Grant Management Solutions

Through April 2008, approximately 45% of Global Fund grant monies have been obligated to commodities and medicines, with another 9% going toward infrastructure and equipment.

Though procurement and supply activities are supposed to be built upon a country’s existing supply system, often these systems are weak and need strengthening. The Principal Recipient of a grant is responsible for all procurement and supply management activities. The availability of products at any point of service is a key indicator of success for the Global Fund and a main contributor to reaching the targets expected from the grants.

GMS technical support in the area of procurement and supply management aims at accelerating the procurement and management of appropriate quantities of high-quality drugs and supplies in compliance with Global Fund procurement regulations and national laws.

Typical technical support to PRs on PSM might include:

1. Assistance in budgeting appropriately for supply system strengthening.
2. Preparation of a PSM plan in harmony with a grant’s performance framework.
3. Establishment of contractual agreements if using third parties to conduct PSM management functions.
4. Assessment of SR capacity to conduct PSM activities and to report on them appropriately.
5. Aid in implementation of PSM plans approved by the Global Fund.
6. Design and development of monitoring systems for performance and reporting of PSM indicators.
7. Forecasting and quantification of needed pharmaceuticals and supply, including working on or establishing national quantification or other committees.
8. Pre-signature support to establish necessary arrangements among stakeholders for PSM and finalize the PSM plan and budget.
9. Capacity building of staff involved in PSM at the central level.
10. Help with tenders, particularly for first-time PRs.
    
11. Identifying bottlenecks in implementation of activities for PSM and acting promptly to solve them.

GMS consultants have many years of experience in pharmaceutical and supply management as well as proper knowledge on the Global Fund requirements in this area. GMS teams have collectively saved and unblocked millions of dollars in supplies and drugs and help grants achieve their expected targets.