The 2017-2019 CRG Strategic Initiative has achieved remarkable growth and maturation, expanding its remit across the grant cycle and solidly into malaria and TB, expanding geographic reach, and building a complex supportive relationship between Components 1 and 3 in building demand for and delivering TA. This report offers 35 unique recommendations for its further improvement. This volume of recommendations is provided not as a reflection of the weakness or flaws of this Strategic Initiative, but quite the opposite – as evidence of the potential for further strengthening and achievement that is underpinned by a history of consistent learning and evolution since the beginning of the Special Initiative in 2014… This leaves the CRG Strategic initiative ideally positioned to support meaningful engagement of key and vulnerable populations and networks in Global Fund-related processes as it moves into its next phase.

Some key achievements captured by the evaluation include:     

• 159 eligible technical assistance (TA) requests received, a 145% increase over the 65 eligible requests in the CRG Special Initiative (2014-2016).

• TA provided in 69 countries across 6 regions, an 188% increase from the 24 countries under the CRG Special Initiative (2014-2016). 

• Ten TA missions addressed multi-country grants, including three in South East Asia, 3 in LAC, 2 in MENA, 1 in EECA, and 1 in Eastern and Southern Africa. 

• 17 TA missions were delivered in countries that are classified as challenging operating environments (COEs).  

• HIV KP networks implemented activities in 66 countries across all 6 continents where the Global Fund invests. 

• TB community organizations implemented activities in 19 countries in Anglophone Africa, LAC, EECA and Southeast Asia regions, all countries with high TB burden and high number of missing people with TB (alignment with TB FMP-SI). 

• Malaria CSOs and impacted communities implemented activities in 8 countries in West, Central and Eastern Africa with high malaria burden. 

• More than 60% of TA demand came via the Regional Platforms, with 100 out of 159 TA requests either generated, guided, or reviewed by the Regional Platforms before submission to the Global Fund.

• Two joint Regional Platform case studies were published, the first focusing on the value-add of creating spaces for in-person peer learning and exchange, and the second on enhancing community knowledge through information sharing.

• Email newsletter reach has increased by 16% , from 7,367 subscribers in May 2018, to 8,570 in December 2019.

• Engagement with Platform content (e.g. clicks) is 3.5 times higher than the industry average. 

• HER Voice Fund pilot awarded 183 grants to support AGYW engagement in Global Fund related processes. 

• Partnership secured with ViiV Positive Action to support continuation of HER Voice Fund. 

• Malaria Equity Assessment Tool (Malaria Matchbox) developed and implemented to assess which populations are most impacted by malaria, and to ensure that core malaria interventions are equitable and designed to leave no one behind   

Community, Rights and Gender Strategic Initiative 2017-2019: Independent Evaluation.

Community Rights and Gender Strategic Initiative Final Evaluation.