About Us

The MOF through the Project Management Unit has established Finance Section that has complement staff of Five people Finance Manager , Senior Accountant, Compliance Officer and one Accountant to work closely with all the Sub Recipients.

The Finance Management Section of the PMU is responsible for ensuring effective and efficient use of Global Fund grants in high impact HIV and AIDS, and TB interventions. The Section is responsible for timely submission of disbursement requests to Global Fund and the subsequent receipt and disbursement of grants to SRs. On a day-to-day basis, the Section facilitates utilization, recording, accounting and reporting of the grants by PMU and SRs.

To achieve this, the section maintains Financial Management System that is capable of tracking, documenting and reporting financial services from both the supply and demand sides. For the next five years, the Section will strengthen its capacity in financial management, accounting, and auditing of the Global Fund grants and funding received from other donors.

The Section will facilitate internal and external financial audits of both the PMU and SRs. All audits will be carried out in line with the policy guidelines provided by Global Fund and the Government of Lesotho. Where necessary the Section may initiate an independent audit of an SR’s financial records if PMU’s view is that the SR is not adequately managing or is having problems with managing the grants.

Data generated from the financial management reports, including audits will be used in the first instance for finding solutions and strengthening the capacity of SRs and PMU to manage funds properly and secondly for reporting to the Global Fund and the Government of Lesotho.

The PMU currently has an M&E dedicated staff consisting of an M&E manager and M&E Officers. These personnel are dedicated to meeting GF M&E requirements, including:

The core business of the M&E section of the PMU is to monitor and report on individual grants performance. This implies a systematic monitoring, collection, analysis, compilation and dissemination of strategic information and data in the form of prescribed reports. The sub recipients have the primary responsibility for monitoring and collecting data, while PMU has the responsibility of ensuring that sub-recipients have the necessary capacity and tools, and equally understand what data needs to be collected, when and how. PMU is also responsible for data verification based on SR reports. Data verification is necessary to ensure data accuracy and reliability. A clear identification of indicators and targets is a pre-requisite.

PMU will work with partners to ensure that data collected is consistent, complete and comprehensive. Data reporting will use standardized reporting tools. Efforts will be made to use existing tools rather than creating new ones where such tools exist. PMU will work with appropriate institutions to develop and implement short training courses in M&E.

PMU will continue to support efforts to generate, utilise and share strategic information and knowledge on HIV and AIDS, and TB programmes

The Programme Management Section has three primary functions. First to ensure

Effective and efficient implementation of the Global Fund Grants disbursed to the sub recipients.
That non-health works, goods and services necessary for grants implementation are procured on time.
Improve Public awareness of Global Fund supported programmes

To achieve these functions the Section has the responsibility to facilitate the sub recipients capacity development necessary for planning, implementing, monitoring and reporting on activities they have received funding for from the Global Fund. In doing so, the Section will support SR to comply with the Global Fund and national guidelines, policies and procedures for grant management and implementation.

The Section will support the LCCM in the application of new grants, consolidation, re-programming or closure of existing ones. In particular the Section will facilitate the assessment of SR, conclusions of SR grants agreements and subsequent grants disbursements to SR.

4.a Programme Management

The Programme Management section has the overall responsibility to ensure that SRs have the necessary capacity to plan, implement, monitor and report on the grants. However other PMU sections that have the comparative advantage and technical expertise in financial management, monitoring and procurement are responsible for undertaking the relevant capacity development.

The Programme Management Section facilitate SR access to technical assistance, transfer of skills, knowledge and experiences, and promote the application of best practices. In collaboration with the other sections, the Programme Management Section will continue providing SRs with updates on new and emerging technologies, strategic information, effective strategies that has the potential to improve grant performance.

The Programme Management Section being the Programme Coordination section of the PMU is strategic in providing leadership in the overall grants management. In ensuring efficiency it will be necessary to realign some of the internal operations and linkages with other sections and in particular Supply Chain Management (SCM), and some of the functions (assets management) currently under The Finance Management Section.

4.b Communication

The Communication unit is responsible for both internal and external communication and advocacy on the PMU work and for creating broad public awareness and understanding of the nature and support provided by Global Fund.

It is expected to work with all the other sections in developing, compiling and disseminating reports. While the technical quality of the reports is the responsibility of other relevant sections, the Communication is expected to provide inputs in terms of overall design, editing and packaging of those reports.

For purposes of reporting PMU is expected to produce quarterly and annual reports, in addition to other grant specific reports. Quarterly services coverage and progress reports will be produced using routine monitoring data. The annual report will be a synthesis of the quarterly progress reports.

4.c Procurement of non-health works, goods and services

The processes for procuring non-health works, goods and services process are articulated in the Operational Policies and Procedures Manual (OPPM-2013). The section will be responsible to ensure that these policies and guidelines are followed.

Lesotho is in the process of assessing the capacities of sub recipients for approval by the Global Fund as procurement entities. Once this process is completed the role of PMU will be to ensure that the appropriate processes are followed and that the sub recipients adhere to policies and guidelines by Global Fund and the Government of Lesotho. PMU will also strengthen the capacity of SR to undertake procurement.

It is anticipated that the new approach to procurement will lessen the workload at PMU and address challenges ranging from institutional capacity and arrangement, quality assurance, delays in procurement processes and delivery, storage, distribution, poor quantification, to usage monitoring.

PMU will strengthen internal and external procurement systems to leverage economies of scale identify strategies to achieve best value for money, and improve coordination between the SRs and suppliers to ensure goods and services are available when they are needed.

The Supply Chain Management section provides technical support to MOH in the procurement and supplyof pharmaceuticals and health related commodities procured with funds from Global Fund.

A key role of PMU is to ensure that procurement is premised on good practices and in particular based on the principles of competitiveness, transparency, fairness, consistency, accountability, integrity and value for money. Procurement follows guidelines and policies provided the Government of Lesotho. These include GF Procurement and Supply Management Guidelines, The Global Fund Quality Assurance Policy for Pharmaceutical production (Amended in 2009) and conform to national processes stipulated in the Government of Lesotho Public Procurement Regulations (2007).

Global Fund have assessed and approved the Ministry of Health as a procurement entity. The procurement of pharmaceuticals and other health commoditiesare initiated by the MOH and procured through NDSO. While the procurement process is guided by, national laws and policies, it also adheres to Global Fund policies and guidelines, especially with regard to quality assurance of pharmaceuticals and other prescribed health products. These policy documents also suggests how PR can reduce cost inefficiencies, ensure the reliability and security of the distribution system.

The PMU has four functional sections i.e. Programme Management, SCM, M&E, Finance, and Administration.

The structure is intentionally lean to promote operational effectiveness and efficiency. The core functions are premised on the understanding that PMU is not an implementing organisation, and neither a coordinating structure for the national multisectoral response. This coordination role is the mandate of NAC. However, PMU coordinates the implementation of the Global Fund supported projects that contribute to the national response.

The purpose of the organisational structure below is mainly to articulate and clarify institutional and sectional linkages, reporting and accountability lines. In order to improve efficient operations at the PMU, it is necessary to review the current organisational structure to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. The suggested changes are included in the organ gram below.