Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) | 0012020

Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) Grant (PEPFAR - U.S. Embassy Harare) FAQs

1) What is the Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) grant opportunity?

The CLM grant opportunity is a PEPFAR-funded small grants program administered by the U.S. Embassy in Harare. It supports community-led monitoring of HIV treatment services in Zimbabwe by systematically collecting and using client feedback to improve service quality at health facilities.

2) What is the main goal of this CLM program?

The program aims to improve the quality of HIV care and treatment services by gathering real client experiences (quantitative and qualitative), discussing findings with providers and facility managers, agreeing on practical solutions, and tracking improvements over time.

3) How does community-led monitoring work under this opportunity?

Trained community members use standardized tools to collect information about how HIV services are experienced at health facilities. The findings are then brought into structured discussions with facility leadership and providers to identify problems, agree on corrective actions, and monitor progress routinely and continuously.

4) What types of improvements is CLM expected to support?

The opportunity is designed to strengthen access to and delivery of quality HIV care and treatment by boosting health literacy, encouraging people to seek services, supporting demand creation (especially for HIV testing services and viral load testing), and increasing accountability within the health system.

5) Is this opportunity national or limited to certain locations?

The program is national in scope but grounded at the provincial and facility level. PEPFAR aims to support at least one CLM initiative in each of Zimbabwe's 10 provinces, while coordinating results nationally.

6) What is the Advocacy Core Team (ACT) and what does it do?

ACT coordinates results at the national level. It will convene a national CLM steering committee and serve as its secretariat, working alongside PEPFAR, the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC), and the National AIDS Council (NAC).

7) How will national coordination and oversight happen?

A key feature is quarterly national-level review of feedback coming in from stakeholders (including CLM small grant recipients). This helps identify recurring barriers to HIV treatment uptake and persistent service delivery problems that need system-level attention.

8) What service areas are grantees expected to monitor?

Monitoring is expected to cover multiple parts of the HIV service experience using standardized tools, including:

• HIV testing services (HTS)
• HIV treatment services (with particular attention to retention and viral load)
• Provider perceptions and practices
• Overall client satisfaction

9) Are grantees supposed to duplicate existing PEPFAR or health system data collection?

No. The opportunity specifies that monitoring should use standardized tools without duplicating routine data already collected by PEPFAR or the health system.

10) What does the grant mean by "routine and continuous" monitoring?

It means the monitoring is not intended to be a one-time exercise. The program emphasizes ongoing collection, discussion, and follow-up so improvements can be sustained and tracked over time.

11) What are the key deliverables for funded organizations?

Deliverables described in the opportunity include:

• Collecting and documenting facility- and community-level challenges using standardized tools
• Conducting monitoring across HTS, treatment, provider attitudes/practices, and client satisfaction
• Running or supporting demand creation activities for HTS and viral load testing
• Participating in existing facility feedback structures (such as health center committees)
• Helping establish feedback meetings where none exist
• Conducting site-level advocacy, including use of social contracts with duty bearers
• Sharing results monthly with PEPFAR and other stakeholders, including actionable recommendations
• Participating in regular coordination meetings (monthly with the PEPFAR CLM Task Force and quarterly with the national steering committee)

12) What tools or models are mentioned for use in this CLM program?

The opportunity references defined models and tools, including a community scoping tool, a community treatment observatory model and related instruments, and a digital app that produces scorecards and dashboards for analysis and presentation.

13) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants are registered, Zimbabwe-based, not-for-profit entities whose work centers on HIV programming and community engagement.

14) What types of organizations are specifically included as eligible?

The notice includes examples such as local community-based organizations and civil society groups, networks representing key populations, people living with HIV, people with disabilities, traditional community groups, faith-based organizations, and public or private educational institutions.

15) Who is not eligible to apply?

PEPFAR-funded implementing partners or sub-awardees that currently provide site-level service delivery are not eligible. This restriction reflects the intent to keep monitoring independent from service delivery implementers.

16) What registration or presence requirements apply to eligible organizations?

Applicants must be formally registered with the Government of Zimbabwe, have a track record of successful program implementation, and maintain an established office in the province of application for at least 12 months prior to submission.

17) Can an organization apply to cover more than one province?

Yes. Organizations may apply to cover more than one province.

18) If applying for multiple provinces, can an organization receive multiple awards?

No. The notice states that an organization can receive only one CLM award.

19) What is the award type and maximum funding amount?

The funding is provided through a grant instrument, with an award ceiling of $25,000.

20) Approximately how many awards are expected?

The notice indicates an expectation of around 15 awards.

21) Which U.S. government entity is offering/administering this opportunity?

The opportunity is listed under the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Mission to Zimbabwe, administered by the U.S. Embassy in Harare.

22) What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?

The notice lists CFDA 19.029.

23) When was the opportunity originally posted and when did it originally close?

The original posting date is October 23, 2020, and the original closing date is November 20, 2020. The notice also indicates it would be posted on other platforms for 45 days.

24) How must applications be submitted?

Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov.

25) What U.S. government registrations are required to receive an award?

Organizations must have a unique entity identifier (DUNS/FUNS as referenced in the notice) and maintain an active SAM.gov registration.

26) Are there standard federal forms required in the application package?

Yes. The required standard forms listed are SF-424, SF-424A, and SF-424B.

27) What should applicants know about compliance and eligibility screening?

Applicants are expected to follow posted instructions closely. The notice warns that non-compliant proposals can be ruled ineligible. It also advises starting Grants.gov and related registrations early because validation can take weeks.

28) How are applications reviewed and scored?

Applications are reviewed by a technical review panel and a Grants Review Committee using a point-based scoring system that emphasizes both program quality and organizational readiness.

29) What are the scored evaluation criteria and point weights?

The notice describes these criteria and weights:

• Quality and feasibility of the CLM implementation concept (25 points)
• Organizational capacity and grants management history (25 points)
• Program planning and likelihood of achieving objectives (15 points)
• Budget quality and realism (10 points)
• Monitoring and evaluation plan (15 points)
• Sustainability and collaboration (10 points)

30) What does "quality and feasibility" focus on in the scoring?

It emphasizes clarity on where monitoring will occur and how inclusive it will be.

31) What does the organizational capacity criterion look for?

It considers staffing expertise, internal controls, financial management, banking, and past performance managing international funding.

32) Does the review favor proposals that work through smaller community groups?

Yes. Under program planning and likelihood of achieving objectives, the notice gives positive consideration to proposals that sub-grant to smaller neighborhood groups.

33) What is expected in the budget section?

The budget is scored for quality and realism, with attention to detailed justification and cost-effectiveness.

34) What is expected in the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan?

The M&E plan should include indicators, milestones, timing of measurement, and (if applicable) how sub-awards will be monitored.

35) What does sustainability and collaboration mean in this notice?

It includes the ability to continue beyond one year and evidence of effective partnerships with national stakeholders such as MOHCC, NAC, UNAIDS, the Global Fund, and USG entities.

36) How often must grantees share results with PEPFAR and stakeholders?

The deliverables specify sharing results monthly with PEPFAR and other stakeholders, along with actionable recommendations.

37) What coordination meetings are grantees expected to join?

Grantees are expected to participate in monthly sessions with the PEPFAR CLM Task Force and quarterly meetings with the national steering committee.

38) How is the program designed to ensure feedback leads to change rather than complaints?

The grant emphasizes structured dialogue between community representatives and facility leadership, jointly agreed solutions, and follow-up actions that can be tracked over time.

39) What is the contact email for direct questions about the opportunity?

The point of contact provided is PEPFAR-Harare-CLM@state.gov.