Role and function
Challenges cited in the literature concerning NACs being able to deliver on their mandates include lack of clarity about what the core functions are and the role of NACs, although elsewhere it is reported that functions are clearly stated in the national legal and policy documents. The World Bank guidelines (Generic Operations Manual, World Bank, 2004) on preparing and implementing the MAP in Africa include a section on typical or hypothetical roles.
World Bank reviews of lessons learnt of the Africa MAP comment that in reality the role is often ill-defined. Some NACs have tended to move from ‘coordination and facilitation’ to ‘command and control’ and implementation bureaucracies, while at the same time building their own capacity rather than contract out fund management. The World Bank reports that this “may represent the single greatest danger for the national multi-sectoral HIV/AIDS program to implement rapid and sustainable action” (Generic Operations Manual, World Bank, 2004 p23). The 2004 Interim Review of the MAP found NACs to be of very uneven quality. Some performed their facilitation and coordination functions with skill and limited resources while others had a very large workforce and appear to produce relatively poor results.
NAC mandates are ambitious and evidence has been cited that NACs are experiencing challenges with mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in other sectors. Effective mainstreaming is important for supporting ministries to develop meaningful plans that are integrated with National AIDS Frameworks. This requires strong national ownership, technical capacity and accountability structures. Reviews of the experience of mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in national development instruments suggests that the capacity for mainstreaming AIDS at national and sector level is currently underdeveloped in most countries.
World Bank reviews of lessons learnt of the Africa MAP comment that in reality the role is often ill-defined. Some NACs have tended to move from ‘coordination and facilitation’ to ‘command and control’ and implementation bureaucracies, while at the same time building their own capacity rather than contract out fund management. The World Bank reports that this “may represent the single greatest danger for the national multi-sectoral HIV/AIDS program to implement rapid and sustainable action” (Generic Operations Manual, World Bank, 2004 p23). The 2004 Interim Review of the MAP found NACs to be of very uneven quality. Some performed their facilitation and coordination functions with skill and limited resources while others had a very large workforce and appear to produce relatively poor results.
NAC mandates are ambitious and evidence has been cited that NACs are experiencing challenges with mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in other sectors. Effective mainstreaming is important for supporting ministries to develop meaningful plans that are integrated with National AIDS Frameworks. This requires strong national ownership, technical capacity and accountability structures. Reviews of the experience of mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in national development instruments suggests that the capacity for mainstreaming AIDS at national and sector level is currently underdeveloped in most countries.
