| Principal Recipients |
 |
 |
 |
Principal RecipientsWhat is a PR and what is its responsibility? A major responsibility of CCMs is to "Select one or more appropriate organisations to act as the Principal Recipient(s) (PRs) for the Global Fund grant" (Clause 7 of the Global Fund Guidelines on the Purpose, Structure and Composition of the Country Coordinating Mechanism).Clause 8 of the Fiduciary Arrangements for Grant Recipients sets out the role of the PR as being legally responsible for program results and accountability. That document notes (Clause 9) that PRs must ensure that effective arrangements are put in place for:(i) Disbursement of funds to all implementing entities (sub-recipients) (ii) Procurement and supply management (iii) Monitoring and evaluation, including periodic reporting on program results and financial accountability to the Global Fund and the CCM. The full responsibilities of PRs are set out in the Grant Agreement entered into between the Global Fund and the PR.The PR implements the programme as described in Annex A (Programme Implementation Description) of the Grant Agreement. The annex outlines the programme details such as the goals, objectives, beneficiaries, strategies, planned activities, targets, and the budget. These details are determined by the CCM working closely with all stakeholders during the proposal development stage, and are submitted to the Global Fund for approval and funding.Selection of PRs The process for selection of PRs is outlined in Clause 14 of the Fiduciary Arrangements for Grant Recipients. The clause notes that the Global Fund assesses whether or not an organisation nominated to be a PR through the CCM has the required minimum capacities in the following areas:a) Financial and management systems b) Institutional and programmatic arrangements c) Procurement and supply management systems d) Monitoring and evaluation systems. Assessment of PRs As outlined in Clauses 20–23 of Fiduciary Arrangements for Grant Recipients, the Global Fund uses the LFA to assess the capacities of nominated PRs prior to entering into a grant agreement. The Global Fund has developed a range of guidelines and tools for the LFA to use for the assessment process. These can be accessed as follows:Pharmaceutical and Health Product Management (PHPM) Assessment Tool As a result of the assessment by the LFA of the PR, the Global Fund will decide whether to enter into a grant agreement with the nominated PR and which capacity-strengthening measures or other actions the PR must achieve before the first or a subsequent disbursement of funds. These measures and other actions, known as conditions precedent, will be included in the grant agreement. Self-assessment by prospective PRs As well as developing an awareness of Global Fund policies and guidelines through reviewing the Fiduciary Arrangements for Grant Recipients, the Guidelines for Performance-Based Funding and the standard Grant AgreementHYPERLINK "http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/files/about/structures/lfa/background/LFAToolsGuidelines/BeforeGrantImplementation/Standard_Form_Grant_Agreement.pdf" , prospective PRs should review the assessment tools noted above to determine their own capacities to fulfil Global Fund requirements. Additionally, it would be prudent to consider the compatibility of the prospective PR’s policies and procedures with Global Fund requirements because an organisation’s operating philosophies may limit its ability to perform as a PR for Global Fund programs. A short guideline has been prepared for prospective Nigerian PRs, titled Assessment of Compatibility of Recipient Policies and Procedures with Global Fund Requirements, which is available as a resource on the CCM Nigeria website.Cooperation with LFA Article 8 of the Grant Agreement outlines the relationship between the PR and the LFA under the agreement, and highlights the requirement for the PR to cooperate with the LFA to permit the LFA to carry out its functions. |
| Last Updated on Thursday, 16 April 2009 13:18 |
