Why I am leaving the ATSA program and what I think is wrong with it.
One year ago, on January 10, 2008 the Gates Foundation attributed a $5.274.477 grant to the Canadian Crown Corporation IDRC to promote tobacco control programs in Sub-Sahara Africa (over a two year period): ATSA.
It is -by far- the biggest grant ever attributed to promote tobacco control in Africa so expectations were high. Imagine what could be done with $5 million+?
One year later, I wonder what has really been achieved, how much has been spent and to what effect.
I should know since I was hired in September as a very part time consultant to help with the communication but I have no idea: no information has been -yet- released about the management of this huge budget. Rumors are that half had been spent in 2008 but who knows.
As for the 12 country teams that have been selected they have communicated almost nothing: that is why I suggested that specific resources be attributed to local journalists, communication professionals who -hopefully- would be able to disseminate information as they had said they were ready to do during COP3 in Durban.
I also thought the iniative should include countries beyond the selected few and focus on the key MPOWER priorities with thematic programs about prevalence, taxes (and smuggling), cessation (what about a Great African SmokeOut?), graphic warnings (especially this year since WNTD is about warnings) in all Sub-Sahara countries, etc.
With a $5 million budget I thought there was plenty of funds for many "small" fellowships (under $5K per year).
On January 5, 2009 I was informed without any previous notice that my contract was "suspended" without pay for the month of January.
On February 1st I was informed my contract was reduced for the last two months to one third of what it used to be and I was asked to create content on the eldis platform while I had already said that this platform was not adequate for tobacco control advocacy, that nobody among tobacco control advocates uses it and I doubt very much anybody will.
I had suggested using Globalink and the existing Tobacco Control in Africa blog.
I had also suggested the production and dissemination on line of a detailed annual report so that the tobacco control community could see how IDRC has used the funds generously provided by the Gates Foundation.
There is an emerging trend in Africa (as noted in the blog Governance Matters edited by the World Bank) for improved governance and transparency in Aid funding and I thought it would make sense for IDRC/ATSA to lead the way.
It does not look like I'll be around to see this happen: I am leaving ATSA today.
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