Engaging Anew with the PEPFAR COP Process: 2016 Updates and New Civil Society Opportunities

2016 is here and with it a new – and potentially improved – PEPFAR Country Operational Plan (COP) process. In December, the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) published the final version of the 2016 PEPFAR COP Guidance, which incorporates some and neglects other recommendations made by civil society.

It is crucial that civil society advocates understand the key directives of the 2016 COP Guidance, remind PEPFAR teams of their responsibilities, and be prepared to report to OGAC and to their local, regional, and global civil society peers when and where PEPFAR teams fall short.

 

Key Dates for Civil Society in the 2016 PEPFAR COP Process

January/early February: PEPFAR teams meet with local civil society to gather feedback on the Sustainability Index Dashboard (SID). The SID must include civil society concerns and data on key populations and human rights challenges. These data will be important reference points for the 2016 COPs.

February/March: PEPFAR teams meet with OGAC in Washington, DC to discuss preliminary COP plans. Teams from Asia meet February 23-26, teams from Africa meet March 1-11, and teams from Latin America (plus Burundi and Rwanda) meet March 15-18. Local civil society organizations may be invited to participate in these discussions.

Late March/April: PEPFAR teams required to submit draft COPs (SDS) to OGAC. Due date for Asia teams is March 31, for Africa are April 14 and April 21, and for Latin America (plus Burundi and Rwanda) is April 21. PEPFAR teams required to meet with local civil society to gather inputs and feedback in advance of submission.

Late April, May, early June: COP review meetings held in Bangkok (April 27-29), Johannesburg (May 18-25), and Miami (June 1-3). PEPFAR teams are required to include at least 2 local civil society representatives as participants in in the review meetings.


The full community update PDF download is available here.

Kind regards,

The MSMGF

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MSMGF has worked since 2006 to encourage targeted, tailored, better resourced, and rights- based sexual health services for gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) worldwide through its advocacy and technical support work. As a global network, MSMGF has successfully influenced HIV responses at the local level through shifts in global-level policies and has effectively utilized public health as an entry point for advancing the human rights of LGBT people. MSMGF currently supports programs in 15 countries