Call for Expressions of Interest: Monitoring and Evaluation Call for Expressions of Interest to Provide Monitoring and Evaluation Support to the WHO Preparing for Treatment Program and the HIV Collaborative Fund Background HIV/AIDS treatment preparedness - encompassing advocacy, literacy and community mobilization for people living with HIV/AIDS and other affected communities - is central to realizing the target of providing antiretroviral treatment to 3 million people in developing countries by the end of 2005 ('3by5') and optimizing the impact of longer term plans, resources and delivery systems for HIV/AIDS treatment. In order to contribute to improved global treatment preparedness in coun tries and communities, WHO has established the Preparing for Treatment Program (PTP), based in the Department of HIV/AIDS at WHO headquarters in Geneva. To the extent possible, resources available through the PTP will be provided to partner organizations that have expertise and are currently engaged in or have capacity to undertake treatment preparedness activities. The initial phase of the PTP involves a WHO contribution of USD 1,000,000 (one million dollars) to the Collaborative Fund for HIV Treatment Preparedness. The Collaborative Fund is structured as a global partnership between the Tides Foundation, the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition, more than 15 donors and technical assistance providers. The core activity of the Collaborative Fund is grant-making to support HIV treatment literacy, advocacy and community mobilization projects in community-based organizations in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean and Eastern Europe/Central Asia. Funding priorities, application review and decisions about disbursements from the Collaborative Fund are made by autonomous Community Review Panels comprising people living with HIV/AIDS and community-based treatment advocates and educators in each funding region or sub-region. It is anticipated that WHO's contribution to the Fund will directly support at least 40 small grants to be made in all regions between November 2004 and December 2005. The partnership between WHO, Tides Foundation and the Collaborative Fund creates an important opportunity for monitoring, evaluation and research into HIV treatment preparedness in order to identify what programs and practices affect treatment preparedness, and to assess best practices to guide treatment scale up activities in other settings. It also provides an important opportunity to promote and evaluate the application to a significant global program of the principles of greater involvement for people living with HIV/AIDS (GIPA). WHO has therefore undertaken to provide additional resources to assist in monitoring and evaluating of the Collaborative Fund's activities. Expressions of Interest Expressions of interest are sought from organizations to lead the development and implementation of monitoring and evaluation activities for the Collaborative Fund, beginning in January 2005, including consensus building among relevant stakeholders about methodologies to be used and the use of monitoring and evaluation tools at global, regional and project levels. The Evaluation Contractor will also provide and coordinate technical assistance for monitoring and evaluating the Collaborative Fund's activities, and produce a final evaluation report in April 2006. Process for Submission Qualified organizations with appropriate experience in community-based and community-driven monitoring and evaluation, and monitoring and evaluation of activities at global, regional and community levels, are encouraged to submit an Expression of Interest in leading this project. Expressions of Interest should be brief, summarizing relevant experience and qualifications, and sent to Ian Grubb by email (grubbi@who.int) or fax (+41-22-791-4834) by 08.00 hours Central European Time on Tuesday, November 16, 2004. The subject field of the fax or e-mail should contain the wording "PTP Monitoring and Evaluation Expression of Interest". For additional information, contact Ian Grubb by email, or by telephone at +41-22-791-3304. A short-list of candidates will be developed, based on the Expressions of Interest received. Short-listed candidates will be sent a Request for Proposals in the third week of November, 2004 and invited to submit a detailed tender for the project. Tender proposals will be due at WHO by mid-December, 2004. WHO reserves the right freely to choose, without justifying its choice, those individuals or organizations selected for short-listing based on Expressions of Interest received pursuant to this call. It further reserves the right, if it so decides, not to pursue further this international call for expressions of interest. No claims or appeals will be accepted from any individuals or organizations whose candidatures are not selected. Ian Grubb WHO, Geneva (grubbi@who.int)