Leadership, Management and Governance National Malaria Control Program Capacity Building Project: Program Year 2, Quarter 2 Progress Report

The project is funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) under the terms of Cooperative Agreement Number AID-OAA-A-11-00015. The project's objective is to build the capacity of local NMCPs to effectively implement their national malaria strategies through targeted technical and organizational capacity building support. Senior Technical Advisors, seconded to NMCPs in the target countries, work with country NMCPs toward three main objectives: effective management of human, financial, and material resources; development and direction of policy and norms for the implementation and surveillance of the national malaria control strategy; and mobilization of stakeholders to participate in national malaria control coordination and implementation efforts. During the reporting period from January 1 to March 31, 2015, the LMG/NMCP team continued project startup in two countries and project implementation in the other five. The project completed narrative reports on the initial organizational capacity assessments of NMCPs in Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, and Liberia, which will be submitted to country missions and PMI/Washington early next quarter. The project provided focused technical and organizational support to NMCPs, including the launch of the Leadership Development Program Plus (LDP+) in four countries. In the five active LMG/NMCP countries, the project continued to support the development and revision of Global Fund concept notes, human resources management reviews, planning and implementation of long-lasting insecticide-treated net (LLIN) distribution campaigns, and coordination with key stakeholders. In Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, and Guinea, LMG/NMCP Senior Technical Advisors assisted NMCPs to revise concept notes in response to Global Fund technical review panel (TRP) feedback and supported NMCPs throughout grant negotiations. This sustained support contributed to the Global Fund's approval of malaria concept notes from both Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea. The project also continued to support the development of national malaria control strategies, including the revision of national strategic plans and the development of implementation plans. In addition, the project provided technical assistance to NMCPs on the use of data for decision-making, including the development of data management systems and the analysis of malaria surveillance data. The LMG/NMCP team worked closely with country NMCPs, implementing partners, and other stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of the project. The team also provided regular updates to PMI/Washington and country missions on project progress and challenges. The project's progress was also marked by the completion of a number of key activities, including the development of a project management plan, the establishment of a project monitoring and evaluation system, and the conduct of a mid-term review of the project. These activities have helped to ensure the effective implementation of the project and have provided valuable lessons for future projects. Overall, the LMG/NMCP project has made significant progress in strengthening the capacity of NMCPs in the seven target countries. The project's focus on building the capacity of local NMCPs has helped to ensure the effective implementation of national malaria control strategies and has contributed to the reduction of malaria cases and deaths in the region.