It is said that PEPFAR Country Operational Plans are being drafted. And civil society is supposed to be involved.
Civil society is supposed to have access to:
What PEPFAR funded this year in COP2014 (which covers programs in 2015)
The data country teams are using to make decisions about what to fund
The targets and plans for next year, in the form of the “Strategic Direction Summary”
The budgets planned for program areas
Does it? Will it?
Jamie
++++++++++++++++++
Dear All,
Below is a letter sent from Ambassador Deborah Birx, the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and head of PEPFAR in response to activists demands in a half dozen countries to see PEPFAR COPs (country operational plans) before they are implemented. There has been a long campaign to get civil society actively and meaningful engaged in PEPFAR plans--which often represent a major portion of the AIDS funding in countries. This year for the first time the guidance issued to US government teams included an explicit requirement that they engage Civil Society--but in most countries the real data and plans were not shared and so that consultation thus far has often failed to be a real, meaningful engagement. After a recent push, however, last week Amb. Birx issued a directive to all US government teams that they must share their data and their draft strategies with CSOs and engage them meaningfully in a dialogue about how to prioritize funds for 2016.
There is now a narrow window to make significant changes and I’m hoping folks on this list can share this information with colleagues in countries where PEPFAR is active. PEPFAR needs to be pushed to prioritize its funding for treatment, care, and prevention programs that actually reach communities and ensure rights-based access to high quality programs for all. Especially in a moment of constrained resources, ensuring funding is based in the real needs of PLWHA is urgent.
Broadly: Between now and May 1st US government teams in PEPFAR countries are drafting their Country Operational Plan. Plans are due at different times. That plan will then be reviewed by PEPFAR headquarters by June. In each country they are setting their priorities, geographic focus of programs, and funding levels.
As you can see from the email below, civil society should have full access to:
What PEPFAR funded this year in COP2014 (which covers programs in 2015)
The data country teams are using to make decisions about what to fund
The targets and plans for next year, in the form of the “Strategic Direction Summary”
The budgets planned for program areas
This has finally begun--and thus far colleagues in Uganda have received initial data and in Zimbabwe have received the draft PEPFAR plan for comment and suggested changes.
Plans are due in the coming month at different times, but we have been told that input and priorities from civil society will be accepted after submission date--so activists can push hard to actually see the documents, review them, and have a say in how funding is spent in their countries.
If folks need help connecting with local PEPFAR staff we can try to help find out the right person to be in touch with. It would be most helpful if people could forward experiences you’re having and, if you do submit any written demands or comments to PEPFAR, send them my way?
Thanks all for your work and leadership
_Matt
--
Matthew Kavanagh
Health Global Access Project
t +1 202 355-6343 // m +1 202 486-2488
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Birx, Deborah L <BirxDL@state.gov>
Date: Fri, Mar 27, 2015 at 4:56 PM
Subject: RE: CSOs Letter to Ambassador Birx
Dear Civil Society Activists and Colleagues:
I want to thank you for your feedback about the new approach that PEPFAR is seeking to implement as part of the COP 2015 process. Your concerns are being taken very seriously by PEPFAR staff in each of our 36 country and regional programs, USG agencies, and at PEPFAR headquarters. I recognize that the difficulties you are facing in realizing the vision of PEPFAR’s commitment to transparency, accountability, impact and partnership, with civil society.
To this end, I wanted to let you know that I’ve re-issued an information sharing directive that reinforces the COP guidance on the importance that PEPFAR share civil society as much information and non-procurement sensitive data as possible related to COP 2014 and COP 2015. This includes:
1. COP 2014 - Programmatic substance of approved COP 14 (e.g., program area budget and target reports, epidemiologic and geographic focus data, analysis that supported the program pivot and list of PEPFAR-supported site, and APR data.)
2. COP 2015 - data being used for geographic prioritization based on disease burden; data being used to determine site level and above site investments – this could include the site yield data and volume data. Given the volume and complexity of the information, country teams are encouraged to have a dialogue around the data that promotes mutual understanding of the data and its intended use. Regarding the SDS, it is expected that country teams will discuss the strategic direction and impact of COP 2015, including with civil society. In addition, country teams will want to share the COP guidance, trade-offs that the team is considering and findings related to core-, near-, non-core activities. All of the tables in the SDS can be shared with external partners (including civil society) as well as narratives in the SDS, which can be helpful in describing those tables. However, procurement sensitive information should not be shared.
The goal is for non-procurement sensitive information to be shared iteratively with civil society so that you can meaningfully engage with you in COP development and as you work through your decision-making process.
Finally, I want to update you on S/GAC’s progress in posting important COP 2014 information on www.pepfar.gov:
· Redacted COP 2014 Approval Memos are posted
· Redacted COP 2014 Executive Summary Memos will be posted by April 3.
· Redacted COP 2014 Budget and Targets Report will be posted by April 3.
The process and timeline for posting redacted COP14 Narratives is under development and will be shared at a later date. In closing, I look forward to your ongoing engagement and perspectives in the upcoming COP 2015 reviews and subsequently the periodic review processes during COP 2015 implementation.
I want to thank you for your incredible work and commitment to accelerating the pace towards reaching epidemic control.
Ambassador Deborah Birx
Ambassador Deborah L. Birx, MD
Ambassador-at-Large and Special Rep. for Global Health Diplomacy
Coordinator of U.S. Government Activities to Combat Global HIV/AIDS
U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
This email is UNCLASSIFIED.
From: Felix Mwanza [mailto:felixtalc@iconnect.zm]
Sent: Friday, March 27, 2015 8:29 AM
To: 'BirxDL@state.gov.'; Birx, Deborah L
Cc: 'Matthew Kavanagh'; 'Maureen Milanga'; 'Safari Mbewe'; gtrapence@yahoo.co.uk; zoyamoreen@yahoo.com; korarain@gmail.com; dnhamo@pgaf.org; defnh78@gmail.com; 'CLEVER CHILENDE'; Doreen.mukube@gmail.com; Friedeldausab@yahoo.co.uk; mdunbar@pgaf.org; 'ASIA Russell'; felimwa@yahoo.com
Subject: CSOs Letter to Ambassador Birx
Dear Ambassador Deborah Birx:
Attached is an open letter to you from civil society regarding lack of implementation of the PEPFAR COP 2015 guidance on meaningful engagement of civil society.
We look forward to your timely response.
Sincerely,
Felix Mwanza
Treatment Advocacy and Literacy Campaign
Zambia
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