LMG/Côte d’Ivoire: Program Year 4, Quarter 1 PEPFAR Progress Report

The project's main goal is to build the capacity of the CCM and PRs in leadership, management, and governance; monitoring and evaluation; supervision; and resource mobilization. This assistance aims to enable the CCM and PRs to fulfill their critical functions and be effective players in rallying all sectors to combat HIV and AIDS, malaria, and TB. The LMG/CI workplan package for project year 4 (October 2014 – September 2015) was approved by USAID/PEPFAR on November 25, 2014. The approved workplan has four objectives: (1) the CCM understands the updated Global Fund directives and is following a plan to ensure compliance with Global Fund regulations; (2) oversight and monitoring and evaluation of grant performance are strengthened by utilizing effective tools; (3) the CCM harmonizes activities with key stakeholders and mobilizes additional resources to carry out basic CCM functions; and (4) CCM and PR leadership, management, and financial skills are strengthened and capacity to implement, monitor, and evaluate programs is strengthened. During the reporting period of October-December 2014, the following activities and results were achieved under these objectives: Objective 1 was supported by LMG/CI through a Dashboard review meeting with the malaria technical committee. Objective 2 was supported by the project through five technical committee meetings with CCM members, a supervisory visit by the HIV committee, and training of 16 PR staff and CCM members on the Monitoring Evaluation System Strengthening Tool (MESST). Objective 3 was supported by the project through technical support to the CCM Secretariat to draft terms of reference (TOR) for the technical working group and create a workplan to guide TB concept note development. Objective 4 was supported by LMG/CI through an alignment meeting to launch the Leadership Development Program Plus (LDP+) process with partners and stakeholders, and a first LDP+ workshop in the series. In addition to supporting the Global Fund CCM, the LMG Decentralization Pilot Project in Côte d'Ivoire (LMG/CIDMP) has been providing technical assistance focused on leadership, management, and governance capacities at the decentralized level, working in the health regions of Indénié-Djuablin and N'Zi-Iffou-Moronou since October 2013. The project's goal is to improve health service delivery and health outcomes through health systems strengthening and by creating motivated leaders with strong skills in governance, leadership, and management at the Regional Health Directorates (DR) and the Departmental Health Directorates (DD) to ensure ownership and sustainability of all interventions, including HIV activities at the decentralized level. During the reporting period of October-December 2014, the following activities and results were achieved under LMG/CIDMP: Objective 1 was supported by the project through technical support to 21 monthly district health management team (Equipe cadre de district, ECD) and regional health management team (Equipe régional de santé, ERS) meetings, and financial and technical support to both the Indénié-Djuablin and N'Zi-Iffou-Moronou DRs and their nine DDs to hold 11 quarterly coordination meetings. Objective 2 was supported by the project through technical and financial assistance to both the Indénié-Djuablin and N'Zi-Iffou-Moronou Regional Health Directorates (DRs) to conduct their quarterly supervision missions, and 11 coaching visits for each of the 11 EDC and ERS improvement teams participating in the LDP+. Objective 3 was supported by the project through 100% of health districts and Regional Health Directorates (DRs) completing a quarterly supervision mission with technical and financial support of LMG/CIDMP during this period, and technical assistance to both the Indénié-Djuablin and N'Zi-Iffou-Moronou Regional Health Directorates (DRs) to organize their quarterly data validation workshops. The Côte d'Ivoire's Ministry of Health and Fight Against AIDS (MSLS) and CCM achieved a major milestone on October 15, 2014, when they submitted the final malaria concept note for 2015-2017 to the Global Fund. In addition, the CCM plans to submit a concept note to fund the tuberculosis (TB) component from 2014-2017 since the current funding for this component ends on June 30, 2015. To support this process, LMG/CI helped the CCM Secretariat draft terms of reference (TORs) and a workplan for the technical working group responsible for concept note development. The country dialogue for TB was held with relevant in-country partners