This activity has been modified as follows: Planned funding amount has been reduced from $250,000 in FY

2008 to $200,000 in FY 2009.

Activity Narrative:

This activity was approved in FY 2008 and will continue in FY 2009. There have been no changes in the

targets due to the nature of the activity.

This activity links to and complements CDC HVSI (#3716), NASTAD OHSS (#3719) and SHARe OHSS

(#3643).

In line with the UNAIDS "Three Ones" framework and the Paris Declaration, the United States Government

(USG), represented by the Department of State (DoS), proposes to continue an activity geared towards

increasing country-level ownership and strengthening the national response to HIV/AIDS through a direct

partnership with the National HIV/AIDS/STI/TB Council (NAC). The Government of Zambia (GRZ) created

NAC in 2002 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 finalized direct support to the NAC

through an Embassy grants mechanism that was administered by the Political/Economic Section.

The USG will join the Joint Financing Arrangement for the National AIDS Council to support the overall

coordination of the Zambia national HIV/AIDS response. 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 in Zambia, there is a tremendous need to ensure strong cohesion among the cooperating

partners toward a coordinated HIV response.

Continuing direct support to the NAC through the DoS in FY 2009 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. In FY 2009, the USG (through the DoS) will continue to

directly partner with the NAC to support its mandate as the "one HIV/AIDS coordinating body." There will be

six other bilateral cooperating partners that provide direct support to the NAC: Denmark, the Netherlands,

Ireland, UK (DFID), Sweden, and Norway.

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 the USG recently signed the 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 Fifth National Development Plan to better address the cross-

cutting nature of the epidemic.

In FY 2007, 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, the USG was selected by GRZ to lead donors in the HIV response in Zambia together with the

UK Department for International Development (DFID) and UNAIDS.

Until this activity was approved for FY 2007 allowing the USG (through an agreement between the U.S.

Embassy and the NAC), to provide direct management and limited implementation support to the NAC, the

USG was often left out of joint planning discussions; consequently, USG funding contributions to the

national HIV/AIDS response have often not been reflected in the national HIV/AIDS budgeting exercise.

Continuing this direct partnership with NAC will further strengthen the 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, the USG will continue to work to ensure the effective

functioning of the NAC's technical working groups, which guide the policy and implementation of the

national response for prevention, care, and treatment.

More specifically, in FY 2009, the NAC partnership will support improved management of HIV/AIDS

decentralized 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 (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.

Activity Narrative: USG involvement in this partnership with the 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.

New/Continuing Activity: Continuing Activity

Continuing Activity: 16492

Continued Associated Activity Information

Activity Activity ID USG Agency Prime Partner Mechanism Mechanism ID Mechanism Planned Funds

System ID System ID

16492 10169.08 Department of National AIDS 7446 5224.08 NAC-USG $250,000

State / African Council, Zambia Zambia

Affairs Partnership

10169 10169.07 Department of National AIDS 5224 5224.07 NAC-USG $100,000

State / African Council, Zambia Zambia

Affairs Partnership

Table 3.3.18: