Detailed Mechanism Funding and Narrative

Details for Mechanism ID: 9548
Country/Region: South Africa
Year: 2010
Main Partner: Not Available
Main Partner Program: NA
Organizational Type: NGO
Funding Agency: USAID
Total Funding: $0

USAID/South Africa (USAID/SA) supports institutional capacity-building of indigenous organizations that implement PEPFAR programs through a Umbrella Grants Mechanisms (UGM). The main purpose of the umbrella organization is to: (1) facilitate further scale-up of HIV and AIDS services through local and international implementing partners, and (2) develop indigenous capacity. Since 2004, USAID has obligated funds through the UGM to over 35 partners and sub-partners in South Africa, all of whom play

valuable roles in the fight against HIV and AIDS. These partners and sub-partners consist of non- governmental organizations (NGOs), faith-based organizations (FBOs), and community-based organizations (CBOs).

The Umbrella Grants Mechanisms were designed to increase the effective management of the PEPFAR program with a minimum number of management units while ensuring the quality of assistance. As the UGM is then responsible for the provision of hands-on and day-to-day program oversight to their sub- awardees, the USAID/SA has a reduced burden on the mission's health, contracts, and finance offices, thus allowing managers to focus on technical interventions. The UGMs are tasked with providing award management including the award and administration of grants, monitoring and evaluation, financial management, organizational development, reporting, and coordination of activities of implementing partner organizations. These services provided to sub-partners through the UGM allows more time for USAID officers to focus on providing technical guidance during implementation of activities; analysis of results and targets achieved; providing guidance during COP process; and participating in field visits and partner consultations in monitoring implementation.

The scope of partners and activities eligible to receive PEPFAR supports is expanded through the use of the UGMs, and the overall sustainability of the South African HIV/AIDS response is built because of that range of partnerships. The focus on capacity building and organizational development, a particular design strength of the UGMs, also creates greater opportunity for a sustained response by the participating partners, furthering the impact of the PEPFAR investments.

In order to maximize the impact of the UGM mechanisms, the USAID/Southern Africa Health Team is reviewing the efficacy of all four of the UGM mechanisms. The review will encompass an examination of the programs' efficiency, cost economics, responsiveness and management capacity. The intent is to ensure programmatic alignment with the larger objectives of the PEPFAR program, and with the initial intent of their creation (minimal management and institutional capacity building).

The specific subpartners under the UGMs will also be reviewed to determine if their performance (technical and administrative) is enhanced by their relationship with the UGM. Based upon this review of the sub-awardees' corporate standing (international vs. indigenous), the added value of the UGM's technical assistance in the realms of financial, technical, administrative and monitoring capacity of the sub-awardee, scale of annual funding and activities in multiple program areas, the USAID Health team will determine if some partners may be eligible for 'graduation' from under a UGM to prime partner status with USAID.

It is anticipated that the technical directions deriving from this UGM review will result in a realignment of

the UGMs, with a consolidation of sub-awardees under UGMs so as to create enhanced communities of practice via groupings of sub-awardees by geographic or technical affinity. These consolidations will be facilitated by increased capacity of UGMs gained through the graduation or termination of selected sub- awardees.

The FHI UGM was evaluated against these criteria, and the recommendation was made that their agreement will no longer receive USG funding. The subawards and activities supported through this UGM will be transitioned, with some actions coming to a close, and (most of the other) agreements transitioning to other UGM supports. This transition will take place throughout COP09, and this TBD mechanism will act as a placeholder until full reprogramming and realignment is comepleted.

Funding for Care: Adult Care and Support (HBHC): $0

None

Funding for Care: Orphans and Vulnerable Children (HKID): $0

None

Funding for Testing: HIV Testing and Counseling (HVCT): $0

None

Funding for Sexual Prevention: Abstinence/Be Faithful (HVAB): $0

None

Funding for Sexual Prevention: Other Sexual Prevention (HVOP): $0

None

Funding for Biomedical Prevention: Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (MTCT): $0

None