Affiliation: EGPAF’s Proven Model for Strengthening National Capacity

Since their launch in 2011, EGPAF affiliated organizations in Côte d’Ivoire (Fondation Ariel Glaser pour la Lutte contre le Sida Pédiatrique), Mozambique (Fundação Ariel Glaser Contra o SIDA Pediátrico), and Tanzania (Ariel Glaser Pediatric AIDS Healthcare Initiative [AGPAHI]) have reached millions of adults and children with life-saving ART. EGPAF affiliates are independent, nationally-led organizations, with a shared mission to eliminate AIDS in children.

The Affiliation Model

As part of EGPAF’s commitment to advancing sustainable, high-quality HIV responses, EGPAF developed the Affiliation Model to ensure countries have robust national civil society organizations, equipped with strong technical, programmatic and operational capacity to lead and advocate for HIV services in their countries. The affiliation model recognizes that local organizations charged achieving and sustaining HIV epidemic control will require more than technical and programmatic capacity, but need to be well rounded in operational and technical systems that drive an organization’s resilience. Additionally, to ensure technical competency, local organizations will need to have access to global technical information to stay on the forefront of HIV/AIDS programming. With this understanding, the affiliate model joins two important pillars of success – strong business structure with dynamic learning.

Through affiliation, EGPAF and affiliates commit to accountability standards for program performance, good governance, financial accountability, and transparency, thereby ensuring credibility and sustainability of the affiliate in each country.

Affiliates have access to broad institutional expertise, technical assistance, and financial resources from the Foundation and other organizations in the network. This mutually beneficial relationship allows the affiliates to operate as independent entities, preserving their autonomy while optimizing the ability to expand programs focused on the elimination of pediatric HIV at the local level, in alignment with the shared mission of the Foundation and its affiliates.

Key Components to Success:

1. Affiliation Agreement: Each organizations agrees to uphold the 8 core principals and associated standards of the Affiliation Model.
2. Accreditation Review: Affiliates undergo a data driven accreditation process, by which EGPAF confirms they operate at high organizational standards in program management, operations, governance, and communication.
3. EGPAF Technical Assistance: The affiliates are able to access technical assistances in a variety of areas that enhance their ability to provide evidence-based and high quality HIV services within their local context. As the affiliate capacity has grown, the TA has evolved and adapted to the needs of each of the organizations.
4. Local Leaders: Affiliates are independent, national organizations governed by autonomous boards and affiliated to EGPAF with shared missions, logos, and brands.
5. Trust: The affiliation model is built on a long term relationship of trust. The social capital created through time has created an enabling environment that fosters productive problem solving, the celebration of successes, and the ability to learn from each other’s growth.

Since its inception, the affiliate model has proven to extend the reach of EGPAF’s mission to eliminate pediatric HIV and promote local ownership of HIV programs, with the aim of ensuring a sustainable response to the AIDS epidemic.