How the Regional Civil Society and Community Coordination and Communication Platform in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) can help civil society and community groups receive support under the Global Fund’s Community, Rights and Gender (CRG) Technical Assistance Program.
| About Community, Rights and Gender Strategic Initiative |
In November 2016, the Global Fund Board reaffirmed its commitment to the strengthening of the voices of civil society in the Global Fund’s processes by approving a new phase of the Community, Rights and Gender (CRG) Special Initiative (2014-16). Within the new commitment, now called the CRG Strategic Initiative, the Fund allocated additional $15 million to be executed throughout 2017-2019 by the three mutually reinforcing components:
- The provision of peer-to-peer civil society short-term technical assistance (TA);
- Long-term capacity development of organizations and networks of key and vulnerable populations; and
- The Regional Platforms for communication and coordination.
| What is the Regional Platform? |
The Regional Platforms for Communication and Coordination have a key role in engaging civil society organizations and community networks in Global Fund processes. They are responsible for fostering regional dialogue, knowledge exchange and sharing of good practices among civil society actors and networks. The platforms also disseminate information on technical assistance opportunities for civil society and community groups across all countries that are eligible for Global Fund allocations and/or countries under Global Fund multi-country grants.
At the end of 2017 the Global Fund selected six civil society organizations to host the platforms in six regions of the world until April 2020. The Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA) was selected as the host for the Regional Platform in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA).
| Who may approach the Regional Platform and regarding what issues? |
The Platform’s activities will cover the following EECA countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan. Civil society organizations from these countries are eligible for technical assistance under the Global Fund’s Community, Rights and Gender (CRG) Technical Assistance Program.
The Platform is targeted at working with civil society organizations from the above mentioned EECA countries, including networks and community-based organizations representing the interests of such key affected populations as:
- People living with/affected by HIV, TB and malaria;
- People who use drugs;
- Sex-workers;
- LGBT communities;
- Youth;
- Women.
The Platform’s team will be happy to offer support in strengthening meaningful engagement of civil society and communities’ representatives in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Global Fund-funded programs in EECA, including:
– support in accessing the technical assistance for engagement at all stages of the funding cycle, including country dialogue, development of the grant proposals, participation in monitoring and implementation of the grant program, etc.
– support in accessing the technical assistance for the engagement in the development, implementation and monitoring of the strategy for the transition to sustainable development of HIV, TB and malaria programs.
– support with issues related to the Global Fund’s structure and activities at the global, regional and country levels, its relevant procedures and policies as well as opportunities for civil society and community representatives to participate in relevant Global Fund’s processes.
– help to obtain the information on other issues important for ensuring meaningful participation of civil society and community representatives in the Global Fund processes in order to strengthen the efforts against the three diseases in the EECA region.
| What is the role of the Platform in the context of the CRG Technical Assistance Program? |
One of the tasks of the Regional Platform is to raise awareness of civil society and communities about technical assistance opportunities under the Global Fund’s CRG TA program, and to assist the interested parties in development of the quality TA requests for the CRG Technical Assistance.
Therefore, if you have any questions about filling out the application form, or if you need advice on the possible content and/or quality of the request, please contact the Regional Platform.
At the same time, the Platform’s Team can’t influence in any way whether the request will be approved by the Global Fund Secretariat, to what extent and which organization – provider of technical assistance – will be assigned to your request.
| Where can I find information about the Program? |
Detailed information on the Community, Rights and Gender (CRG) Technical Assistance Program is available on the Global Fund’s website (in English), including:
- CRG Technical Assistance Program Request Form (in several languages, including Russian and English),
- CRG Technical Assistance Program Frequently Asked Questions (in several languages, including Russian and English),
- CRG Technical Assistance Program Providers List.
Information about the program in Russian is available on EHRA’s website.
| Contact the Platform |
Please address any questions regarding the work of the Platform or on the Global Fund’s CRG Technical Assistance Program to Ivan Varentsov, EHRA Sustainability & Transition Advisor: eecaplatform@harmreductioneurasia.org
Follow us on the Platform’s Facebook Page as well as join the EECA Regional Platform Facebook group.
