CCM Evolution

ABSTRACT The Africa Constituency Bureau, which supports the representation of 46 African countries in their engagement with the Global Fund, convened virtual meetings of the representatives of those countries to discuss key challenges and achievements during this current strategy and collect input for the next strategy.

ABSTRACT In a progress update provided to the Board at its 42nd Board meeting, the Secretariat noted that Country Coordination Mechanisms (CCMs) that took part in the CCM Evolution pilot have demonstrated an enhanced capacity to oversee grants and engage with other national structures and coordination platforms. However, these CCMs are still falling short ensuring meaningful engagement of CCM civil society constituencies in key CCM processes and improving their internal functioning. The Secretariat plans to incorporate the lessons learnt and roll out CCM Evolution across 115 CCMs globally, starting with 90 countries in 2020.

ABSTRACT The Secretariat has assessed the first results of the CCM Evolution strategy, and intends to scale up the initiative to 48 new CCMs in 2020. Unfortunately, some of the key challenges to CCMs have not been addressed and should be openly discussed if we want CCMs to meaningfully contribute to our common objectives to eliminate the pandemics. In particular: the moral and legal character of the CCM and its positioning, to enable efficient dialogue with Ministries of Finance and Health, the role of Civil Society Organizations, in particular in criminalizing environments, and the composition of the CCM according to the role it is given: Is it a governance platform or a group of skilled professionals aiming to challenge the PR and the SR? Do we want the CCM to be an instrument of grant management, or a governance ideal?

ABSTRACT Behind the Global Fund's particularly utilitarian definition of CCMs ("Country Coordinating Mechanisms") lies a very complex reality. This reality impacts the way that CCMs operate, to the point that they are considered by some to be artificial entities that are expensive and cumbersome, embodying the blatant hypocrisy of the developed world - hiding behind misleading concepts such as “national ownership” and “democratic multisectoriality” - and demonstrating little or no return on investment. There are, however, some interesting ways that this innovative partnership model can restore its full value and operational efficiency.

ABSTRACT The new manager of the Global Fund’s CCM Hub describes the team’s role and discusses progress so far in the pilot phase of the now one-year-old CCM evolution project, which looks at CCM functioning in 18 countries with a view to develop ways to strengthen CCMs in all 115 implementing countries.

ABSTRACT The Country Coordinating Mechanism evolution initiative is at mid-point. Information from four African countries suggests mixed results: two countries with early signs of success and two where it is too early to measure success, country representatives say. Aidspan’s policy team highlights the challenges and keys to success discussed with representatives from each of the four countries featured in this article.

ABSTRACT The Global Fund country coordinating mechanisms have been called “cornerstones of the Global Fund architecture” in-country. With by their broad representation and mandate, CCMs can help improve the performance of the grants. In a joint commentary from Aidspan’s CEO and its senior policy specialist, Aidspan puts forward suggestions to improve CCMs’ functioning and effectiveness.

ABSTRACT Tanzania, recently selected by the Global Fund Secretariat as one of the 18 countries to pilot the Secretariat’s 18-month CCM Evolution Initiative, has already forged ahead with its own plan to evolve its CCM, the Tanzania National Coordinating Mechanism (TNCM). The first TNCM retreat held in August this year has set the tone for transforming the TNCM into an effective management agency, by developing a transformation plan that will be integrated with that of the pilot CCM Evolution Initiative workplan.

ABSTRACT The intermediate level of ambition with a phased-in approach, which the Board has approved for the CCM Evolution initiative, will allow targeted technical and financial support to be provided to country coordinating mechanisms in 16 countries to implement activities aimed at increasing their maturity in oversight, key population engagement, linkages and CCM functioning. The Board approved $3.85 million to fund the initiative in 2018–2019.