TECHNICAL SUPPORT FROM THE REGION

The Regional Technical Support Hub was created between Via Libre and Alianza in order to give greater access of high quality technical support as a mechanism that contributes to the response to HIV in the region, with a comprehensive perspective.

The Alliance is internationally recognized for its support to Civil Society, the strengthening of communities, its technical support and the development of tools. Since 2008, technical support is decentralized through six regional Hubs around the world. The Regional Technical Support Hub (CRAT) located in Lima, Peru, is in charge of servicing requirements of technical support in Latin America and Spanish-speaking Caribbean, focused on South-South cooperation.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT SERVICES

The CRAT is in charge of managing technical support services by means of the Alliance world-wide operation protocols for the following:
• Terms of Reference formulation.
• Selection and hiring of high-level consultants
• Monitoring and evaluation of technical support processes and products
• Permanent follow-up to consultants and users of our services with advice and feedback in approaches and contents.

In order to guarantee these processes, the CRAT counts on technical staff, tools and the Alliance global experience. Also, it has a wide international data base of expert consultants in different subjects.

ADVANTAGES OFFERED

The CRAT's technical support offers great advantages:

• Services provided by the CRAT assure the good quality and results of the technical support, thanks to technical and administrative follow-up to consultancy and quality assurance proceedings.
• The technical support focused on to strength and build local capacities in civil society, community, private and public organizations in response to HIV and integration with other areas.
• The CRAT is in charge of related technical, administrative and logistical tasks thus freeing from these tasks those organizations in need of technical support.
• Consultants are mostly from the region and they understand better the context, needs and local and regional reality.

THE ALLIANCE, A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP

The Alliance is a global partnership established in 1993, made of 32 linking organizations, 6 technical support Hubs, one Secretary’s Office located in the United Kingdom and offices in the United States and Belgium. It has presence in more than 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and The Caribbean.

During 2008, the Alliance reached more than 2.3 million people providing services related to HIV. In Latin America and The Caribbean the members of the Alliance are: Colectivo Sol (Mexico), Corporación Kimirina (Ecuador), Instituto para el Desarrollo Humano (Bolivia), Vía Libre (Peru), Caribbean HIV/AIDS Alliance (English-speaking Caribbean) and Promoteurs Objectif ZeroSida (Haiti). Also, it has a regional representative in Argentina.

VIA LIBRE, A COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSE

Vía Libre is the Linking Organization of the Alliance in Peru, it was created in 1990, and is in charge of managing the CRAT for Latin America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean.

Via Libre provides comprehensive health services (focus on HIV and STIs), does research clinical work and health prevention/promotion, and is one of the executor of the Global Fund in Peru.

Via Libre is an active member of the LACCASSO Regional Council, founding member and part of the Directive Council of Red Sida Peru, and has signed the Good Practices Code for NGOs participating in HIV response.

MAIN AREAS

The CRAT develops its technical support services in a flexible way according to the needs of each organization, in collaboration with other players; we have identified some priority areas, which do not exclude other action fields:


• Organizational development
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Strategic planning
• Partnerships and alliances
• Mobilization and resource management
• Knowledge management
• Advocacy
• Capacity building
• Project development and management with the Global Fund
• Health services
• Stigma and discrimination reduction
• Participation of the key population at higher risk.
• Integration of HIV with other subjects: TB, sexual and reproductive health, human rights, work health, gender, among others
• Research