1.INTRODUCTION

The Operational Plan for Tanzania Mainland National Multisectoral HIV Monitoring and Evaluation System Volume 1 (1 July 2006 to 30 June 2012) provides detailed guidance for implementing all-important facets of the Tanzania National Multisectoral HIV M&E System (HIV-MES). This plan is a recipe book for ensuring that a fully functional M&E system can provide high quality data for analysing and strategically steering the national response to HIV and AIDS.

2.MANDATE AND RATIONALE FOR THE HIV-MES

The inception of Tanzania National HIV Policy, establishment of the Tanzania Commission for AIDS in 2001, and the development of the Tanzania National Multisectoral Strategic Framework on HIV&AIDS (NMSF) have created a solid basis on which to mount an efficient and effective response to HIV.

The NMSF places a strong focus on not only mounting a national response to HIV, but also monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency with which the national response is being implemented. In terms of M&E, the NMSF and the Tanzania National Policy on HIV&AIDS stipulate:

• That the responsibility for national level monitoring and evaluation rests with TACAIDS as one of its main functions;
• The main indicators that should be used to track the goals of the NMSF;
• That organisations at regional, district and community levels have a responsibility to include the national level data requirements in their own monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems;
• That all organisations are required to report progress to TACAIDS on a quarterly and annual basis;
• That TACAIDS will prepare annual report to communicate progress made to stakeholders;
• That information about progress with the national HIV response would be disseminated once a year at national and district level stakeholders' forums (section 6.4.4 of NMSF 2003-2007; and Policy statement 10.5 (f) of the Tanzania National Policy on HIV&AIDS).

Assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of the national HIV response (i.e. progress made with achieving the goals in the NMSF) is one of main reasons why the HIV-MES is necessary. It is also a statutory mandate for TACAIDS to monitor and evaluate the national HIV response and to have data on the extent and scope of HIV interventions on the Tanzania Mainland. Furthermore, the vast number and diverse of actors involved in the national HIV response require a system that ensures that data are collected, processed and analysed in a systematic and coordinated manner. It would also specify how and on what all these different actors need to report to TACAIDS in order for TACAIDS to measure the achievement of the NMSF goals. Also, the evolving nature of the HIV epidemic and the response to it, requires a well structured system with responsive indicators so as to enable TACAIDS and its partners to detect the changes in the spread of the epidemic, changes in the response to the epidemic and then to take appropriate action, in terms policy planning and resource allocation.

3.GOAL AND OBJECTIVES OF THE HIV-MES

The goal of the HIV-MES is to use relevant and comprehensive evidence provided in a timely manner in HIV-related planning and decision-making.

The objectives of the HIV-MES are to:

• To ensure an enabling environment for HIV monitoring and evaluation
• To harmonize existing national and sub-national M&E systems and functions, including data
• To produce accurate data on the achievement of the objectives of the national HIV response
• To promote the use of available HIV&AIDS information for planning and decision making
• To strengthen the national capacity for HIV&AIDS related research and development
• To assess to what extent Tanzania mainland has mounted a comprehensive and relevant HIV response of appropriate scale, and to identify what should be done in future to improve it.
• To review the progress, achievements and challenges of the National Response, and to draft a new NMSF

4.THE MAIN COMPONENTS OF THE HIV-MES

The HIV-MES is based on the 3rd of Three Ones principle which was adopted by UNAIDS and its partners in 2003, one country level M&E system. The HIV-MES consists of:

• An M&E Unit at TACAIDS to coordinate the implementation of the M&E system;
• Core M&E system documentation (a National HIV M&E Framework, an HIV M&E Operational Plan, a national set of TOMSHA Output Monitoring
• Guidelines, Supervision and Data Auditing Guidelines and a National HIV M&E Road Map);
• One national set of HIV indicators that contains a sub-set of internationally agreed upon indicators;
• Strategic information flow from sub-national to national levels (routine reporting of non health and health related HIV data), and back to sub national levels (dissemination of information products);
• An information management system to capture, analyse, manage and store information about biological surveillance, behavioural HIV surveillance, routine data, financial data and the socio-economic impact of HIV;
• Regular supervision and data auditing of those that have submitted routine data; and Harmonised capacity building in HIV M&E.

5.PURPOSE OF THE M&E PLAN

This M&E Plan is one of the four sets of documentation that make up the national set of HIV-MES documentation. Its purpose is to define:

• The conceptual basis on which the HIV-MES was built;
• A national set of HIV indicators for the national HIV response, based on the goals of the NMSF
• All data sources that are necessary to provide indicator scores for the national set of HIV indicators; Which information products TACAIDS and its partners will periodically produce to report the progress made;
• How TACAIDS will disseminate information products to all HIV stakeholders; and
• How TACAIDS and its partners will manage the M&E System, so as to ensure that the system remains fully functional and sustainable.

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