The Global Fund

Overview

MOPAN released its most recent assessment of the Global Fund in 2022.

The Global Fund continues to evolve within a changing global health landscape. Since it was founded 20 years ago, the Global Fund has steadily sought ways to improve its performance and mature as an organisation, while remaining focused on its core mandate to fight the three devastating infectious diseases.

The MOPAN assessment of the Global Fund finds that:

The Global Fund’s flexible and evolving operational approach is continually reviewed and allows for a nimble response. This has been particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With its inclusive partnerships, the Global Fund demonstrates a strong commitment to all involved stakeholders and promotes buy-in.
A resolute focus on the three diseases has allowed the Global Fund to achieve robust results and make continued progress despite short-, medium- and long-term challenges.
At the same time, the Global Fund can make more progress in addressing cross-cutting issues such as building resilient and sustainable systems for health (RSSH), gender and human rights, and environment and climate change.
Also, a cohesive and fully independent evaluative function will be important for moving from simple monitoring to more in-depth learning and understanding from its supported programmes.
Finally, country ownership and competing stakeholder priorities will be an important part of discussions in the years ahead.

In November 2021, the Global Fund Board approved a new strategy for 2023‑28. While leaving the Global Fund’s mandate relatively unchanged (its primary goal is still to end AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria), it has new contributory and evolving objectives and a clear emphasis on a people-centred approach. These new developments will require the organisation to revisit some facets of its business model, such as staff qualifications, its internal structure, and operating guidelines to ensure that it remains fit for its purpose. The findings of the MOPAN assessment are intended to contribute to that discussion.

Performance rating summary

Global Fund organisational performance wheel — Organisational performance

Key findings

A culture of continual reflection to ensure that its operational model evolves and remains fit for purpose.
Agility of response, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inclusive partnerships at all levels.
Strong alignment with country strategic plans and priorities.
Financial frameworks and processes (e.g. allocations, portfolio optimisation and efficiency measures) ensure good resource utilisation.

Define more fully its role within the context of UHC and health systems strengthening.
Address cross-cutting issues such as human rights, gender equality, environmental sustainability and climate change.
Strengthening its ability to be a learning organisation and sharing knowledge generated with all stakeholders.
Negotiate the limits of country ownership and achieving both its vision and contributing to global targets and goals.
Take an organisational approach to the protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and sexual harassment (SH) that treats them as related but separate issues requiring distinct capacities, resources and mechanisms.