WHO received in December 2009, $9.994.093 for a 5 year project centered around the creation of a 'hub'.
The search for the country where the 'hub' would be installed was organized by the same DC based firm that was put in charge of its design and 'independent' evaluation. The announced budget for the 'hub' was to be about $3.5 million (less than 35% of the global grant) according to the document published in April 2010. The CTCA was inaugurated on... November 1, 2011 (the director had been recruited in September 2011).
The 'first phase' of the WHO project is supposed to end, according to this document (at the bottom) in two months, in July 2014. What's next? Is the Gates Foundation going to continue its funding? at what level? for how long?
The second Annual Performance Review for the Centre for Tobacco Control in Africa ( CTCA) is currently under way in Kampala, from June 24-27, 2013. The review was carried out by EnCompass, an International Independent Management consulting firm which facilitated the process that included both the Internal and External Review, as well as the Administrative Review carried out by WHO.
(How 'independent' can such a review be? when this very same firm has designed the project?)
The Review focused on Centre’s contributions, value added and unique role in tobacco control in Africa; as well as sustainability and resource mobilization, and the operational model of the Centre. The Evaluation involved extensive document review, visits to two of CTCA’s target countries, as well as Tobacco Control actors in the region.
Presenting the review findings to members of the CTCA Steering Committee in Kampala, June 26, the leader of the Evaluation Team, Ms. Lynne Franco noted that, the Centre had made a number of achievements, particularly in line with the recommendations from last year’s evaluation of the Centre’s activities, as well as attaining its o objectives.
According to the evaluation team, the Centre was perceived as having gained credibility in the region, and supported enhancement of policies in its target countries. The Centre’s technical tool kits , were also highly regarded as a useful resource for tobacco control practitioners in the region. Specifically, the Centre had managed to support the bill and policy development process in Uganda and Mauritania, development of Pictorial Health Warnings in Kenya, and had specifically advocated for a tax increase in Uganda. The Centre was also credited for raising the profile of tobacco control in the region, facilitating the establishment of a coordination mechanism for tobacco control partners, starting with Uganda, as well as supporting countries to monitor tobacco industry activities through the tobacco industry monitoring tool, that has been used in 12 countries.
The Dean of the School of Public Health, also Director of the Centre, Prof. William Bazeyo noted that the Centre is strategically working towards becoming a WHO collaborating Centre in the next phase of the project after 2014.
Dr. Vinayak Prasad, WHO TFI, stressed the need to institutionalize CTCA to ensure that its work is sustained beyond the first project period.
CTCA was established in July 2011 with an initial 3-year funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through WHO to support governments in Africa implement evidence based tobacco control strategies. The first phase of the project ends in July 2014.
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