Civil Society Organizations - also known as non-governmental organizations - are critical actors in the advancement of universal values around human rights, the environment, labour standards and anti-corruption. As global market integration has advanced, their role has gained particular importance in aligning economic activities with social and environmental priorities. Civil society organizations have been an integral part of the Global Compact since its creation. Their perspectives, expertise and partnership-building capabilities are indispensable in the evolution and impact of the Global Compact. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have an important role to play in spearheading the community response against HIV/AIDS as clearly stipulated in the National Multisectoral Strategic Framework (2003 - 2007 & 2008 - 2012). The Non Government Organisations (NGOs), Faith Based Organisations (FBOs) and Community Based Organisations (CBOs) in particular, can mobilise, empower and support communities to respond effectively to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

On 31st December 1999, His Excellency President William Mkapa announced that HIV/AIDS was now a National Disaster and urged the government, religious leaders, and political leaders including CSOs to take new measures to awaken the nation to fight HIV/AIDS. Everyone must ask what they have done to make a positive contribution in fighting the pandemic and if they could do more and On 30th December 2005, His Excellency President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, on inaugurating the fourth phase Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania stressed the importance of prevention by saying “HIV/AIDS pandemic has adversely affected the government delivery of services and it has decimated the national human resource base" Almost every Tanzanian now knows about HIV/AIDS, its effect and the means to protect oneself from infection. Yet, too many people do not yet comprehend the gravity of the situation more public education and sensitization need to be provided.

CSOs are close to the community, can respond to community needs and offer their services in time to reduce the magnitude of HIV/AIDS within the community if they work hand in hand with respective LGAs.

The National Multi Sectoral Strategic Framework (NMSF) on HIV/AIDS (2003-2007) for Tanzania, recognises that Civil Society Organisations have a very important role to play in mobilising and strengthening the competence of communities to live up to the challenges and threats of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and to develop appropriate responses.

For this reason the NMSF requires Local Government Authorities to create or strengthen existing partnership that will help to support the improved capacity of communities to respond more effectively to HIV/AIDS. However for many Councils, the lack of adequate information regarding the number of CSOs, their capacity (strengths, weaknesses) and interests has frustrated their efforts to strengthen collaboration with CSOs. To address this limitation TACAIDS in collaboration with GTZ Multi sectoral AIDS Control Component (MACC) developed and piloted the use of Civil Society Mapping and Capacity Assessment tools.

This tool enables the council to undertake a process to develop an inventory of CSOs, and assess their interest and capacity in supporting communities to strengthen their capacity to combat HIV/AIDS. In 2003, TACAIDS organised to adopt to use this tool by LGAs countrywide.

TACAIDS shared this tool at a National Facilitators' Workshop it organised in November 2004 and later in 5 zonal workshops it organised in December 2004 using the cascading approach. Participants to these workshops were drawn from 121 Councils from all over the country. CHACs were among the participants.

A workshop to review the lessons learnt from both the zonal training workshops held in December 2004 and other previous CMAC trainings found that CSO tools help to generate the right information on CSOs, but they needed to be made more user friendly. In response to this finding, TACAIDS organised a workshop to refine the Tool in Morogoro on January 2005.

In May 2005, a joint GTZ and TACAIDS team pre-tested the CSO tools that had undergone significant changes during the refinement. The pre-testing of these tools was done with some of the CSOs at Mbeya Rural district and Mbeya Municipality. The feedback received was used to further refine the tools and has helped to make them clearer particularly to CSOs.

Since April 2005 Regional Facilitating Agencies (RFAs) adopted the tool and started using it for mapping and capacity assessment of CSOs. The process has the following major steps:

1. Introduction of the Mapping and Capacity Assessment process at regional levels.
2. Conducting Council Directors workshop
3. Selection and training of the Assessment team
4. Fact sheet Distribution to CBOs, NGOs and FBOs & collection Preliminary screening of CSO fact sheet
5. Field visits of AT members to selected CSOs
6. Analysis of field visit information collected from CSOs and Ranking
7. Consideration of recommendation by CMAC on CBOs, NGOs and FBOs to be invited to the
Workshop on proposal writing
8. CBOs and NGOs/FBOs workshop on proposal writing
9. Assessment of CBOs and NGOs/FBOs proposals.
10. Consideration on Recommendations by CMAC on CBOs, NGOs & FBOs for funding.

The following is the product of Mapping and Capacity Assessment process at regional levels as done by the Regional Facilitating Agencies (RFAs) in Tanzania Mainland.