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Evaluation of the Tuberculosis Control Assistance Program (TB CAP)

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARYIn <strong>the</strong> 1990s <strong>the</strong> United States Government began to increase its funding for international tuberculosis(<strong>TB</strong>) control through <strong>the</strong> United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The USAID <strong>TB</strong>Coalition for Technical <strong>Assistance</strong> (<strong>TB</strong>CTA) project, begun in 2000, demonstrated that US assistancecould have a tangible positive impact by channelling USAID support through a partnership <strong>of</strong> highlyexperienced <strong>TB</strong> control organizations to deliver technical assistance (TA) in small-scale projects.The successor <strong>TB</strong> <strong>Control</strong> <strong>Assistance</strong> <strong>Program</strong> (<strong>TB</strong> <strong>CAP</strong>) was intended to expand on this with TA onadditional aspects <strong>of</strong> <strong>TB</strong> control (such as country-level drug management systems and <strong>TB</strong>/HIVintegration) and greater capacity building in more countries.In 2009 USAID commissioned <strong>the</strong> Global Health Technical <strong>Assistance</strong> (GH Tech) Project to conduct atwo-month evaluation <strong>of</strong> <strong>TB</strong> <strong>CAP</strong> by a four-person team <strong>of</strong> independent consultants. The team analyzedpast and present <strong>TB</strong> <strong>CAP</strong> activities and management through a desk review <strong>of</strong> <strong>TB</strong> <strong>CAP</strong> documents andmaterials, field visits to four countries, meetings with technical agencies and donors, and interviews withstakeholders in 16 o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>TB</strong> <strong>CAP</strong> countries, including Mission, <strong>TB</strong> <strong>CAP</strong> partner, and national <strong>TB</strong>program staff. It found thatIn countries it directly supported, <strong>TB</strong> <strong>CAP</strong> has improved capacity to provide better-quality services tocontrol <strong>TB</strong> and has indirectly streng<strong>the</strong>ned o<strong>the</strong>r countries through its contributions to global <strong>TB</strong>control efforts.There was near-universal praise for <strong>the</strong> quality <strong>of</strong> TA provided by <strong>TB</strong> <strong>CAP</strong> and its partners, and formany <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> tools that <strong>TB</strong> <strong>CAP</strong> has helped create, test, and disseminate.There were varying degrees <strong>of</strong> satisfaction with in-country coordination <strong>of</strong> <strong>TB</strong> <strong>CAP</strong> activities,although <strong>the</strong> perception <strong>of</strong> most Missions was that coordination issues were quickly and effectivelyresolved.National <strong>TB</strong> control programs (NTPs) and Missions would like to see USAID continue to supportTA, are concerned about <strong>the</strong> impact on <strong>the</strong>ir <strong>TB</strong> control efforts if <strong>the</strong> support ends, and hope that <strong>the</strong>range, quality, and convenience <strong>of</strong> current <strong>TB</strong> <strong>CAP</strong> services are maintained.Missions are increasingly using <strong>TB</strong> <strong>CAP</strong> to implement <strong>the</strong>ir <strong>TB</strong> programs, and <strong>the</strong> President’sEmergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has increased its funding through <strong>TB</strong> <strong>CAP</strong> for <strong>TB</strong>relatedHIV activities.The organizational model <strong>of</strong> <strong>TB</strong> <strong>CAP</strong> (a partnership <strong>of</strong> cooperating agencies with a programmanagement unit providing administrative and management oversight) is functioning well, althoughit does not always rigorously adhere to its own policies and procedures. 1<strong>TB</strong> <strong>CAP</strong> support would be more efficient and have more impact if it were better aligned andharmonized at <strong>the</strong> Mission level with <strong>the</strong> activities <strong>of</strong> PEPFAR and <strong>the</strong> Global Fund to Fight AIDS,<strong>TB</strong>, and Malaria.The impact and management <strong>of</strong> <strong>TB</strong> <strong>CAP</strong> is hampered by <strong>the</strong> one-year focus <strong>of</strong> its workplans andlengthy delays in workplan development and approval, compounded by <strong>the</strong> need to create andapprove a new workplan each year.1 <strong>TB</strong> <strong>CAP</strong> Operational Manual, Version January 2009EVALUATION OF THE TUBERCULOSIS CONTROL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (<strong>TB</strong> <strong>CAP</strong>)vii

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