United Nations learning strategy on HIV/AIDS: building competence of the UN and its staff to respond to HIV/AIDS

This paper describes the learning strategy designed to help the UN system develop the competence of its staff on HIV/AIDS. The goals of the learning strategy are to:

• develop the knowledge and competence of the United Nations and its staff so that they can best support national responses to HIV/AIDS
• ensure that all UN staff members are able to make informed decisions to protect themselves from HIV and, in the event that they are infected or affected by HIV, to ensure that they know where to turn for the best possible care and treatment.

The strategy supports approaches to learning that will result in the UN becoming more knowledgeable and competent in its work with partners and its staff in order to:

• help prevent and control the spread of HIV/AIDS
• ensure effective care, support and treatment for those infected or affected by HIV/AIDS
• eliminate stigma and discrimination against those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS
• mitigate the impact of the epidemic.

The strategy rests on an agreed learning framework which includes the following building blocks of HIV/AIDS knowledge and competence:

• basic HIV/AIDS competence that should be acquired by all UN staff: consists of basic HIV/AIDS-related issues, UN-specific policies and entitlements, as well as the realities of HIV/AIDS and the vulnerabilities associated with it
• broad HIV/AIDS knowledge and competence to be acquired by all professional programme/project staff: consisting of knowledge that allows them to work within UN frameworks to mainstream HIV/AIDS into all programmes
• competence for UN HIV/AIDS Theme Groups and heads of UN agencies: consisting of the leadership skills to guide the UN system's efforts
• specialist competence of HIV/AIDS Technical Working Groups and Professional Officers: consisting of the ability to work together to effectively plan, facilitate implementation, monitor and evaluate joint UN programmes.

Possible learning approaches include:

• ensuring that staff have access to written materials
• ensuring that staff have access to organised group learning sessions
• making peer counsellors/peer educators available to staff
• encouraging learning opportunities outside the UN
• ensuring that staff have access to voluntary confidential counselling and testing (VCCT)
• ensuring that staff learn from people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS
• research teams
• community involvement.

[adapted from author]