This activity links to and complements CDC HVSI (#9011), NASTAD OHPS (#9013) and SHARe OHPS (#8910).

In line with the UNAIDS 3 Ones framework and the Paris Declaration, the USG, represented by the Department of State (DoS), proposes a new activity geared to increase country-level ownership and strengthen the national response to HIV/AIDS through a direct partnership with the National HIV/AIDS/STI/TB Council (NAC). In order to respond to the epidemic, the Government of Zambia (GRZ) created NAC in 2002. Zambia's Parliament established NAC as a corporate body to coordinate and support the development of the multisectoral national response, with a secretariat to implement decisions of the NAC.

In FY 2007, the USG will partner with the NAC to support its mandate as the "one HIV/AIDS coordinating body." At present there are five bi-lateral cooperating partners that provide direct support to the NAC: the Netherlands, Ireland, UK (DFID), Sweden, and Norway. Other non-USG cooperating partners that support specific activities of the NAC include The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (GFATM), the UN agencies, and the Japan International Cooperating Agency. Given the significant PEPFAR resources flowing into Zambia, there is a tremendous need to ensure strong cohesion among the cooperating partners toward a coordinated HIV response. Direct support to the NAC through the DoS will place the USG in a more visible and critical role to influence the strategic direction of the national AIDS response, to embrace best practices, and to adhere to principles of sound management. Other key cooperating partners are very keen for the USG to be more directly involved in the NAC partnership.

In response to the Paris Declaration, Zambia is undergoing policy environment transformation with the Wider Harmonization in Practice (WHIP) agenda. The GRZ wishes to harmonize, simplify, and reduce transaction costs of Cooperating Partners (CPs) support. As part of this process, Zambia established Sector Advisory Groups and developed a Joint Assistance Strategy for Zambia (JASZ) process to facilitate dialogue between GRZ and cooperating partners. Although institutionally, HIV/AIDS falls under the Ministry of Health, it has become increasingly clear that HIV/AIDS transcends all sectors hence the need for multisectoral approaches and interventions. It is against this background that the GRZ agreed to a separate HIV/AIDS sector in its National Development Plan to better address the cross-cutting nature of the epidemic.

In FY 2006, the GRZ and cooperating partners made significant progress in the JASZ process in terms of harmonizing and coordinating donor responses, reducing duplicative efforts and budgets, and identifying gaps and priorities for support to the national effort. The USG has been an active participant in the process. As a result, USG has been selected by GRZ to lead donors in the HIV response in Zambia together with the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and UNAIDS. However, since the USG is not providing direct management and limited implementation support to NAC, the USG is often left out of joint planning discussions and consequently, USG funding contributions to the national HIV/AIDS response is often not reflected in the national HIV/AIDS budgeting exercise. This new direct partnership with NAC will further strengthen USG's leadership role within the sector and ensure a place at the budgeting and decision-making table.

This partnership activity will include enhanced support to NAC, along with its decentralized structures, for managing, planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating HIV/AIDS activities at national, provincial, and district levels. Through this partnership, USG will continue to work to ensure the effective functioning of NAC's technical working groups, which guide the policy and implementation of the national response for prevention, care, and treatment.

More specifically, in FY 2007, the NAC partnership will support improved management of HIV/AIDS decentralised structures, including the 9 Provincial AIDS Task Forces and the 72 District AIDS Task Forces of the country. The partnership will contribute to making NAC an efficient and effective coordinating body. This will include increased support for improved management, strategic planning, development of action plans and annual work plans, budgeting projection and planning exercises, donor and stakeholder coordination, monitoring and evaluation, and repositioning/strengthening of technical working groups. The USG-NAC partnership will enhance the USG contribution to the implementation of the

nationwide Joint Annual Strategy Review, World AIDS Day, and VCT Day planning, and for the implementation of the Zambia HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework.

The USG-NAC partnership will be guided by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to be signed by NAC and the USG along with other cooperating partners; the MOU will set out clear roles and responsibilities of partners and the NAC. Funding disbursement will be contingent upon the achievement of agreed targets, both related to an annually agreed activity plan, quarterly reporting, and financial audits that are in line with the reporting requirements of all involved cooperating partners. One donor is elected to lead the partnership; this is DFID at present. Formal meetings are held three times a year - in March, September and December - with other meetings called as required. Requiring achievement of specified and agreed triggers will ensure appropriate accountability of funds by donors, but also build the capacity of the NAC in planning, transparency, performance, and the achievement of results.

USG involvement in this partnership with NAC will be a critical step for enhancing the effectiveness and efficiencies of HIV/AIDS resource flows to Zambia, ensuring better coordination and the prevention of duplication, and a more effective and sustainable national HIV/AIDS coordinating body.