sheilla benyera - msh, south africa

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Management Sciences for Health

MSH Building Local Capacity Project

Stronger health systems. Greater health impact.

Building the Capacity of Regional Organizations for Enhanced Sustainability: The BLC Approach

Sheilla Benyera, Jerusha Govender, Puleng Letsie

HIV Capacity Building Partners’ Summit

March 21, 2013

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BLC’s work in Southern Africa

• Building Local Capacity for HIV Service Delivery in Southern Africa Project (BLC), August 2010 to August 2015

• BLC vision for Improved Capacity in Southern Africao Expanding HIV prevention knowledge and serviceso Strengthening local and regional institutionso Ensuring quality of health serviceso Increasing care and support for OVCo Strengthening Global Fund

Principal Recipients

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Developing regional CSO capacity

• Local organizations need to continuously develop their capacities to match changing environment

• Challenges in assessing impact of anticipated program results and actual outcomes

Response• USAID Forward Agenda Implementation and

Procurement Reforms (IPRs). BLC charged with:o ‘graduating’ 10 regional entities by 2015 to receive,

manage, and report on USG funds and other donorso providing technical assistance for improved,

sustainable HIV program service delivery

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BLC Regional CSO Capacity Building Model

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Methodologies and Strategies

• Unique capacity building methodologieso Targeted & time-bound capacity building

‘graduation’o Prioritized, ‘holistic’ capacity building plans, and

shared accountability o Mentored sub grants o Periodic participatory capacity assessmentso Mock pre-award assessments/compliance surveys

• Strategies for sustainability o Participatory approacho Knowledge exchange and skills transfero Other support – resource mobilization, project

management, leadership & management and cost-recovery

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Well managed regional CSOs

• Strong and sustainable management and governance systems & structures; and policies & procedures development o Increased compliance with GAAP, IAS, and USG

rules & regulationso Successful mentored sub-grant mechanism

• CSOs independently receive, manage and report on fundso ‘Graduated’ ECSA–HC – implementation of the

HRAA projecto m2m– Swaziland PMTCT projecto IHM- ESI Project Lesotho and Swaziland

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IPRs milestones to todate.

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Lessons Learned

• Limited capital and no line of credit• No established overhead rate• Bureaucracies/bottlenecks that prevent

rapid change• No track record or experience with USAID

or other big donors

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Conclusions

• BLC’s customized approach enhances organizations’ service delivery and sustainability through improved management, governance, and financial systems

• Replicable model – highly participatory which promotes ownership and accountability

• Flexible – provides an opportunity for tapping onto available resources, tools and instruments

• Stronger regional organizations will strengthen the impact of the regional HIV and AIDS response

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Questions & Comments

[email protected]

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Stronger health systems. Greater health impact.

Saving lives and improving the health

of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people

by closing the gap between knowledge and action in

public health.

sheilla benyera - msh, south africa

Health & Medicine