World AIDS Day 2006: The Promise of Partnerships
Promise of New Partnerships Against HIV/AIDS
Through the New Partners Initiative (NPI) announced by President George W. Bush last World AIDS Day, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Emergency Plan/PEPFAR) builds the capacity of organizations at the community level, while also building local ownership of HIV/AIDS responses for the long term.
New Grants Announced
The U.S. Government is proud to announce the first round of grant awards under the NPI, establishing new partnerships with 23 grants to the following recipients:
- Ajuda de Desenvolvimento de Povo para Povo – Machava, Mozambique
- Catholic Medical Mission Board – New York City, New York, USA
- Christian Reformed World Relief Committee – Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
- Church Alliance for Orphans – Windhoek, Namibia
- Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa – Alexandria, Virginia, USA
- Genesis Trust (Ugu AIDS Alliance) – Port Shepestone, South Africa
- Geneva Global (Ethiopia) – Wayne, Pennsylvania, USA
- Geneva Global (Cote d’Ivoire) – Wayne, Pennsylvania, USA
- Global Outreach for Addiction Leadership and Learning – Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, USA
- Kara Counseling and Training Trust – Lusaka, Zambia
|
- Light and Courage Centre Trust – Francistown, Botswana
- Luapula Foundation – Mansa, Zambia
- Mothers 2 Mothers – Cape Town, South Africa
- Natural Family Planning Center of Washington, D.C. – Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Nazarene Compassionate Ministries Inc. – Olathe, Kansas, USA
- Nordic Assistance to Vietnam – Oslo, Norway
- ONG Le Soutien – Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
- Réseau Ivoirien des Organisations de PVVIH (RIP+) – Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
- ServeHAITI, Inc. – Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Universidade Catolica De Mocambique – Beira, Mozambique
- Visions in Action – Washington, D.C., USA
- World Hope International – Alexandria, Virginia, USA
- Youth Health Organization – Gaborone, Botswana
|
With the support of the American people, this first group of new partners will work in 13 of the 15 focus countries to provide HIV prevention and care services, including prevention of mother-to-child transmission, abstinence and faithfulness, condoms and related prevention, palliative care, orphans and vulnerable children, and counseling and testing.
Under the NPI, the Emergency Plan will award a series of grants totaling approximately $200 million to new partners to provide services in the Emergency Plan’s 15 focus countries. This first round of three-year grants under the NPI will award a total of up to $72 million. 
The Need for New Partners
- Many organizations have the capability to reach people who need HIV/AIDS services, but lack experience in working with the U.S. Government and its processes. Community and faith-based organizations, in particular, represent vital but underutilized resources. Many such organizations are well-established within communities and well-placed to reach out to those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.
- Building the capacity of organizations at the community level also helps to build local ownership of HIV/AIDS responses for the long term. In some countries, such organizations provide as much as 40-50 percent of all care for people living with HIV/AIDS – with little support from the U.S. Government. In some cases, existing U.S.-based organizations can serve as a "bridge" due to their relationships with these entities in host countries.
- The alliance between PEPFAR and new partners will promote better care for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, and hope for stronger families and healthier communities.
New Partners Initiative Goals
The Emergency Plan is reaching out to organizations through NPI, working to enable them to become new partners. The goals of the initiative are to:
- Increase the Emergency Plan’s ability to reach people with needed services, by identifying potential new Emergency Plan partner organizations, increasing their capacity to provide prevention and care services, and increasing the total number of Emergency Plan partners; and
- Build capacity in host nations by developing indigenous capacity to address HIV/AIDS to promote the sustainability of host nations’ efforts.
|
Implementation Timeline for Round One NPI Grantees
- December 2006 – Awards announced
- January 2007 – Needs assessments conducted
- Early February 2007 – Work plans submitted by grantees
- February 2007 – Grantees coordinate with PEPFAR country teams to ensure work plan is in line with the national strategies of host nations and identified needs
- March 2007 – Implementation begins
|
How the New Partners Initiative Works
Competitive grants: NPI includes a competitive process for $200 million in grants to provide HIV/AIDS prevention and care services. Eligible entities are non-governmental organizations, working in any of the fifteen Emergency Plan focus countries, with little or no experience working with the U.S. Government – defined as no more than $5 million in U.S. Government funding during the preceding five years, excluding disaster and emergency assistance or funding as a subcontractor.
- Leadership: NPI is led by the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, assisted by an interagency U.S. Government Executive Committee with representation from Emergency Plan in-country teams. The Coordinator set and approved policies and direction for NPI and appointed a New Partnerships Director, who manages the program.
- Partner outreach: In 2006, a series of regional bidders’ conferences were held in the U.S. and abroad.
- Pre-competition assistance: NPI offered technical and capacity-building assistance to participants to help them compete now and in the future – both within the NPI grant process and in other competitions. Technical assistance focused on topics such as: initial needs assessment; proposal writing; pre-award audits; personnel recruitment; competition processes; and monitoring and evaluation planning.
- Post-award capacity-building assistance: To ensure the sustainability of the response, NPI offers assistance to successful applicants, focusing on: successful program implementation; needs analysis; and organizational growth and strengthening.
|
