Improving Stewardship of National HIV/AIDS Programs
Signing of Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Tajikistan 
The Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Health RT and the CAPACITY Project was signed by prof. Nusratullo Fayzulloev, Minister of Health of RT, Deputy Chairman of National Coordination Committee (NCC) on Prevention and Combating HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and by Dr. Lev Khodakevich, CAPACITY Regional Project Director on December 28, 2005.
The purpose of the MoU is to describe and clarify Strategies, polices and procedures for effective cooperation and communication between the National Partner and the CAPACITY Project.
Draft of the Memorandum was discussed with the members of the UN Thematic Group on HIV/AIDS.
Strengthening of the National AIDS Coordination Mechanism (NACM) through secondment of specialists
In accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding the CAPACITY Project, jointly with the Ministry of Health of RT, developed the Secondment Plan with the purpose of strengthening of capacity of the RAC on three directions:
- Monitoring and evaluation;
- Communication; and
- NGO Liaison.
All three seconded specialists started their activity in RAC from January 2006, on the basis of Operational Agreement on Secondment identifying the rights, obligations and contribution of each side on implementation of the Secondment plan, signed between the CAPACITY Project and RAC. The CAPACITY Project purchased and installed 3 sets of office equipment for the specialists, provided phone line and Internet access in RAC. During the activity period the seconded specialists achieved the following results:
Communication Specialist:
- Monthly bulletin of RAC has been developed and regularly issued. The bulletin is assigned to involve partners into process of sharing information and coverage of the activity, concerned with the response to HIV epidemics in the country. The bulletin is distributed on monthly bases among governmental institutions, local and international NGOs and donors. Copies of the bulletin are posted on UNDP web-site in Tajikistan;
- The official web-site of the NCC is launched and will serve as a single information space for NCC members and other partner organizations, thereby promoting implementation of “Three Ones” principle of national HIV program coordination;
- Providing continuous assistance to RAC and NCC Secretariat in communication process, including dissemination of various documents, NACM minutes, and consolidation of reports and plans of the partners.
NGO Liaison:
- Activities on civil society mobilization (CSM) with the purpose of expanded response to the epidemic on national and province levels were conducted (see Strategy 2)
- Strengthened interaction and information exchange between NGO community and NACM, including RAC and NCC Secretariat. NGO Liaison has ensured NGO involvement into discussion of various normative documents and regularly distributed information on grant competitions.
- Technical assistance to NGOs on various issues, including project proposal design, compilation of AIDS-servicing NGO community recommendations on draft National Strategic Plan on HIV. At present NGO Liaison provides assistance in arranging the first National Forum of AIDS-servicing NGOs.
Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist:
- Introduction of the unique identification code (UIC) into programs working with vulnerable groups. According to analysis of situation and partners’ opinion on UIC introduction M&E Specialist jointly with the Head of RAC developed project proposal on UIC introduction on national level. The proposal was submitted from RAC to the Drug Demand Reduction Program (DDRP) for possible funding.
- Participation in revision and editing of the National Guidelines on monitoring and evaluation.
- Active participation in sentinel surveillance research on HIV conducted by RAC among vulnerable populations and pregnant women. M&E Specialist was responsible for SSR quality control.
In addition to the activity, indicated in work plans, the seconded specialists contributed to development of draft Regulations on NCC TWGs and other normative documents, RAC project proposals on prevention of HIV among vulnerable population groups, submitted to the grant competitions to CARHAP and CAAP (both submitted proposals were approved by the grant committees).
The CAPACITY project intends to support the work of the seconded specialists up to September 2007, and jointly with RAC will seek opportunities to ensure sustainability of the Secondment process.
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Bulletin
Partners
www.rcaids.kz
Republican AIDS Center, Kazakhstan
www.ncc.tj
National Coordination Committee, Tajikistan
www.afew.org
AIDS Foundation East-West
www.caap.info
Central Asia AIDS Control Project
www.cdc.gov
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
www.ddrprogram.org
Drug Demand Reduction Project
www.theglobalfund.org
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberkulosis and Malaria
www.projecthope.org
Project HOPE/TB
www.soros.org
Soros Foundation
www.undp.org
UNDP
www.unicef.org
United Nations Children's Fund
www.unodc.org
United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime
www.usaid.gov
USAID
www.euro.who.int
World Health Organization
www.zplus.kz
ZdravPlus Project
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