[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 144 (Thursday, July 26, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39046-39048]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-18632]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Program Announcement 01150]


Expansion of Activities Supporting Coordination and Networking 
Among and Information Sharing and Networking Between Non-Governmental 
AIDS Service Organizations in the Republic of Zimbabwe; Notice of 
Availability of Funds

A. Purpose

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the 
availability of fiscal year (FY) 2001 funds for a cooperative agreement 
to improve and expand coordination, networking, and information sharing 
activities between and among non-governmental AIDS service 
organizations (ASOs) in Zimbabwe.
    The U.S. Government seeks to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS and 
related conditions in specific countries within sub-Saharan Africa, 
Asia, and the Americas through a recently funded Global AIDS 
Initiative. Through this program, CDC has initiated its Global AIDS 
Program (GAP) to strengthen capacity and expand activities in the areas 
of (1) HIV primary prevention; (2) HIV care, support, and treatment; 
and (3) capacity and infrastructure development, especially for 
surveillance. Targeted countries represent those with the most severe 
epidemics and the highest number of new infections. They also represent 
countries where the potential for impact is greatest and where U.S. 
Government agencies are already active. Zimbabwe is one of these 
targeted countries.
    To carry out its activities in these countries, CDC is working in a 
collaborative manner with other U.S. Government agencies (e.g., USAID), 
national governments and other partners to develop programs of 
assistance to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. CDC's program of technical 
assistance to Zimbabwe focuses on several areas including strengthening 
surveillance and laboratory measures, scaling up promising prevention 
and care strategies, supporting behavior change communication projects, 
promoting communication and technology transfer, and other capacity 
building efforts.
    Zimbabwe is experiencing one of the world's most severe AIDS crises 
that looms as a disaster of unprecedented proportions. Zimbabwe has one 
of the world's highest HIV prevalence rates among adults, and the 
proportion of children orphaned by AIDS is expected to reach 35 percent 
by 2010.
    Zimbabwe has taken many positive steps to address the AIDS 
epidemic. It was one of the first governments in the world to negotiate 
a large World Bank loan for AIDS prevention in 1992.
    The national response has generated many examples of creative 
programming and successful grassroots initiatives in the face of 
staggering adversity. In December 1999, the Government of Zimbabwe 
(GOZ) declared AIDS a national disaster, created a new ministerial-
level, multi-sectoral National AIDS Council (NAC), announced a new 
National AIDS Policy and instituted an ``AIDS levy'' payroll tax to 
underwrite improved national AIDS prevention and care services.
    However, despite these and others interventions, the prevalence of 
HIV infection appears to have increased substantially in Zimbabwe from 
1997 to 2000, and the epidemic cannot yet be characterized as having 
stabilized.
    High prevalence rates among women 15-19 yrs of age suggests that 
recent infections continue to be high, including among youth. In 
addition, Zimbabwe is facing economic and political crises which 
compete for attention with and directly impact current responses to the 
AIDS epidemic.
    The response to HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe needs to be significantly 
strengthened in several areas. The Government of Zimbabwe, in its 
effort to lead the public sector response, needs to strengthen three 
public health activities and programs in areas such as surveillance, 
laboratory systems and services and access to voluntary counseling and 
testing (VCT). The response on the part of civil society can be 
characterized as aggressive but poorly coordinated. Activities of 
Zimbabwean non-governmental AIDS service organizations (ASOs) span the 
spectrum from care, prevention, training, education and advocacy. 
Literally hundreds of organizations have programs of work at village, 
district, regional and national levels. However, to date there has been 
little coordination of effort among these organizations, few efforts to 
evaluate coverage or reduced duplication of services, inadequate 
efforts to evaluate and help address resource mobilization requirements 
and relatively little done to address information exchange/
communication needs. Improvements in these facets of the response to 
HIV/AIDS on the part of civil society are major unmet needs in 
Zimbabwe.
    The purpose of this cooperative agreement is therefore to improve 
and expand coordination, networking, and information sharing activities 
between and among non-governmental ASOs in Zimbabwe.
    These collaborative activities could profoundly impact the scope, 
coordination and intensity of the implementation the National AIDS 
Policy, which calls for multi-sectoral action on many fronts. 
Cooperative efforts could lead to significant improvements in 
coordination of HIV/AIDS prevention and care activities in all 
provinces, increased capacity building of ASOs, resource mobilization 
activities targeting HIV/AIDS ASOs across Zimbabwe and strengthened 
ties between organizations within civil society and government HIV/AIDS 
and related programs.

B. Eligible Applicants

    Applications may be submitted by public and private nonprofit 
organizations, non-governmental organizations with two years experience 
in HIV/AIDS, including facilitating information exchange and 
coordinating service activities between and among other non-
governmental ASOs and relevant government agencies or other partner 
organizations in the majority of provinces of Zimbabwe.

C. Availability of Funds

    Approximately $300,000 is available in FY 2001 to fund this 
agreement. It is expected that the awards will begin on or about 
September 30, 2001 and will be made for a 12-month budget period

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within a project period of three (3) years. Annual funding estimates 
may change. Continuation awards within the approved project period will 
be made on the basis of satisfactory progress as evidenced by required 
reports and the availability of funds.
    All requests for funds, including the budget contained in the 
application, shall be stated in U.S. dollars. Once an award is made, 
the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will not compensate 
foreign grantees for currency exchange fluctuations through the 
issuance of supplemental awards.

1. Direct Assistance

    Direct provision of equipment and supplies (e.g., vehicles, 
computer hardware/software, specific consumables may be requested as 
direct assistance in lieu of this financial assistance.

2. Use of Funds

    Funds received from this announcement may not be used for the 
direct purchase of antiretroviral drugs for treatment of established 
HIV infection (with the exception of nevirapine in PMTCT cases and with 
prior written CDC approval), occupational exposures, and non-
occupational exposures and will not be used for the purchase of 
machines and reagents to conduct the necessary laboratory monitoring 
for patient care.
    No funds awarded under this announcement shall be used to carry out 
any program of distributing sterile needles or syringes for the 
hypodermic injection of any illegal drugs.
    Applicants may contract with other organizations under these 
cooperative agreements; however, applicants must perform a substantial 
portion of the activities (including program management and operations 
and delivery of prevention services) for which funds are requested.
    The costs that are generally allowable in grants to domestic 
organizations are likewise allowable to foreign institutions and 
international organizations, with the following exception:
    Indirect Costs: With the exception of the American University, 
Beirut, the Gorgas Memorial Institute, and the World Health 
Organization, indirect costs will not be paid (either directly or 
through a sub-award) to organizations located outside the territorial 
limits of the United States or to international organizations 
regardless of their location.

D. Program Requirements

    In conducting activities to achieve the purpose of this program, 
the recipient will be responsible for the activities under 1. 
(Recipient Activities), and CDC will be responsible for the activities 
listed under 2. (CDC Activities).

1. Recipient Activities

A. Strengthen Operational Capacity
    (1) Assess needs of non-governmental ASOs in the areas of 
operational systems and capacity including: Monitoring and evaluation; 
communications management; design, assembly and dissemination of public 
information; prevention; information management and effective use of 
information to direct, monitor, and evaluate ongoing performance; 
physical plant; resource mobilization, and coordination and 
collaboration.
    (2) Develop structured methods to improve operational systems.
    (3) Develop a plan to assist Zimbabwe ASOs in assessing their 
operational capacity and their ability to (a) effectively carry out 
their goals and objectives; (b) coordinate the services of ASOs with, 
for example, the Zimbabwe government/MOH, National AIDS Council, and 
other partners; and (c) increase the responsiveness to donors, clients 
and other constituents.
B. Expand Coordination Capacity
    (1) Determine need for, and conduct evaluation activities with non-
governmental ASOs, for example, ASO service delivery patterns, service 
needs/requirements, impact analyses, resource mobilization needs.
    (2) Plan provincial and national meetings and congresses to foster 
and improve coordination of ASO activities, information sharing, and 
assessment of needs and gaps in ASO services.
    (3) Develop a plan for information exchange, resource mobilization, 
capacity building, and coordination of ASO activities at the provincial 
level in Zimbabwe.
C. Strengthen Network Communication and Information Exchange
    (1) Support improvements to communication systems supporting non-
governmental ASOs, government, and other partners, including training 
and support services for development of strategies for effective use of 
information, and efficient use of information and telecommunication 
technologies to implement those strategies.
    (2) Support expansion of web development assistance provided to 
non-governmental ASOs, government and other partners.
D. Provide Capacity Building Assistance to Zimbabwe ASOs
    (1) Provide Capacity Building Assistance and service delivery 
support in priority interventions (to be defined in collaboration with 
CDC and other partners) to non-governmental ASOs, government and other 
partners directly or through small contracts.

2. CDC Activities

    (1) Collaborate as needed with the recipient on designing and 
implementing the activities listed above, including but not limited to 
the provision of technical assistance to develop and implement program 
activities, analyses, capacity building assistance.
    (2) Monitor project and budget performance.

E. Application Content

    Please use the information in the Program Requirements, Other 
Requirements, and Evaluation Criteria sections of this document to 
develop your application content. Your application will be evaluated on 
the criteria listed, so it is important to follow them in laying out 
your program plan. The narrative should be no more than 25 (excluding 
the abstract, attachments and appendices) double-spaced pages, printed 
on one side, with one inch margins, and unreduced font. Pages should be 
numbered, and a complete index to the application and any appendices 
must be included.
    Please include a two-page, double-spaced summary of your proposed 
activities.

F. Submission and Deadline

    Submit the original and two copies of PHS 5161-l (OMB Number 0920-
0428). Forms are available at the following Internet address: 
www.cdc.gov/od/pqo/forminfo.htm or in the application kit.
    On or before August 24, 2001, submit the application to the Grants 
Management Specialist identified in the ``Where to Obtain Additional 
Information'' section of this announcement.

G. Evaluation Criteria

    The application will be evaluated against the following criteria by 
an independent review group appointed by CDC.

1. Understanding of the Problem (20 Points)

    Extent to which the applicant demonstrates a clear and concise

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understanding of the nature of the HIV/AID epidemic in Zimbabwe, 
capacity building and coordination needs among non-governmental ASOs 
and other partners in Zimbabwe, and understanding of the broader 
network of supporting organizations and resources dedicated to 
facilitating the function of ASOs in Southern Africa. This specifically 
includes description of the public health importance of the planned 
activities to be undertaken and realistic presentation of proposed 
objectives and projects.

2. Technical and Programmatic Approach (25 Points)

    The extent to which the applicant's proposal demonstrates an 
understanding of how to assess the needs of an open system with diverse 
ASOs and other partners including an overall design strategy and 
including measurable time lines.
    The extent to which the proposal addresses regular monitoring and 
evaluation, and the potential effectiveness of the proposed activities 
in meeting objectives. This includes developing a plan to assist non-
governmental ASOs in assessing their needs, gaps in services, and 
methods. The extent to which the applicant proposes a system for 
providing capacity building support to non-governmental ASOs in 
Zimbabwe.

3. Ability To Carry Out the Project (20 Points)

    The extent to which the applicant demonstrates organizational 
capability to achieve the purpose of the project including experience 
networking with ASOs in Zimbabwe and familiarity with structure, 
function, resources and customs of Zimbabwe.
    The extent to which the applicant has an existing, formal 
membership/network that includes the majority of provinces of Zimbabwe, 
as evidenced by membership and or dues paying lists.

4. Personnel (20 Points)

    The extent to which professional personnel involved in this project 
are qualified, including documented evidence their knowledge of and 
experience in working with ASOs to promote effective HIV/AIDS care and 
prevention services by ASOs that deliver services directly.
    The extent to which the composition of the applicant's key 
management and direct staff are indigenous to the population of 
Zimbabwe.

5. Plans for Administration and Management of Projects (15 Points)

    The extent to which the composition of the applicant's board of 
directors reflects the indigenous population of Zimbabwe, other ASOs, 
and other relevant partners across Zimbabwe provinces.
    The extent to which the applicant's charter, mission, and mandate 
reflects its role as a key national ASO networking organization. 
Adequacy of plans for administering the projects including 
understanding of their organizational capabilities and administrative 
infrastructure, for example, administrative and fiscal management 
systems.

6. Budget (Not Scored)

    The extent to which itemized budget for conducting the project, 
along with justification, is reasonable and consistent with stated 
objectives and planned program activities.

H. Other Requirements

Technical Reporting Requirements

    The recipient is required to provide CDC with original plus two 
copies of:
    1. Written quarterly progress reports;
    2. Financial status report, no more than 45 days after the end of 
the budget period; and
    3. Final financial and performance reports, no more than 90 days 
after the end of the project period.
    4. Annual audit of these CDC funds (program-specific audit) by a 
U.S.-based audit firm with international branches and current 
licensure/authority in-country, and in accordance with International 
Accounting Standards or equivalent standard(s) approved in writing by 
CDC.
    A fiscal Recipient Capability Assessment may be required with the 
potential awardee, pre or post award, in order to review their business 
management and fiscal capabilities regarding the handling of U.S. 
Federal funds.
    Send all reports to the program contact and the Grants Management 
Specialist, both identified in the ``Where to Obtain Additional 
Information'' section of this announcement.
    For descriptions of the following Other Requirements, see 
Attachment I in the application kit. Some of the more complex 
requirements have some additional information provided below:

AR-14  Accounting System Requirements

I. Authority and Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

    This program is authorized under section 307 of the Public Health 
Service Act, [42 U. S. C. section 242I], as amended. The Catalog of 
Federal Domestic Assistance number is 93.941.

J. Where To Obtain Additional Information

    This and other CDC announcements can be found on the CDC home page 
Internet address--http://www.cdc.gov. Click on ``Funding'' then 
``Grants and Cooperative Agreements.''
    If you have questions after reviewing the contents of all the 
documents, business management technical assistance may be obtained 
from: Dorimar Rosado, Grants Management Specialist, Grants Management 
Branch, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, Room 3000, 2920 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 30341-4146, 
Telephone: (770) 488-2782, E-mail: [email protected].
    For program technical assistance, contact: Michael St. Louis, MD, 
Global AIDS Program (GAP), Zimbabwe Country Team, National Center for 
HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
(CDC), Zim-CDC AIDS Project Team, 38 Samora Machel Avenue, 2nd Floor, 
Harare, Zimbabwe, Telephone: 263 4 796040, 796048, Fax: 263 4 796032, 
E-mail: [email protected].

    Dated: July 20, 2001.
John L. Williams,
Director, Procurement and Grants Office, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention (CDC).
[FR Doc. 01-18632 Filed 7-25-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P