Technical Assistance to support Sustainability Planning with the Regional Key Population-led Network

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Organization : The Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations [AFAO]

Title	Technical Assistance to support Sustainability Planning with the Regional Key Population-led Network
Duration	Up to 30 days [Local Consultant]
Period	14 July to 31 October 2021
Location	Bangkok-based
GF Grant #, if applicable	QMZ-H-AFAO

Background

The Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations [AFAO] is the national federation for the community response to HIV in Australia. It provides leadership, coordination, and support to the country’s policy, advocacy, and health promotion on HIV. AFAO’s International Program is based in Bangkok and contributes to the development of effective policy and programmatic responses, particularly in the Asia and Pacific region. It has supported community-based responses to HIV across the region for three decades.

AFAO is the Principal Recipient of the Sustainability of HIV Services for Key Populations in Asia Program [SKPA Program]. The program is a multi-country grant funded by The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), covering eight (8) countries Bhutan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea [PNG], Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Timor-Leste. It aims to promote sustainable services for key populations (KPs) at higher risk of HIV exposure, including sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender people, and people who use drugs in the region.

The grant promotes the scale-up of necessary interventions and their long-term financing in each country. The objectives of the program are: to scale-up prevention services to key populations and retain people living with HIV/AIDS in the treatment cascade [Service Delivery]; Secure strategic information to inform program design [Strategic Information]; secure long-term sustainability of service delivery [Financing Sustainability]; Strengthen community responses and systems for scale-up of delivery services [Community Systems Strengthening]; and address barriers to service access including human rights and gender-related [Stigma and Discrimination].

The SKPA program commissioned a regional substantiality planning assessment with the 5-regional key-populations-led networks during program year 2. The networks include APCOM, APN+, APTN, Youth LEAD, and APNSW. ANPUD was originally proposed to be included, but the organization faced significant institutional challenges, resulting in its inability to participate. Efforts are currently underway to re-establish a new people who use drugs peer-led t organization, and an invitation will be extended to this new network to join the process.

As a result of this initial work, a report titled “Sustaining Regional Key Population Networks in the Asia-Pacific Region, 24 May” was produced by an independent consultant that provides valuable contextual information, including a landscape and institutional analysis of each network. However, it has recognized that further planning for sustainability, road maps, and framework designing exercise requires sufficiently tackling the medium- to longer-term sustainability for each network.

Rationale

In Year 3 AFAO/SKPA is proposing to support each of the regional networks to engage in a scenario planning process and visioning exercise designed to challenge the status quo by asking “what if there were no more external donor funding…?”

This question (along with others) will be workshopped with each network in a way that will enable the network to forecast the possibilities of tomorrow, and act today, informed by this provocation. The process will push the regional networks beyond their comfort zones and focus on new and unforeseen opportunities or challenges which may be transformative. The process is envisaged move each network forward so that they can ‘reimagine’ what their organization would look like if they worked differently.

The aim is to document the value proposition of each network and clearly articulate their current and potential roles, responsibilities, and contribution towards realizing the 95-95-95 targets and delivering on other HIV priorities. Gaps and barriers will be identified and practical, workable solutions to be addressed will be included. The scenario planning will consider economic, political, cultural, social, human rights and gender, as well as technological factors that are most relevant to the networks now and into the future.

Informed by this process, each network will develop:

an updated mission statement to guide their futured actions; and
a tailored comprehensive, action-oriented sustainability road map that will include a business development strategy.

The governance structure of each network and its relationship to their members/constituencies and other stakeholders will be considered to ensure it is fit for purpose. This will include answering questions related to the mandate, beneficiaries, and client-base for the work of each network as well the extent to which they are integrated within the existing landscape of national key -population -led organizations and national health systems. There will be a strong focus on how regional key population-led advocacy networks can support national key population-led community organizations on their journey towards ensuring the sustainability of services for the people that need them. The sustainability road map will include a business development strategy that will list timebound actions for network management and board strengthening. This strategy will recommend whether there is a need for the network to diversify its role, scope or members and/or merge with other like-minded organizations to ensure long-term sustainability.

As a result of this process, it may emerge that some or all the regional networks may only be viable to the extent that they have a guaranteed core income stream from an external donor. If this is the case, the network’s sustainability road map and mission statement will articulate this and discuss the importance of their existence despite being unable to be considered sustainable without external donor support.

Scope of Work and Tasks

The consultant will support the scenario planning/visioning exercise to be undertaken with the regional key population-led networks. The consultant will primarily support the Senior Consultant by facilitating data collection, analysis, report preparation and logistics support, including arranging meetings, taking minutes etc. Note: the Senior Consultant is based in New York City and he will be working remotely.

The key tasks include:

Work with the Senior Consultant to develop a mini workplan/timeframe to guide the process as a whole. This will be submitted to AFAO for endorsement.
Support the Senior Consultant to collect data/key reports and to conduct data analysis.
Provide logistics support to the Senior Consultant to prepare for meetings, cofacilitation of meetings and documentation of meeting outcomes.
Arrange workshops as needed including preparing agenda, inviting participants, cofacilitating, preparing workshop reports.
Help develop and draft the sustainability mission statements and road maps/business development models.
Contribute to preparing the final report, including recommendations, responsibility matrix, next steps, and exit briefing with key stakeholders and regional networks.

Methodology

Desk review

The consultant will review the relevant reports, landscape analysis, institutional analysis, frameworks, strategies, and materials that lead to design and agree for the scope for scenario planning/visioning exercise and development process of Road Maps/Business Development Strategies with the RNs.

Consultation at the RNs level

The outlined framework for the scenario planning/visioning exercise, Road Maps/Business Development Strategies framework, will introduce and agree with the RNs to employ. The concrete operational plan for the scenario planning/visioning exercise, Road Maps/Business Development Strategies with the responsibility matrix, and TA's role to be agreed upon in the consultation.

Development of the Road Maps/Business Development Strategies

Based on the agreed framework and instruction guideline, the RN will involve in scenario planning/visioning exercise and development of the Road Maps/Business Development Strategies process. Over the course of the strategy development process, onsite technical assistance from TA is expected. The TA will attend and co-facilitate planning/visioning exercises. The process might allow meetings/consultations with the RN team and one-to-one meetings. TA to consult with the RN will develop the Road Maps/Business Development Strategies.

During the development phase, the TA will revisit and finalize the sustainability statements in collaboration with the RNs.

Consultation workshop

This consultation workshop will serve as a platform to get inputs in the strategy and sustainability mission statement. In the presence of UNAIDS and the Global Fund, The RN's Road Map/BDS and sustainability mission statements will present. For this process, TA will provide necessary technical support to prepare PowerPoint presentations, required materials and co-facilitate the process from conceptualization to development. The inputs received from UNAIDS, and the Global Fund will address and finalize the products.

Finalize a report and next steps:

The consultant will contribute to finalize a report that includes not limited to recommendations, responsibility matrix, and timelines for the next steps.

Dissemination of the Road Map and the Sustainability Mission Statements and Next Steps

The RN will disseminate and promote the road map/sustainability business strategies and sustainability mission statement among their memberships/constituencies and key partners and implement them.

Activities and deliverables

The timeline phasing of the activities/inputs will eb determined in consultation with the Senior Consultant.

Activities	Duration (days)	Outputs or Deliverables	Timelines
Support to the senior consultant to collect data, information, and support for desk review and contribute to the scenario/visioning exercise reports	6	List of documents and Desk review summary report	TBD
Provide logistic supports, develop appointments schedule, meeting agenda, prepare meeting notes, take attendance records in collaboration with the Senior Consultant, the RNs, and the AFAO team	10	Meeting notes, agendas, and attendance sheets	TBD
Support to prepare consultation workshop agenda, record attendance, materials, and report of the events.	4	Workshop agenda, attendance sheet and the report	TBD
Provide contents and necessary supports for the sustainability mission statements and the road maps/sustainability business strategies of the RNs.	6	The sustainability mission statements and the road maps of the RNs	TBD
Contribute to prepare and finalize the final report	4	A final report	TBD
TOTAL	30

Selection Criteria

Qualification and Experiences:

Essential

Bachelor’s degree in business, economics, community development, public health, social science and or other relevant education.
At least 5 years’ working experiences
Experience in working with the not-for-profit sector
Experience in designing tools or methods to facilitate adult learning
Proven knowledge and experience in documentation, report preparation and facilitation for the events
High level English skills
Demonstrated organizational skills