Pangaea Global AIDS Foundation to Conduct Formative Evaluations of the Global Fund Gender Equality and Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Strategies
Pangaea Global AIDS Foundation is pleased to announce its role in supporting the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to conduct formative evaluations of their Gender Equality (GE) and Sexual Orientation and Gender Identify (SOGI) Strategies.
The two strategies, approved by the Global Fund Board in 2008 and 2009 respectively, require the completion of a formative evaluation in 2010, which links to this year’s Global Fund Partnership Forum taking place in Brazil at the end of June, and to the organization’s current five-year strategy development process.
In his report to the 23rd Global Fund Board Meeting Prof. Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director of the Global Fund announces that the Pangaea Global AIDS Foundation has been appointed to manage the evaluation. In describing the evaluation Prof. Kazatchkine reports: “Outreach and engagement, supported by the strategies, have generated a high level of support from partners and more opportunities for the engagement of most-at-risk and vulnerable populations.”
Prof. Kazatchkine adds: “Although there is some indication that the strategies are starting to have a positive impact on membership in Country Coordinating Mechanisms and the content of proposals submitted to the Global Fund, it is likely to be several years before we can measure the full impact of the strategies on Global Fund-supported programming.”
Pangaea Chief Executive Officer, Ben Plumley, states: “We are honoured to have been appointed by the Global Fund. Ensuring that the needs of at-risk marginalised populations is at the heart of Pangaea’s mission and we are committed to ensuring that this evaluation makes a significant contribution to strengthening the programs supported by the Global Fund.”
The evaluation will review: strategy, implementation progress and challenges and any emerging signs of impact. Information gained through this process will help inform the next stage of implementation for the strategies and will help inform the next five-year Global Fund strategy.
An Expert Advisory Group has been convened to support the evaluation. Global Fund partners and recipients will be asked to reflect on whether the strategies have help improved focus, attention, funding and programmatic impact for gender programming and for programming targeting: girls and women; men who have sex with men; male, female and transgender sex workers; transgender people; and other sexual minorities/most at risk populations. As part of the evaluation process, Global Fund stakeholders will be invited to engage through a number of means including through: key informant interviews; focus groups; and through on-line submissions and discussions. Inputs will be invited from May until the end of July 2011.
A number of partner organizations, including the Global Coalition of Women and AIDS, the Global Network of Sex Work Projects and the MSM Global Forum, have agreed to support the evaluation. The Global Coalition on Women and AIDS will host a virtual consultation to contribute to the review of the Gender Equality Strategy. See their website for additional information http://www.womenandaids.net/news-and-media-centre/call-for-expressions-of-interest---gcwa-virtual-co.aspx
For further information about the evaluation or to contact the Pangaea evaluation team please send an email to: gendersogi@pgaf.org
