Futures Group International has a five year Cooperative Agreement, ending 2012, to implement the "HIV/AIDS Service Capacity Project in Ukraine" (USCP). The project's purpose is to reduce HIV transmission and improve the quality of life for those affected by expanding access to quality HIV/AIDS prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care, and support services for most-at-risk populations, including IDUs, SWs, OVC, MSM, and prison populations. The project, as designed, contributes to this goal by enhancing the policy environment, strengthening the institutional capacity of individual HIV/AIDS service organizations, building links between organizations to enhance access to a continuum of care for HIV- affected individuals and families, and developing and testing new approaches to reach the most marginalized risk groups.

USCP activities support the achievement of all three of Ukraine's forthcoming Partnership Framework goals: to reduce HIV transmission among most-at-risk populations (MARPs); to improve the quality and cost effectiveness of HIV prevention, care, and treatment services for MARPs; and to strengthen national and local public and NGO entity capacity to achieve Ukraine's National AIDS Program objectives, through a broad range of activities to strengthen the policy environment and build capacity of NGOs and the public sector to plan, manage and monitor the National AIDS Program.

The project receives funding in health systems strengthening aimed at strengthening the role and capacity of NGOs supported through the Global Fund to implement HIV/AIDS activities. Project activities are closely leveraged with those of the Global Fund, and project advocacy efforts coordinate with those of the Global Fund to promote increased state funding for MARP programming.

In USCP's monitoring and evaluation plan, it is expected that the project will achieve the following tangible outcomes by the end of the award:

30 local organizations provided with technical assistance for HIV-related policy development

80 individuals trained in HIV-related policy development

200 individuals training in HIV-related community mobilization for prevention, care, and/or treatment

150 local organizations provided with technical assistance for HIV-related institutional capacity building

800 individuals trained in HIV-related institutional capacity building

450 individuals trained in counseling and testing according to national and international standards

Three advisory groups to work with most marginalized MARPs established and supported to be more involved with program and policy development

USCP supports the USG strategy for health systems strengthening and policy reform to support access to high quality service delivery by NGO and public sector entities with improved technical and institutional capacity. With prior year USG funding, USCP has supported increased collaboration between public, private, and civil society stakeholders in addressing legal, regulatory, policy, and fiscal issues to reduce barriers to HIV/AIDS health care. This has been achieved through support to multi-sectoral policy development groups at the oblast level, and six multi-sectoral policy development groups that work with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ministry of Family, Youth, and Sports (MFYS) at the national level. Issues addressed through the working group fora include HIV legislation, HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT), medication assisted therapy (MAT), vulnerable children and adolescents, national TB and HIV Council operational planning, and procurement systems. A particular focus in policy reform has been facilitating MARPs access to high quality HIV/AIDS services.

USCP hasalso provided extensive training and technical assistance to increase the capacity of civil society and public sector bodies to coordinate and provide improved services to MARPs. By strengthening institutional and management skills, as well as technical capacity, USCP's USG-supported efforts are resulting in a stronger non-governmental response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This has significantly increased the participation and influence of civil society on national decision making in the National AIDS Program.

During FY 2010, Future Group International's "HIV/AIDS Service Capacity Project in Ukraine" (USCP) will continue to provide technical support in policy reform and local NGO capacity building.

In line with the USG's wider efforts in expanding medication assisted therapy (MAT) to injecting drug users (IDUs), USCP will continue to provide technical assistance to national and regional level working groups to improve MAT-related policies, regulations, and service standards. Issues include the removal of operational barriers at the local level related to IDU access to ART within the same facilities that provide MAT. USCP will work closely with other USG-supported partners in these efforts, including the International HIV/AIDS Alliance and WHO.

USCP will facilitate collaboration between policymakers and the civil society to advocate for amendments to HIV/AIDS laws. Key issues include the legalization of VCT service provision by NGOs, the elimination of parental consent for VCT service offered to at-risk adolescent age 15 and older, the development of anti-discrimination laws and policies to ensure the legal protection of MARPs living with HIV, and the updating of TB/HIV-related issues. Advocacy efforts will seek to increase government funding for local NGOs at the regional and local levels.

During FY 2010, USCP will conduct a comprehensive policy audit that will also consider counseling and testing by assessing the types of advocacy and policy changes required to provide HIV testing services in a broad range of settings.

USCP is a major contributor to the Partnership Framework objective of fostering national and sub-national leadership in HIV/AIDS, with a focus on regional capacity building. The project collaborates closely with the MOH to ensure alignment with the GOU's overall efforts in strengthening decentralized leadership. USCP has already worked with nine regional and 28 municipal TB and HIV councils to strengthen and sustain HIV-related strategic planning, coordination, and management skills. USCP will extend capacity building to the tenth regional TB and HIV council, as well as peripheral municipal councils. USCP will work with these bodies to address key issues and barriers in integrated prevention, care, and treatment services and referral systems. USCP will also provide technical assistance in the development of regional annual work and M&E systems plans.

USCP will continue to support local NGO capacity building during FY 2010. With FY 2009 funds, the project is undertaking detailed institutional NGO assessments in order to guide strategic approach to building NGO capacity. Training themes will include fundraising, financial management and budget planning, project management, team work, public relations, monitoring and evaluation, and information resources management. USCP will provide on-site training and mentoring to local NGOs that have just entered the program.

USCP will build on previous years' efforts in leadership training for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and most-at-risk populations (MARPs) leaders. This has included advocacy and communications skills for MARP leaders who interact with community and government officials in policy development. In FY 2010, MARPs leaders will receive further training in advocacy as well as in leadership development and organizational management. USCP will continue to support local NGO workers and physicians who were trained in FY 2009 as Master Trainers to conduct stigma reduction sessions with health care providers