1

Fixed Obligation Grants (FOGs):

Sharing best practices and challenges

among ENVISION countries

Romanus JumaFinance and Admin Manager,

IMA Tanzania

Speakers

Dr. Boniphace IdindiliProgram Manager,

IMA Tanzania

Deepti Silwal BhattaraiFinance and Grants Manager,

RTI Nepal

Patrick MbiaNTD Deputy Program Manager,

HKI Cameroon

Margaret Davide-SmithSenior Operations & Grants Manager, RTI International

• Webinar technology orientation

• Slides will be emailed

• We want your feedback!

• Previous webinars available at http://www.ntdenvision.org/webinars

Getting Started

ENVISION is an eight-year, global project (2011-2019) funded by USAID

Implemented by RTI International in partnership with CBM International,

The Carter Center, Fred Hollows Foundation, Helen Keller International,

IMA World Health, Light for the World, Sightsavers and World Vision.

What is ENVISION?

ENVISION supports national NTD control programs in 19 countries

Website: www.NTDenvision.org Twitter: @RTIfightsNTDs

What is ENVISION?

Latin America &

the Caribbean Africa Asia

NTD TOOLBOX

www.ntdenvision.org/toolbox

the most-used NTD guidance, tools and resources developed by WHO, ENVISION & other organizations

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PLANNING NTD PROGRAMS

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Find what you’re looking for by searching by disease or NTD program phase.

LF ONCHO TRACHOMA

STH SCHISTO

• Basics of fixed obligation grants (FOGs)

• How FOGs have been used to address programmatic

issues under ENVISION

• Country challenges with FOGs and how they were

addressed

• Favorite tools used when issuing and managing grants

• Questions and discussion

Agenda

• FOGs are grants that support very specific

activities where there is certainty about the

costs and the accomplishment of the activities

in the grant is apparent

• FOGs typically support Ministries of Health to:

– Implement the WHO NTD Roll-Out Package

– Complete M&E activities

What are FOGs and what do

they support?

What makes FOGs unique from

other contractual mechanisms?

• Grantees are paid

a set amount upon

the achievement of

a milestone

• Grantees are not

required to report

actual costs spent

during activity

implementation

• Milestones are for a verifiable product or task

• Milestones generally have 3 parts:

– Description of the product, task, deliverable, or goal

to be accomplished

– Description of how the grantee will document the

completion of the product task, deliverable, or goal

(most often this is through the submission of a report)

– Amount to be paid for completion of the

deliverable

Milestones

Description of

Milestone

Required Deliverables Amount in CFA

MDA supervision • Report detailing 1) the training of

community relays (CDDs), teachers

and community supervisors including

the number of supervisors, community

relays, and teachers trained, and 2)

social mobilization activities performed

• MDA supervision report by regional-

level medical personnel, including

findings, recommendations, and

actions listing persons responsible and a

timeline.

7,200,000

Milestone example

How FOGs are used to

address programmatic issues

• Building capacity to

implement disease

specific assessments was

focused on NGOs

• Identification of host

government entity with

capacity to conduct TAS

• Ensures sustainability of the

program after ENVISION

funding ends

NEPAL

Low coverage:

• Increase number of milestones by reducing number

of activities per milestone (performance based

distribution of funds)

• Intensified supportive supervision

Urban MDA:

• Planning of activities: this is part of 1st milestone

• Use of booth/posts in urban and semi-urban areas

• Additional costs for transport in urban areas

• Increased focus and costs on social mobilization

such as radio, television, and talk shows

How FOGs are used to address

programmatic issuesTANZANIA

Low coverage:

• Deliverables for training activities include a

requirement to provide participant test scores

• Other deliverables require supervision related

information

MDA in urban or conflict areas:

• One FOG per region

How FOGs are used to

address programmatic issuesCAMEROON

• Milestone payment mechanism is unpopular at district level

for LF MDA FOGs

• Ensuring funds are transferred to remote districts on time

• Change in external environment could affect FOG

execution and implementation e.g. strike by health workers,

political disturbance, government regulations and other

ground level issues

Challenges faced by

ENVISION country programsNEPAL

• Plan in advance and provide training to district personnel

• Consider reducing number of milestones and structure the milestone reports carefully so that you get the data you need

• Be prepared with Plan B to mitigate the external factor challenges and be in constant communication with HQ team

SolutionsNEPAL

Challenge

• Ensuring the Ministry

of Health at the

regional level had

adequate cash on

hand to fund

activities

CAMEROON

Solution

Step Activity Deliverable Documents (DD)

4

Completion of

training of CDDs

for Community

based MDA

1- Summary report of the training sessions

2- Signed Attendance List for training

3- Pictures of the activities

4- Report of the supervision of the training

(including the average notes of the pre-test

and the post-test)

Preparation of

Supervision of

Community Based MDA

1- ToR of the supervision

2- Planning of supervision teams

3- Supervision grid

Review

of DD

Amount to pay

$ 37,804

Step Activity Deliverable Documents

5

Completion of

Supervision of

community based

MDA

1- Summary report of the supervision

2- Travel orders of regional supervisors signed

by the Health Districts

Preparation of data

collection

1- ToR of the data collection

2- Data collection tools

Review

Of DD

Amount to pay

$ 24,991

Explain

No

Ok

CAMEROON

• Frequent change of government leaders at region or district level

• Bureaucracy at Local Government Authority during funds request

approval for implementation

• Transfer out of trained staff to other districts where they may not

assume the same positions

• Change of bank accounts at the district level from the previous MOH

controlled to EPICOR accounting system which is LGA controlled. The

EPICOR system faces internet connectivity challenges therefore

delays in accessing funds.

ChallengesTANZANIA

• Encourage greater district advocacy whenever

there is change in leadership.

• Accountants training (before MDA) and one-on-

one training during supportive supervision and

wherever there are new accountants.

• Discussion with district authorities to approve funds

from the district accountant.

SolutionsTANZANIA

Tools

Grant tracker NEPAL

Checklist*for*LF*MDA*milestone

Payment*of*Milestone*1 Payment*of*Milestone*1

!

Signed*MOU*with*district(Check*for*district*

stamp*) !

Milestone*Report*2,*(District*Stamp*and*signature

!

Milestone*report*1,*with*district*stamp*and*

sign !D(P)HO*Invoice*2*(Sign*and*stamp*check)

! D(P)HO*Invoice*1*(sign*and*stamp*check) ! MASS*Invoice*(Check*amount*and*stamp)

! MASS*Invoice*(Check*amount*and*stamp) !

!

Signature*of*ENVISION*Program/*Technical*

staff*on*milestone*report*for*the*payment !

Signature*of*ENVISION*Program/*Technical*staff*on*

milestone*report*for*the*payment

! District*Bank*account*number !

Payment*of*Milestone*3 Payment*of*Milestone*4

!

Milestone*Report*3,*(District*Stamp*and*

signature !

!D(P)HO*Invoice*3***(Sign*and*stamp*check)

!

MASS*collective*final*report*of*LF*MDA**with*

supervision*report

!

Evidence*of*fund*transfer*to*district*for*1st*

and*2nd*milestone !Evidence*of*fund*transfer*to*district*3rd*milestone

! MASS*Invoice*(Check*amount*and*stamp) ! MASS*Invoice*(Check*amount*and*stamp)

!

Signature*of*ENVISION*Program/*Technical*

staff*on*milestone*report*for*the*payment !

Signature*of*ENVISION*Program/*Technical*staff*on*

milestone*report*for*the*payment

LF MDA milestone checklist NEPAL

Milestone checklist CAMEROON

Milestone checklist TANZANIA

MILESTONE - TWO

Activity 1 Activity 2 Activity 3 Activity 4 Activity 5 Activity 6 Activity 7 Activity 8 Activity 9 Activity 10 REPORTS Activity 11 Activity 12 Activity 13 REPORTS

REGION &

DISTRICT

FOGS

SIGNED

Funds

Received

District

Specific

Work plan

District

Specific

Budget

Strategic

Planning

TRAINING-

TOT/CHMT

/ RHMT

Social /

Community

Mobilization

Training-

FLHWs &

TEACHER

S

Training of

CDDs

Supportive

Supervision

Community

MDAM & E

Type of

Report

ReceivedMDA

School

Supportive

Supervision

M & E

Type of

Report

Received

DODOMA

REGION

DODOMA MC

CHAMWINO DC

BAHI DC

KONGWA DC

MPWAPWA DC

CHEMBA DC

KONDOA TC

KONDOA DC

Field Activities Report Tracking Sheet

Type of Activity and Status February 09th 2017

MILESTONE - ONE MILESTONE - 3 MILESTONE - FOUR

5/4/2017 A World Free of NTDs | | www.NTDenvision.org

Questions?

• Slides of the webinar and copies of all tools presented

will be emailed.

• We want your feedback! Please complete the survey

that appears on your screen.

Thank you!

This webinar was made possible thanks to the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency forInternational Development (USAID) and the ENVISION project led by RTI International under cooperative agreement No. AID-OAA-A-11-00048. The views expressed in this webinar do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United StatesGovernment.