Author: Orlando Montoya Herrera, ASICAL

1. Author: Orlando Montoya Herrera, ASICAL Asociación para la Salud Integral y Ciudadanía en América Latina- ASICAL Advocacy in Latin America: increasing the participation of communities Gay, Trans and MSM

2. Background Global Fund financing of national level projects represented an advance in terms of access to resources to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the region. However, Gay, bisexual and Transgender groups working in MSM and HIV/AIDS in the Region need to address the challenge of ensuring an adequate level of technical capacity to develop proposals and implement programmes with resources from this finance mechanism, such us, their participation at Country Coordination Mechanism (CCM). The project During 2005 and 2006 a regional programme was implemented focused capacity building in Organizational and project management, advocacy and HIV programming for Gay, Trans and other MSM groups, NGOs and CBOs.

3. Goal To increase the level of involvement of GBT (Gay, Bisexual and Trans) groups working on HIV/AIDS in Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCM) and increase the effectiveness of the implementation of projects supported as sub-recipients in Latin America and the Spanish speaking Caribbean. Metodology The training process was transformed from the usual single training workshop to a system of semi-structured learning via three modules with face-to-face training follow up by tasks and work in their organizations to be completed between the modules. The programme had an important component of long distance learning through the e-platform of ASICAL. The last quarter of the programme, an exchange visit system enable members of participants’ organization and groups to spend time in organizations of other countries as part of planned, structured and evaluated lesson sharing interventions.

4. The program trained 15 trainers from across Latin America in the design and use of modules. 63 representatives from 53 organizations of eleven countries in the region were trained, who then applied the knowledge they gained to their local and national-level work. 60 groups received training and then participated in the implementation of projects under the Global Fund ‘Men who have Sex with Men’ component. Participation by the groups in the CCM increased by 10%, and some participants achieved leadership roles. Knowledge management, long distance and e-learning, exchange visits, as well as a systematic approach to capacity building proved to be a useful tool to improve the capacity of the organizations involved, and to increase their involvement to influence decision makers. It also provided a useful mechanism for continued exchange between leaders participating in spaces such as the CCM and other local, national and regional initiatives. Community base groups of key populations (such as Gay and Trans) are under-funded by Global Fund grants in the region and capacity building programmes at the regional level contributes to improve programme effectiveness and a meaningful involvement. Principal achievements and Conclusions

5. Conclusions Knowledge management, long distance and e-learning, exchange visits, as well as a systematic approach to capacity building proved to be a useful tool to improve the capacity of the organizations involved, and to increase their involvement to influence decision makers. It also provided a useful mechanism for continued exchange between leaders participating in spaces such as the CCM and other local, national and regional initiatives. Community base groups of key populations (such as Gay and Trans) are under-funded by Global Fund grants in the region and capacity building programmes at the regional level contributes to improve programme effectiveness and a meaningful involvement.

6. ¡Muchas Gracias! Asociación para la Salud Integral y Ciudadanía de América Latina y el Caribe www.asical.org