organisations that are shown to team, a clear sense of efficiency or be most effective at leading to a value for money. sustained, integrated health Recommendations response encompassing sexual Move to a program management and reproductive health, HIV and maternal health. model that combines strategic technical HIV capacity within funding and support for AusAID and implementation HIV mainstreaming where it through a managing contractor facilitates greater Papua New (international non-governmental Guinea ownership of HIV organisation, national mainstreaming, by focusing organisation or private sector). resources where government departments and other Full Report partners have already The full report, Responding to Crisis: demonstrated leadership. Evaluation of the Australian aid Was AusAID’s contribution program’s contribution to the national efficiently managed? HIV response in PNG, 2006–2010, is available at www.ode.ausaid.gov.au The decision to keep the management of the HIV Program house’ within A management response to the ‘in evaluation is included in the evaluation AusAID was intended to provide report. continuity of leadership, high level engagement with the response, ensure greater flexibility to adapt to the OFFICE DEVELOPMENT context, and lighten the load of EFFECTIVENESS reporting. This management model has had benefits and drawbacks. The Office of Development Effectiveness The Program Director, a senior technical (ODE) monitors the performance of the expert, has been in a position to Australian aid program, evaluates its advocate for HIV with the government impact and contributes to international and partners, and has helped drive the evidence and debate about aid and response. This feature of the model is development effectiveness. very important and much appreciated ODE Briefs are short, focused pieces of by stakeholders. However, the HIV research and analysis on key findings Program has had to take an increasing and emerging themes on aid role in facilitating coordination due to effectiveness. low national capacity. As a consequence, ode@ausaid.gov.au the respective roles and responsibilities www.ode.ausaid.gov.au of the Papua New Guinea Government and Australian assistance in the response have become blurred. Another drawback is that, although managed in-house, in some respects the HIV Program continues to have the characteristics of a ‘contracted’ operational program, and its complexity places a significant management burden on AusAID’s staff. At the same time program reporting is less detailed than might be the case under a contractor, and not sufficiently detailed to give senior managers, or the evaluation
organisations that are shown to be most effective at leading to a sustained, integrated health response encompassing sexual and reproductive health, HIV and maternal health. funding and support for HIV mainstreaming where it facilitates greater Papua New Guinea ownership of HIV mainstreaming, by focusing resources where government departments and other partners have already demonstrated leadership. Was AusAID’s contribution efficiently managed? The decision to keep the management of the HIV Program ‘in house’ within AusAID was intended to provide continuity of leadership, high level engagement with the response, ensure greater flexibility to adapt to the context, and lighten the load of reporting. This management model has had benefits and drawbacks. The Program Director, a senior technical expert, has been in a position to advocate for HIV with the government and partners, and has helped drive the response. This feature of the model is very important and much appreciated by stakeholders. However, the HIV Program has had to take an increasing role in facilitating coordination due to low national capacity. As a consequence, the respective roles and responsibilities of the Papua New Guinea Government and Australian assistance in the response have become blurred. Another drawback is that, although managed in-house, in some respects the HIV Program continues to have the characteristics of a ‘contracted’ operational program, and its complexity places a significant management burden on AusAID’s staff. At the same time program reporting is less detailed than might be the case under a contractor, and not sufficiently detailed to give senior managers, or the evaluation team, a clear sense of efficiency or value for money. Recommendations Move to a program management model that combines strategic technical HIV capacity within AusAID and implementation through a managing contractor (international non-governmental organisation, national organisation or private sector). Full Report The full report, Responding to Crisis: Evaluation of the Australian aid program’s contribution to the national HIV response in PNG, 2006–2010, is available at www.ode.ausaid.gov.au A management response to the evaluation is included in the evaluation report. OFFICE DEVELOPMENT EFFECTIVENESS The Office of Development Effectiveness (ODE) monitors the performance of the Australian aid program, evaluates its impact and contributes to international evidence and debate about aid and development effectiveness. ODE Briefs are short, focused pieces of research and analysis on key findings and emerging themes on aid effectiveness. ode@ausaid.gov.au www.ode.ausaid.gov.au
ode-png-hiv-brief-august2012.docx