Deadline: 13-Jun-23
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking applications for a cooperative agreement from qualified entities to implement the Children, Adolescents, and Families in the HIV Epidemic in North West Province Activity.
Subject to funding availability and at the discretion of the Agency, USAID intends to provide up to $20 million in total USAID funding over a five (5) year period.
Goals
- The Children, Adolescents, and Families in the HIV Epidemic in North West Province Activity, hereinafter referred to as the Activity, will contribute to the achievement of 95-95-95, reaching and sustaining epidemic control in South Africa, specifically North West Province, by helping to reduce lifetime risk of HIV acquisition and achieve durable viral suppression among children, adolescents, and their families. The goal of the Activity is to improve the health, well-being, and protection of children and adolescents (and their families) living with, affected by, and vulnerable to HIV through high-impact service delivery and social service system strengthening to sustain an effective response for children, adolescents, and their families through locally led solutions in North West Province.
- In line with SAG and U.S. Government Partnership Framework Implementation Plan, the Activity’s priorities include long-term sustainability with health and social system strengthening to bolster an efficient, locally-led response, including youth identified solutions. The Activity aims to standardize a robust model of care that can ultimately be replicated and scaled up by DSD. In addition, cornerstones of the Activity will be advancing equity for children and AGYW and human rights, meaningful youth engagement and participation, as well as maximizing community leadership to strengthen program responsiveness to clients’ priorities and improve service quality, acceptability, and impact.
- The Activity will include a combination of evidence-based, high-impact service delivery for Comprehensive and Preventive activities targeting children, adolescents, and their families in the HIV epidemic; local partner capacity strengthening; and district-level social service system strengthening for long-term sustainability. The geographic focus for the Activity is the three high HIV districts in the North West Province: Bojanala, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, and Ngaka Modiri Molema.
Objectives and Results
The Activity will consist of three key objectives which are as follows:
- Objective 1: Increase access to and utilization of comprehensive, and preventive services among children and adolescents 0-17 years and their families through implementation of evidence based interventions
- IR 1.1: Increased use of holistic services and support among children and adolescents living with, affected by, and vulnerable to HIV 0-17 years and their families
- Outcomes include:
- ≥95% of enrolled C/ALHIV and PLHIV parents/caregivers receive and adhere to ART
- ≥95% of enrolled C/ALHIV and PLHIV parents/caregivers achieve viral suppression
- ≥95% of enrolled biological children
- IR 1.2: Increased access to prevention of HIV and sexual violence interventions among children and adolescents 10-14 and 15-17 years
- Outcomes include:
- Reduced prevalence of VAC and GBV among children, adolescents, and their caregivers
- Improved communication skills among parents/caregivers and their children
- Delay of sexual debut and improved knowledge and skills to make healthy decisions 18 among girls and boys 10-14 years
- >90% of children in need of comprehensive, family-based support are referred to the Comprehensive program
- Objective 2: Improve Local Partner capacity for governance, program monitoring, evaluation, and reporting (MER), and stakeholder engagement at Provincial, District, and Sub-District
- IR 2.1: Improved Local Partner organizational capacity for governance and award administration
- Outcomes include:
- Strengthened organizational human resources management
- Strengthened organizational accounting mechanisms to manage funding responsibly and efficiently
- Strengthened capacity to meet both DSD and USG program and financial reporting requirements
- Successfully running Annual General Meetings, including community and youth representation, participation and leadership
- IR 2.2: Increased Local Partner capacity for program monitoring, evaluation, and reporting (MER) at Provincial, District and Sub-District
- Outcomes include:
- Improved partner (and sub-partner) capacity to track and report on service delivery and other program results 21
- Improved systems and SOPs for effective and efficient data collection, analysis, and use
- >80% of sites conduct Routine Data Quality Assessments (RDQAs) for PEPFAR MER
- IR 2.3 Increased Local Partner capacity to engage key stakeholders at Provincial, District, and Sub-District level
- Outcomes Include:
- Operationalized MOUs and regular reporting to DSD and DOH
- Improved linkage coordination and bi-directional referrals across Justice, Police, health, Social Development (family section, add other sections)
- Regular participation in Provincial AIDS Councils
- Regular participation in school governing bodies
- Objective 3: Strengthen Provincial, District and Sub-District social service workforce capacity to sustain an effective response for children, adolescents, and their families in high HIV burden districts.
- IR 3.1 Expanded use of SAG (DSD and DOH) policies and guidelines at Provincial, District and Sub-District level
- Expected outcomes:
- >90% of program sites and sub-partners are implementing DSD and DOH policies regarding children living with, affected by, or vulnerable to HIV (and their families)
- >90% of program sites and sub-partners are scaling up use of and adhering to relevant DSD and DOH guidelines
- IR 3.2 Strengthened program standards to ensure high quality service delivery and sustainable outcomes for children, adolescents, and their families
- Outcomes include:
- 100% of Local Partners and sub-partners routinely engage and apply MOUs with DSPs for bi-directional referrals and joint tracking of clinical outcomes
- >90% of program sites have Clinical Linkage Officer placed or rotating at high volume clinics and participating in multidisciplinary teams for case conferencing
- >80% of program sites roll out DSD’s Risiha Core Package of Services for comprehensive service delivery and support at district level
Funding Information
- USAID intends to make one (1) award pursuant to this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO), but reserves the right to make multiple awards under this NOFO. Subject to funding availability and at the discretion of the Agency, USAID intends to provide up to $20 million in total USAID funding over a five (5) year period.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligibility is restricted to local entities. For purposes of consistency and reporting, the definition of “local entity” means an individual, a corporation, a nonprofit organization, or another body of persons that:
- Is legally organized under the laws of South Africa;
- Has as its principal place of business or operations in South Africa;
- Is majority owned by individuals who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of South Africa; and
- Is managed by a governing body the majority of who are citizens or lawful permanent residents of the country receiving assistance.
- For purposes of this definition, ‘majority owned’ and ‘managed by’ include, without limitation, beneficiary interests and the power, either directly or indirectly, whether exercised or exercisable, to control the election, appointment, or tenure of the organization’s managers or a majority of the organization’s governing body by any means.
- USAID welcomes applications from eligible organizations which have not previously received financial assistance from USAID. International or U.S. organizations are not eligible to submit an application for an award as a prime applicant under this request for applications.
- USAID encourages applications from potential new local partners. The Activity will be implemented in the North West Province of South Africa.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.