Gavi’s targeted country assistance aims to share our partners’ specialist skills with the countries we support
Gavi’s targeted country assistance aims to share our partners’ specialist skills with the countries we support
Technical assistance is non-financial support provided by specialists. It can take the form of sharing information and expertise, training and consulting services.
The technical assistance provided through PEF is called targeted country assistance (TCA). This type of support mainly consists of staff permanently based in partners’ country offices. It is based on the demand and needs identified by the countries themselves.
While all Gavi-supported countries are eligible for TCA, 20 countries are given special priority. They face the most severe challenges related to coverage, equity and sustainability of immunisation.
Countries identify their challenges and express their TCA needs through the joint appraisal, an annual review of Gavi’s support to each country. They also state who they think is best suited to provide the support they need. Further, they assess the effectiveness and quality of support that each partner provides.
TCA complements the support that countries receive from Gavi for vaccines and health system strengthening.
Most TCA is provided by core Vaccine Alliance partners, primarily WHO and UNICEF. The World Bank, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Constituency also provide TCA in their respective areas of expertise.
Gavi also engages with local institutions that offer complementary expertise. We continuously look to attract additional partners to provide targeted assistance to countries. If you would like to find out more, please contact pef@gavi.org
Each country’s TCA plan is based on its specific needs
Vaccine Alliance partners submit an annual joint plan for TCA activities in each country. The plan is based on the needs that countries have identified during their joint appraisal discussions. It lists activities, milestones and budget details.
The in-country coordination forum for immunisation, which oversees a country’s immunisation programme, endorses the plan before it is validated by Gavi’s management team.
Partners provide a biannual report on TCA milestones to Gavi and in-country stakeholders. Reports are submitted through an online tool – the partner portal. This allows all partners to view each other’s reports, giving complete visibility to both country stakeholders and Gavi.
A strong PEF performance management process ensures all partners are held accountable. All countries that receive TCA support through PEF have to report on a minimum set of milestones.
For the 20 PEF priority countries, partners also define country-specific milestones. The aim is to strengthen transparency and to allow timely corrections of support, if needed.