In more than two decades of national response to HIV / AIDS have made great strides in defining which are the unit costs of society interventions civil. The World Bank (with its program ASAP), UNAIDS, the Global Fund and the International Alliance began a process to increase the knowledge of civil society organizations to participate actively in the development of National Strategic Plans (through ASAP ) and the determination of unit costs. The first meeting was held in Asuncion on Friday December 11.
Why is it important to know accurately the unit cost?
few years ago, are being developed in the region, national strategic plans should also be funded, but are missing in these calculations of the costs of civil society interventions. Therefore, national accounts, are exclusively governmental. The importance of having tools to define and implement these costs can be summarized as: the ability to group interventions in service packages, the civil society organizations can know precisely the actual costs and in this way to develop projects and budgets for programs in their role as sub-recipients of Global Fund. It is also a resource for advocacy, it can demonstrate the economic contribution of this sector and demand, based on evidence, more investment in these proven programs better access to vulnerable populations.
For example, when an organization Gay / MSM through peer intervention gives a condom to a person on the ground, usually falls into the trap of only afford value of condoms, a brochure and the time of the person doing the work of peers. Behind this activity, there are a variety of direct costs (travel expenses, refreshments and administration and management of the stock of condoms) and indirect (maintenance costs organization, training of peer workers and fees for other officers of the organization). As a result, often the organization budgeted below the actual final cost, and therefore face serious difficulties in meeting the targets set by the main receiver, including cover different budgets of their own coffers.
Starting next year, organized a first workshop to adjust and validate a tool that will be disseminated in national workshops in a limited number of countries in 2010.
The civil society organizations can not continue working in a state of semi-exploitation, poor working conditions and end up finding resources of its limited reserves to cover budget gaps. This is an issue of greater efficiency, effectiveness and equity, has nothing to do with the commitment of this sector in national responses.
Javier Hourcade Bellocq
Key Correspondent Team - Asunción, 12/11/2009
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