Strengthening Laboratory Governance & Leadership through Implementation of the Global Laboratory Leadership Programs (GLLP)

Background

The Global Fund’s Strategic Initiatives (SI) are an opportunity to provide support to implementation of country grants in line with the Global Funds objectives of the 2017-2022 Strategy. The overall objective of the Service Delivery Innovation strategic initiative (SDI SI) is to support better service delivery for the HIV, TB and Malaria (HTM) through more strategic and innovative health systems strengthening approaches for better health outcomes. The goal of the SDI SI laboratory and health security component is to ensure the Global Fund investments in laboratory systems and service are more strategic and impactful by providing “hand-held” mentorship support to unravel gaps in laboratory systems, introducing innovations and ensuring laboratory networks and systems operate effectively, efficiently and are sustainable for impact against HTM and capable of responding to global health security threats . To achieve the objective of the SDI- SI laboratory and health systems component, the following three strategic activities will be implemented:

(i)  Provide high quality mentorship that is driven by country demand, and that encourages implementation of innovative strategies to strengthen lab systems and services

(ii)  Strengthen laboratory governance through implementation of the Global Lab Leadership Program (GLLP)

(iii)  Supporting updating of a global repository of laboratory tools to serve as an information portal regarding product development and tools accessible to all countries

This Request for Proposals covers the second activity of the SDI SI laboratory component whose objective is to strengthen laboratory governance and leadership across the national tiered laboratory network. The Global Fund in collaboration with key partners is proposing to support implementation of the Global Laboratory Leadership Program (GLLP). The GLLP is a competency-based two-year learning program developed through a partnership of WHO, US-CDC, APHL, E-CDC, FAO and OIE, that encompasses the one health approach. The GLLP is based on nine critical core competencies (Laboratory system, Leadership, Management, Communication, Quality management system, Biosafety and biosecurity, Disease surveillance and outbreak investigation, Emergency preparedness, Response, recovery and Research) and combines pre-training work, with face-to-face/virtual learning and on-the-job assignments and projects that are supported by mentoring.

Through the SDI-SI Laboratory Component, a modified version of the GLLP that focuses on selected core competencies whilst extending the on the job projects will be implemented in AIDS, TB and/or Malaria priority districts and /or regions that are poorly performing on HTM program targets, due to weak laboratory services and systems. The Ministry of Health selected laboratory leaders will be expected to pursue training and competency in three mandatory GLLP competency-based training modules to include laboratory management, leadership and systems. In addition, each country will have the option to select an additional elective core competency module. The abridged GLLP will also encourage implementation of innovative strategies to scale up service delivery during implementation of tailored on the job projects linked to national level diagnostic key performance indicators (KPIs). The GLLP implementation is aligned with the Global Fund New Funding Mechanism 3 (NFM3) planned to start from January 2021 to December 2023.