OVC Toolkit

In March, 2004, UNAIDS defined a strategic framework to guide work with orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS. The framework, which is based upon lessons learned around the world over many years, has the following five core strategies, which may be helpful to a MAP, during the design phase:

A series of workshops in Sub-Saharan Africa concluded that five priority actions are required to operationalize this strategy:

UNICEF, USAID, and UNAIS w/partners (including the World Bank) collaborated to develop a self-assessment tool that allows countries to determine the degree to which they are following the recommended OVC strategies. A country would earn a perfect 100% score, if its national response to OVC fulfills a given set of criteria. The OVC Programme Effort Index, as the tool is known, was applied in 36 countries in sub-Saharan Africa in 2004. The results of this test are available in a draft report entitled Guide to Monitoring and Evaluation of National Response for Children Orphaned and made Vulnerable by HIV/AIDS, 2005. A number of indicators included in this guide are still being refined and further tested. For updates on these indicators or for examples of tools to collect these indicators please go to the following website:

During the preparation phase, the MAP team should be sure to find out if the government has already completed the OVC self-assessment process and, if not, include it as part of the preparation process. The result of the self-assessment will help the MAP focus its investment to fill gaps in the country’s OVC strategy.

The results for the 36 sub-Saharan countries that have used the tool to date suggest that:
governments are doing quite well in coordination, consultation with stakeholders, national action planning and commitment;.
existing plans often lack cost estimates, budgets, timelines, and guidance to all stakeholders involved;
several countries only focus on orphans to the exclusion of other vulnerable children;
less than half of the countries have done any research to better understand the OVC problem in their country;
few countries have reviewed legislation affecting OVC resulting in little legal protection for OVC, and those that have enacted laws tend not to have the resources to fully enforce them.
In the 13 countries that have enacted laws to protect orphans, most include protection from all forms of violence and abuse, all forms of exploitation, loss of inheritance, and stigma and discrimination.
Monitoring and evaluation are generally weak, and in the minority of countries where M&E is being done, results are not applied to policy formulation and planning. Ideally, countries should establish one agency responsible solely for M&E of OVC.

During the course of project implementation, MAPs can play an important role in helping government’s work toward the ideal policy framework outlined in the self-assessment tool. In addition to helping governments improve policies, MAPs have an important role to play in financing specific interventions that improve the lives of OVC. The interventions described in the sub-sections that follow are some examples of interventions the MAPs could help finance to better serve OVC.

Child Needs Asessment Toolkit

The Framework for the Protection, Care and Support of Orphans and Vulnerable Children Living in a World with HIV and AIDS

OVC Programme Effort Index - Draft Report

The Cost-Effectiveness of Six Models of Care for Orphan and Vulnerable Children in South Africa

Reaching Out to Africa’s Orphans: A Framework for Public Action Executive summary.

Education and HIV/AIDS - ensuring education access for orphans and vulnerable children : a training module [NB! Heavy!]

Education and HIV/AIDS: A Window of Hope [NB! Heavy!]

Investing in our Future, Psycho Social Support for Children Affected by HIV/AIDS

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