DRAFT PD Securing Ugandas Right to Essential Medicines (SURE) Activity | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - DRAFT PD: Securing Ugandans Right to Essential Medicines (SURE) Activity

1) What is the DRAFT PD for the SURE Activity?

It is an advance notice from USAID Uganda about a planned competitive grant opportunity focused on strengthening Uganda's public health commodity supply chain for essential medicines and health products. It describes the concept and likely focus areas, but it is not the formal funding announcement.

2) Is this posting a Request for Applications (RFA)?

No. The posting is explicitly not a request for applications and not a request for public comments.

3) Does this notice guarantee that USAID will issue a final funding opportunity?

No. The notice states it does not obligate USAID to release a final Request for Applications.

4) What is the purpose of releasing this information early?

The purpose is to alert potential implementers early and generate interest while USAID completes activity design and consultations with the Government of Uganda and other donor stakeholders.

5) How long does USAID expect the remaining design and consultation process to take?

USAID indicates the activity design and consultations are expected to take roughly one to three months.

6) What overall problem is the SURE Activity intended to address?

The activity is grounded in the idea that health outcomes in Uganda depend heavily on whether essential medicines and health products are consistently available at health facilities, and that the supply chain has multiple points where delays, errors, or losses can occur.

7) Why does USAID describe Uganda's supply chain as complex?

USAID describes the supply chain as long and complex, spanning international steps (manufacturers, procurement agents, transporters, customs clearance) and in-country coordination across multiple institutions with different mandates and constraints.

8) Which institutions are highlighted as key actors in Uganda's health commodity supply chain?

The notice highlights the Ministry of Health (MOH), National Medical Stores (NMS), Joint Medical Store (JMS), National Drug Authority (NDA), District Health Offices (DHOs), health sub-districts, health facilities, and the Ministry of Finance.

9) What roles does the Ministry of Health (MOH) play in the supply chain according to the notice?

MOH technical programs handle product selection, forecasting, procurement planning, donor coordination, and stock monitoring.

10) What roles does National Medical Stores (NMS) play?

NMS, described as a parastatal, is responsible for procurement, warehousing, order processing, and distribution to districts on behalf of MOH. It also stores and distributes donor-procured commodities, and donors (including USAID) pay NMS a service fee for these functions.

11) What is Joint Medical Store (JMS) and how does it fit into the system?

JMS is described as a private sector supplier that can sell medicines and supplies to private and NGO facilities, and sometimes MOH facilities, particularly when NMS is stocked out. JMS may also serve as an alternate channel for some donated products to NGO facilities.

12) What does the National Drug Authority (NDA) do in this context?

NDA regulates quality and product registration for imported pharmaceuticals and medical commodities.

13) What responsibilities are assigned to District Health Offices (DHOs) and health facilities?

DHOs, health sub-districts, and health facilities are responsible for ordering, managing, dispensing, planning, budgeting, monitoring, and submitting orders through the system.

14) Why is the Ministry of Finance mentioned in a supply chain activity?

The Ministry of Finance is described as playing a critical enabling role by releasing funds to MOH and NMS on time.

15) Has Uganda's supply chain improved in recent years, according to USAID?

Yes. USAID notes progress in supply chain management over the prior 8 to 10 years, while also emphasizing that persistent weaknesses remain.

16) Does USAID suggest there is a single quick fix to the remaining weaknesses?

No. The notice states that the persistent weaknesses cannot be solved by a single quick fix.

17) What examples of nearer-term improvements are mentioned?

Examples include better communication among institutions and upgraded storage infrastructure and inventory management at NMS.

18) What examples of longer-term structural challenges are mentioned?

USAID points to regulatory and financial obstacles that limit NMS performance as longer-term structural challenges.

19) What does USAID indicate about donor support going forward?

USAID signals that until MOH has enough funding and trained personnel to independently perform key logistics management functions, donors will likely need to continue providing significant technical and operational support to prevent major breakdowns in commodity availability.

20) What is the proposed objective of the SURE Activity?

The proposed objective is to strengthen Uganda's supply chain for essential health commodities.

21) How is the SURE Activity organized in terms of results?

USAID presents a results framework organized into three major results areas: (1) overall commodity security framework, (2) central-level institutional capacity and performance (especially MOH and NMS), and (3) subnational and service delivery level capacity and performance.

22) What is included in Result Area 1?

Result 1 focuses on improving the overall commodity security framework, including stronger Government of Uganda commitment to financing health commodities and improvements to the legal and regulatory environment to enable a more effective and efficient national supply chain.

23) What is included in Result Area 2?

Result 2 targets central-level institutional capacity and performance, especially MOH and NMS. It includes clarifying roles and responsibilities and improving communication between MOH and NMS; strengthening MOH functions such as forecasting, procurement planning, budgeting, logistics information management, and monitoring and evaluation; enhancing NMS performance in procurement, warehousing, distribution, customer service, and security; and establishing anti-theft policies, procedures, and tools and ensuring they function in practice.

24) What is included in Result Area 3?

Result 3 focuses on subnational and service delivery levels by improving DHO and facility capacity in planning, budgeting, procurement, reporting, distribution, monitoring, and commodity security. It also emphasizes better facility-level quantification, ordering, inventory management, record keeping, and reporting.

25) What end outcome is explicitly mentioned for Result Area 3?

A clear end outcome is reducing stock-outs of key health commodities across all target districts.

26) What type of award mechanism is anticipated?

The synopsis lists the mechanism as a cooperative agreement in the health sector.

27) How many awards does USAID expect to make?

The synopsis indicates one expected award.

28) What is the maximum funding level mentioned?

The award ceiling is listed as up to $45,000,000.

29) Is cost sharing or matching required?

Yes. Cost sharing or matching is indicated as required.

30) Who is eligible to apply based on this synopsis?

Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning it is open to any type of entity, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that would appear in the full announcement.

31) What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

The funding opportunity is associated with CFDA 98.001 (USAID foreign assistance programs overseas).

32) Which USAID office is associated with the notice?

The notice is attributed to USAID Kampala, Uganda.

33) What is the posting timeframe mentioned in the synopsis?

The posting details are described as dating to late 2008.

34) Is there a contact for programmatic questions about the activity?

No. The notice includes a contact name only for assistance accessing the full announcement electronically, and it states that inquiries will not be answered until further notice.

35) What is the contact person intended to help with?

The contact is intended to assist with accessing the full announcement electronically, not to answer program questions.

36) Can applicants submit questions at this stage?

The notice indicates that inquiries will not be answered until further notice, so the posting does not provide a process for receiving program questions at this time.

37) Are specific target districts named in the notice?

No. The notice references "target districts" but does not list specific districts.

38) Does the notice name specific commodities or disease programs?

No. It refers broadly to essential medicines and health products (essential health commodities) and reducing stock-outs of key health commodities, without naming specific products in the provided text.