Improve Capacity of the Ministry for Women, Families and Social Affairs to Ensure Quality Care and Support Services to Orphans, Vulnerable Children and their Families in the Republic of Cte d Ivoire under the President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relie | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is CDC RFA PS10-1034?

CDC RFA PS10-1034 is a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cooperative agreement under PEPFAR focused on strengthening Cote d'Ivoire's national system to protect and support orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and families affected by HIV/AIDS.

What is the main purpose of this opportunity?

The core purpose is to build long-term government capacity, not just fund isolated direct services. The grant is designed to strengthen how the national OVC response is organized, governed, monitored, coordinated, and linked to related child protection and gender-related services connected to HIV prevention and response.

Which national body is central to this work?

The Ministry of Women, Families and Social Affairs (MFFAS), through its National Orphan and Vulnerable Children Program (PNOEV), is positioned as the central government body responsible for coordinating programs serving children orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS.

What role does PNOEV play under this grant?

PNOEV is emphasized as the coordinating entity expected to set guidelines, track results, and assure service quality nationally for OVC-related programs and services.

Is this grant intended to fund direct services to children and families?

The opportunity emphasizes systems strengthening and government leadership capacity rather than funding direct services in isolation. It focuses on strengthening national coordination, standards, monitoring, referrals, and integration across services that ultimately affect children and families.

What types of systems improvements are prioritized?

Key priorities include stronger communication and referral pathways across services, harmonized national tools for child wellbeing/vulnerability assessment, consistent monitoring and evaluation approaches, and the establishment of minimum standards of care for core service areas.

What are the six main capacity-building objectives described?

The work is organized around six objectives: (1) improve communication and referral systems; (2) harmonize national assessment tools and monitoring and evaluation processes; (3) establish minimum standards of care for core service areas; (4) engage diverse actors to ensure a multi-sectoral response; (5) strengthen coordination of OVC programs from national to district levels; and (6) leverage restructured social center staff to better support vulnerable families and survivors of violence while linking these services to HIV prevention and response.

What does "improving communication and referral systems" mean in this context?

It refers to creating clearer pathways so children and families can move efficiently among social services, health services, legal support, and community-based programs, reducing the risk of clients getting lost between systems.

What does "harmonizing tools and processes" cover?

It involves standardizing national instruments and procedures used to assess child wellbeing and vulnerability and to monitor and evaluate services, so data and outcomes are comparable across regions and partners and performance can be judged against common expectations.

What are "minimum standards of care" expected to accomplish?

Minimum standards of care are intended to define a baseline for what quality OVC-related services should look like nationwide, supporting consistent, quality-assured service delivery.

Why does the opportunity stress a multi-sectoral response?

The announcement recognizes that effective support for OVC requires coordination across health, education, protection, and justice sectors, involving government bodies, implementing partners, communities, and other stakeholders.

How does the grant address coordination at different administrative levels?

It explicitly prioritizes strengthening coordination of OVC programs from national down to district levels, reinforcing government leadership and aligning activities across administrative layers.

How are gender equity and gender-based violence connected to the grant's focus?

The opportunity highlights the need for stronger integration across MFFAS divisions working on gender equity, gender-based violence, and vocational training for women and girls because these areas intersect with HIV risk, HIV prevention, and the safety and wellbeing of children and families.

What is included in the objective related to social center staff?

The sixth objective focuses on leveraging restructured social center staff to better support vulnerable families and survivors of violence while linking services to HIV prevention and response. This includes targeted HIV prevention education, strengthening parent-child communication through structured approaches such as the "Families Matter" program, improving referrals for HIV counseling and related services, and supporting sexual violence survivors with access to judicial advocates and accompaniment for HIV testing and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).

What is the "Families Matter" program mentioned in the announcement?

It is referenced as a structured approach intended to strengthen parent-child communication as part of targeted HIV prevention education and family strengthening activities.

What is PEP in this grant description?

PEP refers to post-exposure prophylaxis, described as time-sensitive medication that can reduce the likelihood of HIV infection after potential exposure, particularly relevant for survivors of sexual violence.

What type of funding mechanism is used?

This opportunity uses a cooperative agreement mechanism, which typically implies substantial involvement by the funding agency through collaboration, technical support, and oversight.

How is the opportunity categorized administratively?

It is categorized as discretionary funding, with the activity category listed as health.

What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The CFDA number is 93.067 (Global AIDS).

How many awards were expected?

The CDC expected to make one award.

What was the estimated total funding amount?

The estimated total funding amount is $20,000,000.

What were the award floor and ceiling amounts stated?

The stated award floor is $1,000,000 and the stated award ceiling is $3,000,000.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. Cost sharing or matching is not required.

Who is eligible to apply based on the information provided?

Eligibility is narrowly defined. MFFAS is identified as the official governmental agency responsible for policy and coordination of programs serving children orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS and their families, indicating the award is intended to support governmental capacity and leadership rather than open competition.

Is this an open competitive opportunity for many organizations?

Based on the description, it appears targeted to the Government of Cote d'Ivoire through MFFAS/PNOEV rather than broadly open to a wide range of applicants.

When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

It was posted on January 6, 2010, with an original and final closing date of March 8, 2010.

What is the status of the opportunity now?

The opportunity was archived on April 7, 2010.

What broader program context does this grant sit within?

It sits within PEPFAR and is framed as targeted support to strengthen national systems, standards, and coordination for OVC care and related gender and violence-prevention services as part of the broader HIV/AIDS response.

What is the expected long-term outcome described?

The expected outcome is a sustainable, consistent, and quality-assured national response led by MFFAS/PNOEV, with stronger political and public support for child protection, improved social work capacity, better resource mobilization, and more comprehensive services driven by assessed needs rather than fragmented delivery.