Montenegro has institutionalized a pioneer mechanism for sustainable HIV prevention since 2018:
- the new law on NGOs (effective from January 2018) enabled the health authorities to contract out preventive services to NGOs targeting the key and vulnerable populations (KVPs)
- Budget and allocate financing to HIV preventive services implemented by the selected NGOs each year)
The Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Institute of Public Health (IPH) decided to shift the full management and stewardship of the national HIV response to the IPH. The ongoing organizational changes in the IPH provide an opportunity “to re-think the overall implementation arrangements for the HIV response, including prevention program potentially through the creation of an HIV response unit”.
The GFATM commissioned Consulting Group Curatio Sarl (CGC) to support the health authorities in Montenegro in developing new implementation arrangements for the HIV program at the IPH Montenegro in general and the HIV prevention program among KVP (contracted to NGOs).
The overall purpose of the assignment was to develop feasible implementation arrangements for the HIV program at the IPH in Montenegro that are acceptable to the key in-country stakeholders.
The specific objectives of the assignment were as follows:
- The current roles, responsibilities and institutional capacity related to the HIV program at IPH, available resources and their structure against the scope and goals of the national HIV strategy are reviewed.
- New implementation arrangements for the HIV program at the IPH Montenegro in general and the HIV prevention program among KVP (contracted to NGOs) specifically within this structure are developed through a consultative process with the key in-country stakeholders.
The CGC delivered:
- A PowerPoint presentation for decision-making (in English and Montenegrin), with the structure agreed with the Global Fund and the IPH, proposing the implementation arrangements for the HIV program at IPH.
- A report (in English and Montenegrin) proposing implementation arrangements for the HIV program at IPH, including organigramme, detailed roles and responsibilities for the unit and staff positions, and the rationale and considerations behind the recommendations.