Request for Applications to Implement Human Rights and Advocacy (HRA) Programme

Deadline: 8-Jun-23

AFSA invites interested non-profit organisations, organisations, and government departments to apply to be considered as SRs to implement Human Rights and Advocacy (HRA) Programme in support of HIV Prevention Programmes for Adolescent & Young People (AYP) AND Sex Workers (SW).

It is important to note that SRs are recommended by the PR, but appointment is subject to GF CCM approval.

The South Africa Global Fund Country Coordinating Mechanism (GF CCM) provides oversight for the implementation of HIV and TB programmes funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GF) in the country. The GF CCM has recommended that AIDS Foundation South Africa (AFSA) be appointed by the GF as one of the four Principal Recipients (PRs) that will implement programmes to be funded by the grant. The other three PRs are: Beyond Zero, NACOSA and Department of Health. PR serves as a grant manager while sub-recipients (SRs) will be the main implementers of the programmes.

Areas to be Implemented

PA4: Legal literacy –know your rights Undertake ‘know your rights campaigns’ and provide legal information, Scale up legal literacy training of peer educators,
- with organizations and networks of PLHIV, TB and KVPs including those led by women, AYP and people with disabilities.
- in communities, health facilities.
- Peer educators within community KP, AYP and TB prevention programs and from capacitated CSOs (linkage with CRS),
Scale up and focus stigma and discrimination reduction campaigns, action, and accountability plans,
- Led by KVPs in communities with parents, community, traditional and religious leaders.
- Ensure activities also focus on gender inequality, harmful gender norms, GBV (including IPV) and sexual and reproductive health and rights of women, adolescents, and young people, and KVPs.
- Integrate activities with prevention programs, CLM at health facilities, C19RM and others, with a strong focus on issues and populations of concern.

About the Advocacy Programme

Advocacy is a continuous and adaptive process of gathering and presenting information to targeted audiences to influence and inspire change. It is an act or process of people influencing public policy, laws, and perceptions by using facts, relationships, the media, and messaging to educate government, development partners and the public on the changes they want to bring about. Advocacy is more than one civil action/march, meeting, or poster, it requires a series of strategic, organised, and integrated activities designed to achieve a common goal. These interventions aim to:

Influence the development or improvement of policies, strategies, guidelines, and/or statutes
Influence the implementation of such policies, strategies, guidelines, and/or statutes
Influence government funding/budgetary decisions for a certain priority area(s)
Influence public demand for services and awareness of barriers including human rights violations and gender inequities

Funding Information

HRA programme budget envelope estimate: R1,800,000 (total for this RFA).

Outcomes

Expected outcome of the programme include:
- Reduced percentage of people living with HIV who report experiences of HIV-related discrimination in health-care settings from 13.89% at baseline to 10% by 2024/2025
- Reduced percentage of people diagnosed with TB who report stigma in health care settings to 10% by 2024/2025 (no baseline)
- Increased percentage of people living with HIV reporting their rights were violated who sought legal redress from 8% at baseline to 35% by 2024/2025.

Eligibility Criteria

The role of sub-recipients
- SRs have a contractual relationship with, and are accountable to the PR. They are the direct implementers of programmes financed by GF but can sometimes work through sub-sub recipients (SSRs).
- The responsibilities of SRs include the following:
  - Sign grant agreements with the PR and contract with SSRs, where necessary, under the guidance of PR.
  - Implement grants under the oversight of the PR and GF CCM and manage SSRs and take responsibility for their performance where applicable.
  - Propose changes to the PR on work plans and budgets when necessary.
  - Participate in performance review meetings to improve grant performance and impact.
  - Report on programme progress and challenges to the PR through regular reports.
  - Identify key issues and implementation bottlenecks and escalate to the PR for guidance.
  - Provide information to the PR, GF CT, and GF CCM and its structures when requested to do so.
Organisational requirements
- The minimum requirements to serve as an SR include:
  - Sound governance frameworks, demonstrated by, inter alia, by a diversified board and management team, and at least one year audited financial statements.
  - Appropriate staffing in key areas (programme and financial management, human resources, programme implementation and management, monitoring and evaluation and procurement management).
  - Experience of managing grants and SSRs, where applicable.
  - A track record of effective and efficient implementation of similar activities, preferably in the target district.
  - A sound system of management and financial controls.
  - A sound monitoring and evaluation system, tools, and procedures amongst other requirements.
  - These organisational requirements will be assessed during the evaluation process.
Minimum Requirements for SRs
- A potential SR must have proven ability to manage programmes in the specific modules in the RFA and must also be capable of performing the functions of an SR which includes the following:
  - Effective leadership and governance structures
  - Legal status such as voluntary association, trust, non-profit company (NPC) etc. to enter into contracts.
  - If submitting as a consortium, then documents corresponding to the consortium must be submitted (including joint B-BBEE certificate). If submitting as a partnership that is not legally constituted, then one organisation must submit as the applicant (SR) and then specify the other partner/s as its sub sub-recipients (SSRs). In this case, AFSA will contract and liaise with the SR and the SR will contract and liaise with its SSRs.
  - Have a properly constituted board that provides oversight over organisational matters.
  - Effective organizational leadership using transparent decision-making processes.
  - Adequate skilled and experienced staff to manage implementation of the modules, including procurement, monitoring and evaluation, and finance.
  - Knowledge about and ability to communicate and network with relevant district stakeholders and structures such as government departments, local and district AIDS Councils.
  - Appropriate internal control systems, including policies and procedures, to prevent and detect fraud or misuse of resources.
Financial management system
- Accounting system that can correctly record all transactions and balances by source of funds with clear references to budgets and work plans.
- Ability to monitor actual spending in comparison to budgets and work plans.
- Ability to manage disbursement of funds to SSRs and suppliers in a timely, transparent, and accountable manner.
- Ability to produce timely and accurate financial reports. Monitoring and evaluation
- Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system for routine monitoring of activities/interventions.
- Mechanisms and tools to collect and analyse data, and report on programme performance.
- Ability to produce timely and accurate programmatic reports.