The centerpiece of the transformation underway at the Global Fund this year is to reform our system of managing grants, our core business. Grant management is by its nature a complex process. It requires considerable time and effort by many parties to get much-needed support for the prevention and treatment of life-threatening diseases on the ground.
Last year, the Global Fund Board agreed that the system could be fundamentally improved. This week, having completed a reorganization of the Grant Management division and other departments, the Global Fund launched a project called «Better Grants for Increased Impact.» General Manager Gabriel Jaramillo, at an opening meeting of the steering committee overseeing the project, described it as an overhaul that will enable the Global Fund and implementers to ensure resources are invested to deliver greater impact. The first and most pressing assignment is to devise workable options for a new funding model to replace the old «rounds» system, and then present them to the next Board Meeting in September.
The goal is to modify the way countries apply for grants, make the timing of the process more flexible, allow early feedback – which is bound to increase success rates – and ultimately to shorten the time from application to disbursement. A coordination group on the project is spearheaded by Cees Klumper, Chief Risk Officer; Ruwan De Mel, Head of Strategy and Access to Funding; and Oren Ginzburg, Head of Grand Management Support. Mr. Jaramillo is chairing the steering committee.
The dual goal in grant management is to get as much support as possible to places that need it, and also make sure that resources are managed securely and effectively. Like riding a bicycle, that involves a balancing act, and when the balance is right, acceleration can follow.
