The Health Policy Action Fund
(HPAF)

http://www.healthpolicyactionfund.org

Application available: English & Français
English Link: http://www.healthpolicyactionfund.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=...
Français Link: http://www.healthpolicyactionfund.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=...

Deadline: 16 January 2015
Grant size: Up to $ 30,000

Countries: Afghanistan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Comoros, DR of Congo, Djibouti, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, Vietnam and Zambia

Description: The Health Policy Action Fund (HPAF) was launched by Oxfam to support health organizations, networks and coalitions to become more effectively engaged in national health policy processes. Grant recipients of the HPAF are required to engage in dialogue with key policy makers from national governments and global initiatives. They need to monitor and analyze health policy implementation and hold governments and aid donors accountable to work towards universal and equitable access to health care and the achievement of the health related Millennium Development Goals.

Eligibility:

• The fund is open to applications from national civil society health networks and coalitions or individual civil society organisations, which could comprise service providers, health worker organizations, patient groups, non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, academic institutions, media, research and advocacy networks, and organizations of health campaigners based in the 36 IHP+ Countries. In order to reach a wide range of CSOs, proposals are preferred from CSO coalitions or networks. The type of organisation applying will form part of the evaluation criteria.
• Grantee applications will be required to show how they will build on - not duplicate or undermine - any existing mechanisms for CSO engagement in national level health policy dialogue and sector processes and performance monitoring.
• Any National health policy networks and coalitions are eligible and encouraged to apply. Proposals will also be considered from International NGO applicants only if they are part of and /or plan to support local civil society coalitions/networks.
• The effectiveness of an organisation or network will be considered to ensure that the organisation or network is large and/or effective enough to have impact, and that it truly represents the constituents it claims to represent.
• Coalitions or networks applying will be required to meet basic partnership standards and criteria, including legal registration of the organisation, proven track record of transparent financial management, supported with audited accounts, bank account details, and registered signatories.

Activities: The overall aim of civil society engagement in national health sector policy dialogue and sector processes is to improve the performance, accountability and effectiveness of the planning and delivery of national health sector plans. Generally all activities concerning the constructive engagement of CSOs in national health policy and sector processes can be supported by the grant with the exception of the direct delivery of health services. This encompasses but is not strictly limited to:

1. Building knowledge, skills or institutional processes for greater participation in health policy dialogue, resource tracking and / or health sector performance monitoring.
2. Working with health sector partners (country governments, international partners including aid donors) and civil society to ensure the development of robust and evidence-based health plans, strategies, and budgets, with a particular emphasis on reaching the poor, vulnerable and most marginalised communities. This might involve targeting particular priority issues in human resources, health financing, medicine supplies etc. or taking a broader overview of the performance of the health sector as a whole.
3. Preparation for and participation in health sector policy dialogue, development and review fora.
4. Strengthening synergies between global health initiatives and other priority disease interventions and health systems.
5. Working with partners to monitor, analyse and evaluate sector performance; track resources provided and funding mechanisms;
6. Review effectiveness of development cooperation in the health sector. The latter includes the seven behaviours identified by IHP+.1
7. Ensuring that financing gaps are met by development partners and country governments.
8. Holding all partners (country governments, international partners and civil society) accountable to commitments to effective development cooperation and health sector results.
9. Document experiences with effective approaches and successful strategies regarding the above mentioned that can be used as a showcase and shared with other CSO, networks and coalitions.

Specific activities funded through this grant should contribute to a broader strategy of engagement with national health sector processes. Applications will be considered that seek to carry out the above through, but not limited to:

1. Budget and policy planning, research, analysis and resource tracking Lobbying, advocacy and campaigning
2. Training and capacity building in health policy, advocacy, impact monitoring and effective development cooperation
3. Alliance building
4. Media work

Proposals should be submitted electronically via email to: hpaf2014@oxfam.de
For more information, please email Cheryl Jacob at: cjacob@oxfam.de or visit website: www.healthpolicyactionfund.org