Aidspan - independent watchdog of the Global Fund and publisher of Global Fund Observer
Aidspan is a non-governmental Kenya-based organization whose mission is to reinforce the effectiveness of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Aidspan does so by serving as an independent watchdog of the Fund, and by providing services that can benefit all countries wishing to obtain and make effective use of Global Fund financing. Aidspan finances its work primarily through grants from foundations. Aidspan does not accept Global Fund money, perform paid consulting work, or charge for any of its products.
Aidspan provides the following services:
1. Watchdog services
- Watch for and constructively comment on ways in which the Global Fund's leadership, Secretariat or grant recipients may not be living up to the Fund's founding principles.
- Communicate findings publicly (via Global Fund Observer) or privately, as appropriate.
2. Publication services
- Global Fund Observer (GFO), a free email newsletter providing news, analysis and commentary to over 7,000 subscribers in 170 countries.
- Aidspan Guides, a series of free publications providing detailed practical advice to those applying for, overseeing or implementing Global Fund grants.
3. Web services
- The Grant Details, Analysis and Evaluation pages on Aidspan's web site, a comprehensive on-line resource for comparing the performance of Global Fund grants.
- More web services (forthcoming).
4. Facilitation services
- Global Fund Round Tables for global health leaders and advocates (under the direction of a multi-sectoral steering committee).
- More facilitation services (forthcoming).
Aidspan Spotlight
Aidspan's facilitation services are provided in both developing and developed countries. In developing countries, Aidspan works with others to increase the number of viable grant applications that are submitted to the Global Fund, to strengthen the effectiveness of Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCMs), and to improve the chances that grants are effectively implemented. In developed countries, it works with others to improve the chances that more money will be given to the Global Fund.
Aidspan's Grant Details, Analysis and Evaluation pages show how well each Global Fund grant is performing against its own goals and in relation to other grants. Based on in-depth data automatically downloaded from the Global Fund's website on a regular basis, the system offers both a graphical and a tabular assessment of the performance of each grant.
Global Fund Observer (GFO) is a widely-read, authoritative and free email-based newsletter, produced by Aidspan, that provides an independent platform for news, analysis and commentary about the Global Fund to over 7,000 subscribers in 170 countries.
Global AIDS and the Global Fund
Since its inception, the Global Fund has approved 710 grants, of which 402 have been extended to Phase 2 (Years 3 and beyond).
The most recent agreement for a new grant was signed on 8 February 2010, providing an initial amount of $9,295,097 for a project in Iran (Islamic Republic).
The most recent agreement to extend a grant beyond its initial 2-year period was signed on 4 February 2010, providing $4,726,671 for an HIV/AIDS project in Georgia.
Funding has been distributed by disease component and by region as follows:
| Approved funding by disease component | |
|---|---|
| HIV/AIDS | $10.39 billion |
| Malaria | $5.26 billion |
| TB | $3.15 billion |
| Mixed | $0.33 billion |
| Approved funding by region | |
| East Africa | $4.73 billion |
| West and Central Africa | $3.13 billion |
| Southern Africa | $2.92 billion |
| East Asia and the Pacific | $2.74 billion |
| South Asia | $1.79 billion |
| Eastern Europe and Central Asia | $1.41 billion |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | $1.36 billion |
| North Africa and the Middle East | $1.05 billion |
For details of individual grants, country-by-country information, indications of which grants are ahead of or behind schedule, and more, visit the Grant Details, Analysis and Evaluation pages on this site.
Recent News
The Global Fund Board has now approved funding for 31 Round 9 proposals that had been recommended by the Technical Review Panel, but for which formal approval was delayed because sufficient funds were not available.
The Global Fund Board has approved two of the nine Round 9 proposals whose original rejection had been appealed by the applicants. The newly approved proposals are an HIV proposal from Pakistan and a TB proposal from Ukraine. The appeals of two rejected National Strategy Applications from Kenya and Malawi were turned down.
The "dashboard" is an information tool designed to support CCMs as they carry out their grant oversight functions. It provides a highly visual, strategic summary of key financial, programmatic, and management information drawn from existing data sources.
In every country audited by the Global Fund's Office of the Inspector General since 2006, there were numerous instances of PRs not complying with clauses in their grant agreements. A recent report by the OIG points out that the Fund does not have mechanisms in place to monitor and enforce compliance with these clauses.
Recent News
The Global Fund Board has now approved funding for 31 Round 9 proposals that had been recommended by the Technical Review Panel, but for which formal approval was delayed because sufficient funds were not available.
The Global Fund Board has approved two of the nine Round 9 proposals whose original rejection had been appealed by the applicants. The newly approved proposals are an HIV proposal from Pakistan and a TB proposal from Ukraine. The appeals of two rejected National Strategy Applications from Kenya and Malawi were turned down.
The "dashboard" is an information tool designed to support CCMs as they carry out their grant oversight functions. It provides a highly visual, strategic summary of key financial, programmatic, and management information drawn from existing data sources.
In every country audited by the Global Fund's Office of the Inspector General since 2006, there were numerous instances of PRs not complying with clauses in their grant agreements. A recent report by the OIG points out that the Fund does not have mechanisms in place to monitor and enforce compliance with these clauses.
Recent GFO Highlights
Further details are provided regarding a Global Fund Board decision last month to modify the Fund's Quality Assurance Policy for Pharmaceutical Products.
"Senior Global Fund officials seem to be scared to speak in clear simple terms about things that need to be said. Next month, the Fund will have a board meeting at which it must make difficult decisions about how to fund Round 9. Whatever decisions it makes, it should communicate those decisions rapidly and clearly to all applicants."
"Many implementers of Global Fund grants are still not getting the technical assistance that they need - often because they are not requesting the TA in the first place. Accordingly, the Global Fund ought to require that each prospective principal recipient prepares a TA Plan prior to signing a Grant Agreement."
Recent GFO Highlights
Further details are provided regarding a Global Fund Board decision last month to modify the Fund's Quality Assurance Policy for Pharmaceutical Products.
"Senior Global Fund officials seem to be scared to speak in clear simple terms about things that need to be said. Next month, the Fund will have a board meeting at which it must make difficult decisions about how to fund Round 9. Whatever decisions it makes, it should communicate those decisions rapidly and clearly to all applicants."
"Many implementers of Global Fund grants are still not getting the technical assistance that they need - often because they are not requesting the TA in the first place. Accordingly, the Global Fund ought to require that each prospective principal recipient prepares a TA Plan prior to signing a Grant Agreement."
Recent Publications
Description:
The purpose of this report is to provide information to Global Fund applicants on key attributes of a strong proposal. The report is based on an analysis of the strengths of all approved Round 8 and 9 proposals, as identified by the Technical Review Panel (TRP) when it reviewed the proposals.
This report is available in English, French, Spanish and Russian.
Download options:
| English |  486KB |
 982KB |
| Français | 522KB |
643KB |
| Español | 495KB |
614KB |
 |
807KB |
739KB |
Description:
The purpose of this guide is to provide a broad introduction to the Global Fund for people who have little or no prior experience of the Fund - ranging from new CCM members, to NGOs, to government officials, to new sub-recipients, to journalists who have to write about the Fund. This guide comes in three versions: the full guide (about 60 pages); an eight-page summary, and a two-page summary.
All three versions of this guide are currently available in English, French, Spanish and Russian.
Download options:
| Complete document |
| English | 461KB |
663KB |
| Français | 467KB |
999KB |
| Español | 467KB |
650KB |
|
910KB |
993KB |
| 8-page summary |
| English | 94KB |
308KB |
| Français | 84KB |
311KB |
| Español | 121KB |
265KB |
|
366KB |
337KB |
| 2-page summary |
| English | 59KB |
278KB |
| Français | 60KB |
277KB |
| Español | 61KB |
229KB |
|
292KB |
289KB |
Recent Publications
Description:
The purpose of this report is to provide information to Global Fund applicants on key attributes of a strong proposal. The report is based on an analysis of the strengths of all approved Round 8 and 9 proposals, as identified by the Technical Review Panel (TRP) when it reviewed the proposals.
This report is available in English, French, Spanish and Russian.
Download options:
| English | 486KB |
982KB |
| Français | 522KB |
643KB |
| Español | 495KB |
614KB |
|
807KB |
739KB |
Description:
The purpose of this guide is to provide a broad introduction to the Global Fund for people who have little or no prior experience of the Fund - ranging from new CCM members, to NGOs, to government officials, to new sub-recipients, to journalists who have to write about the Fund. This guide comes in three versions: the full guide (about 60 pages); an eight-page summary, and a two-page summary.
All three versions of this guide are currently available in English, French, Spanish and Russian.
Download options:
| Complete document |
| English | 461KB |
663KB |
| Français | 467KB |
999KB |
| Español | 467KB |
650KB |
|
910KB |
993KB |
| 8-page summary |
| English | 94KB |
308KB |
| Français | 84KB |
311KB |
| Español | 121KB |
265KB |
|
366KB |
337KB |
| 2-page summary |
| English | 59KB |
278KB |
| Français | 60KB |
277KB |
| Español | 61KB |
229KB |
|
292KB |
289KB |