district level for capacity building of district staff for NACP and NRHM integration and developing joint NACP-NRHM monitoring mechanism.

Activity 5: Expert technical input at state and national levelExpert staff in SHARE, in consultations with CDC and NTSU/NACO, will participate in technical groups on decentralization, counseling, supply chain and procurement for NACP at state and national levels.

Activity 6: Building a state level gender policyGender has less focus due to competing priorities in APSACS. SHARE proposes to provide TA to APSACS to build and implement state level gender policy based on national guidelines which can then form a basis fo

Implementing Mechanism Indicator InformationRedacted

Cross Cutting Budget Categories and Known Amounts Total: $250,000
Gender: Reducing Violence and Coercion $50,000
Human Resources for Health $200,000
Key Issues Identified in Mechanism
Increasing gender equity in HIV/AIDS activities and services