Quarterly Report 1Q 2009: Building Bridges Program in Botswana

The program focuses on the needs of children and adolescents, using a family-centered approach that builds the capacity of affected families to care for their children. The program's goal is to improve and expand CSO delivery of integrated HIV/AIDS services for affected and infected children and families. To achieve this goal, Project Concern International (PCI) has provided sub-grants to 12 NGO partners to strengthen their organizational and technical capacity. The sub-grants total $2,915,752 and will be used to provide family-based services to people infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. The NGO partners work in seven districts, primarily in the Central and Southern areas of Botswana. During the first quarter of 2009, PCI signed a three-year follow-on agreement with USAID and participated in the Botswana PEPFAR Country Operational Planning (COP) process. The organization also renewed sub-agreements with the 12 NGO partners, provided technical assistance to the partners, and started the Building Bridges work plan development process. A key issue during the proposal submission and approval process was the continuity of funding due to timing. The six-month grants ended on September 30th, and new grants were scheduled to start on October 1st. This required coordination and consultation with partners to avoid any break in services to beneficiaries. Another challenge was capacity building during the proposal submission and approval process, as partners struggled to properly capture program strategies, activities, and deliverables, and to budget properly. PCI provided technical assistance to the partners to help them improve their proposals. The organization also encouraged partners to think of more volunteer-based, low-cost initiatives that could help their funds go further. Budgeting technical assistance focused on planning personnel and benefits strategies, as most partners were either not budgeting for staff benefits at all or budgeting improperly. The program has made progress in improving the quality of budgets submitted by partners. Partners showed progress in having program and finance staff work side by side in budget development, which helped improve the quality of budgets submitted. However, governance challenges remain, as two of the grantees, Silence Kills Support Group (SKSG) and House of Hope, have been experiencing difficulties in managing their finances and implementing their programs. PCI has provided technical assistance to these grantees to help them improve their governance and management practices. The organization has also been working with the grantees to develop a plan to address their challenges and ensure the sustainability of their programs.