Request for Proposals for the CSAT Regional Hosts - the deadline extended to October 17

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Request for Proposals (RFP): Regional Host Organizations of

The Civil Society Action Team (CSAT)

Dear Colleagues,

This is to inform you that the deadline for applications for the CSAT

regional host organizations is extended to Wednesday October 17, 2007.

The applications submitted by the previous deadline of August 31 will be

reviewed by the Selection Committee; no re-submission required.

1. Background

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is one of the

major funding mechanisms to support programmes that assist stakeholders in

developing countries to implement or scale up the response to the three

diseases. As more and more programmes funded by the Global Fund are being

implemented, inevitably some of them experience bottlenecks.

The Global Implementation Support Team (GIST) was established as a forum for UN

technical agencies and major funding entities to mobilise and harmonise a rapid

response to grant implementation bottlenecks - particularly for the Global Fund

grants. GIST tries to do this principally by improving the coordination of

technical support (TS).

The UN system called upon bilateral donor agencies and civil society to join

with the GIST mechanism in this effort. However, the civil society lacks the

resources to be optimally effective in its interactions with the UN system and

bi-laterals through the GIST process. GIST has provided start-up funding for a

unique and urgent civil society-driven mechanism which will become an integral

part of global coordinating bodies by increasing the impact of grants that are

failing or are at risk of failing, or simply require significant technical

support. This exciting new opportunity is called the Civil Society Action Team

(CSAT).

2. Civil Society Action Team - CSAT

The mandate of CSAT is to mobilize responses to significant problems in the

implementation of programmes funded by the Global Fund - through brokering

technical support to civil society organizations and

coordinating advocacy at local, national and regional levels.

(A) CSAT Objectives:

* to improve the performance of Global Fund grants;

* to strengthen the performance of civil society principal

recipients and sub-recipients in their implementation of Global Fund

grants;

* to improve the quality and availability of technical support

for civil society organizations involved in the implementation of

Global Fund grants; and

* to improve the quality of Global Fund-related proposals

prepared by civil society organizations.

( Overall Approach and Major Activities:

CSAT will undertake the following major activities:

1. Conduct a systematic review of technical support in each

region, examining which approaches, tools and financing systems are in

place.

2. Where appropriate, assist civil society organizations involved

in the implementation of grants that are experiencing significant

problems (or that require significant technical support) to identify

their needs; and assist these civil society organizations to identify

and locate technical support providers in-country.

3. Where appropriate, broker technical support between countries

in the region and between regions.

4. Identify possible sources of funding for the provision of

technical support to civil society organizations.

5. Advocate among technical support providers for the availability

of more appropriate technical support for civil society organizations.

6. Promote the inclusion of marginalised groups in programmes

funded through Global Fund grants.

7. Where appropriate, assist civil society organizations to

develop suitable Global Fund-related proposals.

For the first three years, the mandate of CSAT will extend only to

Global Fund grants. At the end of year 3, consideration will be given

to extending CSAT's mandate to include programmes financed through

grants by other funders.

3. Role and Responsibilities of the CSAT Host Organizations

(A) CSAT Structure

CSAT will consist of seven staff persons: a global coordinator, and six regional

coordinators - one in each of the following regions: Middle East and North

Africa; East Africa & Southern Africa; West & Central Africa; Asia-Pacific;

Latin America & the Caribbean; and Eastern Europe & Central Asia. The CSAT staff

persons will be housed within existing organizations.

The organization that hosts the CSAT regional coordinators will assume

full responsibility and public ownership for the operations of CSAT in

their regions, as will be the case with the global host organization.

The regional coordinators will report to the global coordinator, as well as to

their managers in their respective host organizations.

( Activities During the Start-Up Phase (August-December 2007)

Once the regional host organizations are identified, its first tasks

will be: (a) to hire the regional coordinator; ( to set up the office and

administrative systems necessary to support the regional coordinator © conduct

research on technical support providers available in the region; (d) establish

links with civil society organizations involved in GF grant implementation; (e)

establish links with other in-country actors.

© Transitional Arrangements

GIST has asked the International Council of AIDS Service Organizations

(ICASO) to assume responsibility for CSAT during the start-up phase in

August-December 2007. Once the global host organization has been

selected and is ready to assume its role, ICASO will transfer all

responsibilities and remaining funds.

D) Funding for CSAT

GIST has provided funding for the administrative support needed by the

six host organizations in the start-up phase. Eventually, all host

organizations will be expected to assume financial responsibility for

their CSAT operations, with strong fundraising support from the CSAT

Advisory Committee that includes representatives of the communities and NGO

delegations on the Global Fund Board as well as other stakeholders.

ICASO and the CSAT Advisory Committee are actively raising funds for the ongoing

operations of CSAT. The global host organization will be

expected to contribute significantly to those efforts and eventually

assume full fundraising responsibilities.

4. Selection Process

The CSAT Selection Committee is being convened comprising

representatives from all 6 regions where CSAT will operate. The

Selection Committee will be responsible for vetting this RFP. Once the

global host organization has been selected, a representative of that

organization will be appointed to the Selection Committee to select

regional hosts.

(A) Selection Criteria

The CSAT regional host organization should have:

1. an understanding of the scope of work of the Global Fund,

particularly as it relates to civil society issues in developing

countries;

2. proven knowledge of challenges in implementing projects funded

by the Global Fund;

3. experience working with vulnerable populations, such as

injecting drug users, men who have sex with men, and sex workers,

indigenous groups, ethnic minorities and organizations representing

women's interests;

4. the willingness and ability to represent and promote CSAT

broadly among multilateral and bilateral donor agencies, global

coordinating bodies, civil society organizations and other stakeholders;

5. stable financial and banking systems that can move and track

money swiftly and responsibly;

6. the ability and capacity to communicate effectively and broadly

with reliable and modern communications infrastructures;

7. first-hand experience in facilitating networking among multiple

constituencies;

8. transparent governance and operations; publicly available lists

of governing bodies; clear policies and procedures approved by the

organization;

9. all required national accreditation documentation;

10. the ability to work easily in English and the major indigenous

languages of the region.

Additional questions for your consideration:

1. Does your organization have a mandate to facilitate technical

support for community-based organizations?

2. Does your organization have experience in building the capacity of

community-based organizations?

3. What is the nature and extent of your organization's involvement in Global

Fund governance, operations, and/or grant-making?

4. How would the role of CSAT regional coordinator host fit with your

organization's mission and current workplan?

( Applying for the Regional Host:

All civil society organizations that operate regionally and have

community-based interests in the success of the Global Fund are

encouraged to apply. NOTE: the organization applying for the Regional

Host should not be a provider of technical support in implementation of the

Global Fund grants as its core activity. This would create a

conflict of interest with the CSAT function of brokering technical

support to civil society organizations and evaluating its effectiveness.

Please submit:

* 3-5 page paper describing your organization's compatibility with

the above Selection Criteria 1-10 and answering additional questions

1-4;

* A letter from your organization signed by the chief executive

officer stating that your organization is able to provide administrative and

programmatic support to the CSAT coordinator;

* Your organizational chart and governance structure;

* Summary of policies and procedures approved by your

organization;

* Copies of registration documents

Please indicate the region you are applying for: Middle East and North

Africa; East & Southern Africa; West & Central Africa; Asia-Pacific;

Latin America & the Caribbean; or Eastern Europe & Central Asia.

Submit your application by October 17, 2007 to:

Wittebrood

International Civil Society Support (ICSS)

Keizersgracht 390 | 1016 GB Amsterdam the Netherlands

Phone: +31 (0) 20 8511737 (direct)

Fax: +31 (0) 20 4211767

Email: jw@... (email messages preferred)

NOTE: to avoid email failure, please request a confirmation of the

receipt of your application. If you don't receive a confirmation within 2-3

days, call the phone number above to follow up on your submission.

The results of selection will be announced by the beginning of November.