The funding level for this activity in FY 2008 has increased since FY 2007. Narrative changes include

updates on progress made and expansion of activities.

The Ambassador's PEPFAR Small Grants Fund adheres to the same model as the Ambassador's Special

Self Help Fund, and serves a unique niche, providing support where there would otherwise be none. The

OVC this project will serve are those who are geographically located beyond the reach of PEPFAR prime

partner activities.

The Ambassador's PEPFAR Small Grants Fund is designed to assist communities and local organizations

with projects that promote HIV/AIDS prevention, and care and support for orphans and vulnerable children

(OVC) at a grassroots level. The Small Grants scheme will help to build local capacity by encouraging new

partners in underserved areas to submit applications for review. Programs are designed to continue to

promote stigma reduction associated with HIV orphanhood, strengthen OVC care and treatment service

linkages on the community level, and benefit OVC caregiver families and child-headed households with

increased support. Applicants will be encouraged to work closely with current USG partners (e.g. RAPIDS

Activity ID #3559) to establish sound referral systems and to ensure continuity.

Many HIV/AIDS programs and activities are concentrated in major districts with a high prevalence HIV/AIDS

rate, leaving gaps in the smaller towns and communities. In particular, residents of remote rural areas

receive very few, if any, services, other than what is provided by CBOs. People in these areas are living on

subsistence income with nothing extra and even a small infusion of resources makes a huge difference in

their ability to function.

Successful FY 2006 projects include producing a children's book to be used as a tool for HIV-positive

parents to reveal their status to their children, and may serve as an invaluable reference to reduce stigma.

Other projects include skills training for heads of families in child-headed households, pigeon-rearing as an

inexpensive method of improving the nutrition of OVC, and training in caring skills for orphan caregivers.

The FY07 the program has expanded its geographic spread. Projects selected were prioritized using current

OVC service delivery maps to specifically target underserved rural areas.

For FY08 the Small Grants Program will fund 15-20 innovative grassroots organizations to conduct

HIV/AIDS programs for OVC activities to reach a total of 1,500 OVC and their caregivers. Community-based

groups, women's groups, youth groups, faith-based organizations (FBOs), groups focusing on gender

issues, and groups of persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) from all 9 provinces will be encouraged to

apply.

Funds for FY08 will also provide support for two part-time Small Grants Coordinators. These positions will

develop project guidelines, promotional materials, application and other documents as well as coordinating

review of applications, and determining qualification of projects. These positions will also be responsible for

project monitoring and evaluation, and providing close program management to selected programs.

Under the leadership of the Ambassador, the U.S. Embassy (Department of State) will continue to serve as

the coordinating body of PEPFAR. In FY 2008, the PEPFAR Coordination Office will be comprised of five

full-time staff that will manage the State PEPFAR programs and coordinate the overall USG effort.: 1)

PEPFAR Coordinator; 2) State Program Manager (LES); 3) two part-time Ambassador's Small Grants

Coordinators (EFM); 4) Finance and Operations Manager; and, 5) and an Executive Assistant (LES). The

description of and costs associated with the two part-time Small Grants Coordinators is included in the

Small Grants activity narrative under Orphans and Vulnerable Children.

The PEPFAR Coordinator serves as the Ambassador's and Deputy Chief of Mission's principal advisor on

PEPFAR. This Coordinator also works closely with all USG agency directors, senior technical staff, and the

Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) to develop and implement the PEPFAR program in Zambia.

Based in the U.S. Embassy and reporting directly to the Deputy Chief of Mission, this position oversees the

development and implementation of the $269M+ HIV/AIDS program by coordinating the five different USG

agencies' planning, overall management, budgeting, and reporting processes.

The Coordinator ensures that all country program decisions abide by OGAC policy and requirements and

with congressionally mandated budgetary earmarks. The Coordinator serves as the Mission's point of

contact with the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC), USG agencies (CDC, DOD, Peace

Corps, State, and USAID), the GRZ (including the Zambia Defense Force), and the donor community. This

position takes the lead for the Mission in ensuring formal collaborations around HIV/AIDS with the UK,

Dutch, and other major bilateral HIV/AIDS donors. The Coordinator is a member of the Mission's Country

Team. The incumbent in this position also serves a key role in liaising with the donor community to ensure

that PEPFAR programs complement and support other donors' work with appropriate GRZ governmental

and nongovernmental entities. In addition, the Coordinator works closely with the National

AIDS Council in ensuring that PEPFAR continues to support the national strategy and objectives for HIV

and AIDS.

This position was funded 100% in FY 2004, FY 2005, FY 2006, and FY 2007 through PEPFAR funds; due

to some of the challenges around the overall authority of this position, as well as representation of the USG,

funding to support the Coordinator has been placed in unallocated funding until the appropriate mechanism

has been identified.

The PEPFAR State Project Manager was hired in FY 2006 to manage all PEPFAR programs administered

by State, which amounts to approximately $1M annually. This position also serves as the monitoring and

evaluation (M&E) officer for State programs and provides M&E support and training to USG PEPFAR

partners and USG staff. The PEPFAR State Project Manager makes strategic recommendations to the

Embassy PEPFAR Coordinator regarding State budget allocations and ensures that the State program

continues to support the U.S. Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) PEPFAR Five-Year global and

country-level strategies.

The two part-time Small Grants Coordinators will be supported 100% through the Ambassador's Small

Grants program. Description of these positions are included in the Small Grants activity narrative.

The PEPFAR Finance and Operations Manager is a new position added in FY 2007 to have one full-time

LES oversee the State budget expenditures and planning and assist with overall PEPFAR Coordination

Office management. This position will serve as the point of contact for all USG reprogramming.

The PEPFAR Executive Assistant serves as the office manager, protocol assistant, meeting organizer, and

senior logistician for official visits. This position liaises with the GRZ, donor community, partners, and

provides overall administrative support to the USG PEPFAR team and the Front Office.

Post plans to continue funding all five positions 100% through the Emergency Plan. Management funds

include salary, contract costs, travel (training, meetings, and conferences), and local travel (USG strategic

planning meetings, partners meetings, workshops, and site visits). As the USG/Zambia actively supports

the continuous consultative process with the GRZ, ZDF, and donor community, these funds support local

meeting logistics to facilitate this process. The State Management and Staffing budget also includes

funding to support public affairs and diplomacy activities conducted by the Public Affairs Section and the

Ambassador's Office.

ICASS has been described in a separate activity narrative.