Detailed Mechanism Funding and Narrative

Years of mechanism: 2010 2011

Details for Mechanism ID: 11621
Country/Region: Guyana
Year: 2010
Main Partner: International Labour Organization
Main Partner Program: NA
Organizational Type: Multi-lateral Agency
Funding Agency: enumerations.USDOL
Total Funding: $200,000

1. ILO Goals and Objectives The International Labour Organization is currently in its sixth year of HIV/AIDS Workplace project activities. The tri-partite collaboration with the Ministry of Labour Human Services and Social Security, the Consultative Association of Guyanese Enterprises (CAGI), the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) and the Federation of Independent Trades Unions in Guyana (FITUG), has been very effective in addressing HIV/AIDS in the world of work.

The overall strategy of the project is to increase the capacity of the tripartite constituents and partnering enterprises to design and implement workplace HIV/AIDS prevention policies and programmes. This strategy will continue to build upon the ILO's comparative advantage in advocacy and policy development particularly drawing on the Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work. The recently introduced National HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy will also be a vital tool in policy and programme development.

The project's ultimate goal is to develop a sustainable national programme on HIV/AIDS and the world of work integrated into the appropriate programmes of the collaborating partners. Continued effort will be made to sensitize and mobilize the tripartite constituents, specific target groups, both in the formal and informal economy, with tailored training and behaviour change communication programmes. A key component of the project is its built-in evaluation programme to monitor progress and identify strengths and weaknesses so that remedial action is taken towards re-planning and finalizing the sustainability plan. The project will be carried out in consultation with UNAIDS and members of the UN theme group on HIV/AIDS as well as USAID.

2. Geographic Coverage The International Labour Organization will be supporting the Ministry of Labour and the other tri-partite constituents to implement project activities that will reach all 10 regions of Guyana. The project aims to target vulnerable youth (15+ years), miners and loggers who form part of the most at risk population (MARP) and the general population of workers from participating enterprises. The intent is to reach these populations with BCC messages that address risk, stigma and discrimination. In addition, VCT and institutional strengthening of enterprises to tackle and sustain HIV/AIDS programmes and policies will continue to be key components. This is in view of encouraging enterprises towards the mainstreaming of these components into existing programmes including those addressing Occupational Health Safety and Health, Human Resource Training and Workers' Welfare.

3. Strategy towards costs efficiency The International Labour Organization, through PEPFAR continues to fund critical components in the HIV/AIDS Workplace Education Project particularly in the areas of institutional strengthening and policy and programme development for both tripartite constituents and partnering enterprises.

The Project however has introduced and will continue to promote cost sharing ventures with tripartite members and enterprises where parties involved will continue to provide necessary service and material support to ongoing project activities. In addition, enterprises will continue to be strengthened so that they can individually maintain and sustain peer education and other training needs so that the Project has less of an obligation to provide continuous financial assistance for training of workers in peer education and other skills needed to carry out enterprise level activities. Enterprises will also be encouraged to continue to forge partnerships with other health and community based organizations, so that many of the necessary services can be sourced elsewhere at minimal costs.

4. Monitoring and Evaluation The Project has a built-in monitoring and evaluation plan as well as several databases that it utilises to monitor programme activities. This plan will be reviewed in light of the changed indicators and will be upgraded to capture all relevant data and information.

The Project intends to continue building the capacity and effectiveness of both its tripartite constituents and beneficiaries in monitoring and evaluation requirements, so that challenges and gaps in the system can be alleviated. 5. Continuation Activities for FY 2010

PEPFAR support to ILO during 2010 will focus on three broad areas: (1) BCC activities in sexual and other risk prevention for Most at Risk Population (MARP) and general populations (2) Promotion and provision of Voluntary Counselling and Testing Services and (3) Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building for the introduction and implementation of effective HIV/AIDS Workplace Policies and Programmes

Funding for Testing: HIV Testing and Counseling (HVCT): $70,000

This is a Continuation Activity

In 2010, the project intends to expand its coverage and increase access to VCT services to thirty-three (33) enterprises and their communities primarily through on-site mobile testing utilizing mobile units provided by Youth Challenge-Guyana, a non-governmental organization. Behaviour change communication and preventive education will continue to be a feature of the VCT services provided by YCG as well as those provided by the enterprises through their peer education programmes. The project aims to provide one thousand, two hundred (1,200) workers and surrounding community members with mobile VCT services in 2010. There will also be capacity building for enterprises in order for them to provide accompanying and complimentary health services including PMTCT, treatment, care and support.

The Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, the employers' and workers' organizations will continue to be assisted in furthering VCT arrangements and services to their constituents in order to enhance continuity and sustainability.

Funding for Health Systems Strengthening (OHSS): $100,000

Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building for the introduction and implementation of effective HIV/AIDS Workplace Policies and Programmes

This is a Continuation Activity

Over the life of the HIV/AIDS Workplace Project, local enterprises have shown increased interest in introducing and sustaining HIV/AIDS programmes that promote healthy behaviours. This has ultimately created a healthier working environment which in turn has helped to bring about normative practices within the world of work.

Enterprises, however, still need to promote comprehensive as well as targeted workplace programmes that provide benefits to HIV+ workers and their families and the workforce in general. In this regard, the Project intends to strengthen the capacity of thirty-three (33) enterprises to develop and implement policies and programmes that will see the mainstreaming of HIV/AIDS into existing health and human resource training programmes. This will include the development of peer education programmes, training of key staff to address workplace stigma and discrimination and training in formulation of effective workplace policies and programmes on HIV/AIDs. A total of nine thousand and forty (9,040) workers are targeted to be reached in 2010 with institutional capacity building and strengthening as well as outreach activities.

Funding for Sexual Prevention: Other Sexual Prevention (HVOP): $30,000

Programming responding to yellow-lit activities- Guyana PEPFAR Interagency team has adopted OGAC Prevention Technical Working Group recommendations for the sexual prevention portfolio.

This is a Continuation Activity

This proposal consolidates the efforts of the Project, the tripartite constituents and partnering enterprises to expand the reach to most at risk populations (MARP) in the mining and logging sectors and vulnerable youth, fifteen years and over, through individual and small group level preventive interventions that examine risk for HIV/STI as well as behaviour change issues. These interventions will include sensitization on HIV/AIDS risk, stigma and discrimination issues in the workplace and community, and training where necessary. The project intends to reach one hundred (100) vulnerable youth with messages on abstinence and sexual health issues. The existing and well functioning collaborative arrangements with the Ministry of Labor, Human Services and Social Security will be fully utilized to achieve this target. The Ministry of Labour, through the Board of Industrial Training has a programme to offer life skills to early school leavers. This is the primary target population of vulnerable youth. The Guyana Sugar Corporation's Training School, however, also has a population of vulnerable youth, who will be targeted.

Proposed intervention with hard to reach populations like miners and loggers in the hinterlands of Guyana will be better reached in 2010 with the increased collaboration with the tripartite constituents and partnering enterprises. In this regard the project intends to reach two-hundred and fifty (250) miners and loggers with BCC messages that go beyond abstinence and faithfulness. In addition, one hundred (100) members of surrounding enterprise communities will be reached with these messages.

It is also the aim of the project to increase the number of enterprises who offer condom services at their worksites to twenty-six (26).

Cross Cutting Budget Categories and Known Amounts Total: $10,000
Education $10,000