Global Fund: Progress Report 2010 - unaids

14. As part of the grant renewal process, the
Secretariat analyzes the effectiveness of grants based
on the five Paris Declaration principles. This review
informs implementation arrangements for Phase 2.
Thirty-two grants were reviewed between May and
December 2009. Recommendations mainly focused on
improving transparency and alignment at the country
level, such as including Global Fund financing in country
budgets, recording received disbursements in national
accounting books and aligning grants to the country
fiscal cycle.
3.1.2 Policy adjustments to improve
aid effectiveness
15. In 2009, the Global Fund adjusted its policies
in order to improve aid effectiveness at the country
level. This included: 1) coordination of country program
salaries; 2) support for aligning grants with
country systems and cycles and 3) improved financial
transparency and accountability of Global Fund
finances in implementing countries. These changes are
described below.
16. Coordinated country program salaries.
A coordinated approach to compensate health workers
and other in-country program staff was designed
and imple mented in 2009. Countries are now asked
to provide evidence in their proposals about how
salaries are harmonized with national levels or an interagency
framework.
17. Alignment with country systems and cycles.
A framework has been developed to encourage the
alignment of Global Fund financing with existing
national cycles, particularly for financial management
and results reporting. It also supports the increased
use of country systems for procurement, financial
management and M&E, where these are of sufficient
quality.
BOX 3.1
CONTrIBUTING TO GLOBAL dIALOGUE
The Global Fund convenes the Global Programs Learning Group – founded
in 2006 – to share best practices and responses to the Paris Principles
among major international development donors. Members include the GAVI
Alliance, the Fast Track Initiative for Education, the Global Environment
Facility, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, the
Cities Alliance and PEPFAR, with additional input from the Health Metrics
Network and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Collectively, members
account for a significant portion of global development financing, and
they have advanced the Paris principles substantially, particularly by promoting
the principles of country ownership and of managing for results.
The group provides a forum to identify strengths and weaknesses in
dif ferent models and to exchange lessons learned on improving aid effective -
ness. In addition to member programs’ individual work plans, the learning
group has a joint work plan for 2009−2010. Its five priority areas are:
1. Transparency and predictability of financing; 2. Monitoring; 3. Results and
impact; 4. Ownership and alignment; and 5. Innovation. The Learning
Group reported mid-term progress on actions taken to address these priorities
to the OECD Working Party on Aid Effectiveness in December 2009.
18. Improved financial transparency and
accountability of Global Fund finances to country
budgets. To strengthen communication and
information sharing between government health
sector recipients, planning authorities, and
national treasuries, guidelines have been developed
to improve aid reporting in countries.
19. In conclusion, in 2009 the Global Fund played
an active role in the international movement to
advance aid effectiveness and, within its own processes,
integrated aid effectiveness from the
proposal to the grant renewals stage (see Box 3.1).
Remaining true to its principles of country-owned
implementation, the Global Fund will continue to
strengthen actions at the country level and will
introduce further aid effectiveness improvements
and policy adjustments across its portfolio within
the new grant architecture that will be introduced
in 2011 (see Section 4.4 for more information
on the new grant architecture).
65 THE GLOBAL FUND 2010: INNOVATION AND IMPACT INtrODuctiON