Objective:

Technical assistance to the Congolese Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) during the Global Fund negotiation phase of the grant agreement in terms of fund management for Global Fund’s Round 9 grant.

Technical assistance encompassed the provision of experts in the following domains: project management, procurement and stock management, tendering and contracting, monitoring and evaluation, and financial management according to the requirements of the Global Fund.

This technical support financed by the German BACKUP Initiative has been part of a joint process with the aim to strengthen its financial and programme management capacities with regard to its status as designated public principal recipient (PR). Thereby, this assistance is a direct contribution to a general strengthening of the Congolese health system in terms of fund management capacities and is intended to have a lasting and sustainable impact.

Content:

Both the MoPH and CARITAS Congo ASBL have been designated as principal recipients (PRs) within Global Fund’s Round 9. Since the final signature required some further enhancement of both institutions, Health Focus provided technical assistance to both of them, assisting with the development of the necessary key documents (adapted procedure manuals) as well as preparing an effective fund management system.

In consideration of the necessity of an innovative coordinating structure, provided with clear procedures that are easily and successively applicable to all donor funded projects implemented in the health sector, the MoPH and its international partners set up a fund management unit (CAG – Cellule d’Appui et Gestion) within the Ministry of Public Health in order to coordinate and manage both public and donor funds.

The CAG is in charge of programmatic aspects while a finance agency (Agence de gestion Fiduciaire – AGF) is responsible for the aspects of financial managements.

From the very beginning in 2008, Health Focus has contributed significantly to the planning and set up process. Together with other stakeholders (amongst others the Congolese health programme of the GIZ and other bi- and multilateral partners), this coalition for action developed, presented and discussed funding modules within the MoPH and the donor community in Kinshasa; identified funding sources for the CAG; established an institutional framework and developed a manual for internal procedures.

Identification, selection, provision and supervision of international senior experts in the following domains:

• organisational development / process manage-ment,
• tendering / contracting and contract manage-ment,
• procurement and stock management,
• monitoring and evaluation,
• financial management.

Services provided included inter alia: Review of docu-ments, organisation of workshops and trainings on the Global Fund’s procedures and processes; close coordi-nation with donors involved and concerned; joint elabo-ration of documents for the Global Fund’s approval; technical assistance during the question-and-answer period; revision and adaption of procedure manuals; organisational support with respect to the MoPH and its new structures for programme and financial manage-ment (CAG and AGF).

The experts worked jointly with different departments and units, either in working sessions or in workshops, and guided the elaboration process of the following documents:

• Manual of procedures;
• Manual for tendering and contracting;
• Plan for procurement and stock management;
• Plan for monitoring and evaluating;
• Procedures for the management of Sub-Recipients;
• Communication schedule for the use among the group of PRs.