COMMUNITY-LED IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS (CLIPs) Integrated HIV, TB and Malaria Community-Led Monitoring (HTM–CLM) Project

Organization: Consortium of Christian Relief and Development Association (CCRDA)
Type: Institutional Partnership (Non-employment)
Location: Oromia Region (North/Central, East/South, West/Southwest Clusters), Dire Dawa City Administration, Harari Regional State

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

CCRDA, under the Global Fund GC7 RSSH Grant, is implementing the Integrated HIV, TB, and Malaria Community-Led Monitoring (HTM–CLM) Project.

The project strengthens community systems to:

• Improve quality of HIV, TB and malaria services
• Strengthen accountability and responsiveness
• Support evidence-based service improvement
• Enhance meaningful community participation

PURPOSE OF THE CALL

CCRDA invites qualified Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Community-Led Organizations (CLOs), and grassroots networks to apply for competitive selection as Community-Led Implementing Partners (CLIPs). CLIPs will coordinate and lead community-led monitoring implementation at woreda and community levels.

KEY DEFINITIONS

Community-Led Implementing Partners (CLIPs)

CLIPs are selected grassroots CSOs, strong CBOs, or consortia of community organizations competitively designated to lead and coordinate Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) activities within assigned geographic clusters in collaboration with CCRDA.

CLIPs will:

• Coordinate CLOs, CBOs, and community volunteers
• Manage CLM implementation at woreda level
• Serve as the primary community implementation structure under CCRDA coordination
• Support CLM data collection, reporting, and community feedback mechanisms
• Facilitate community engagement platforms at woreda and health facility levels
• Strengthen accountability and responsiveness within HIV, TB, and malaria service delivery systems

Community-Led Organizations (CLOs)

CLOs are community-owned and community-governed groups led by members of the communities they serve, especially populations affected by HIV, TB, malaria and related conditions.

Examples:

• PLHIV associations and networks
• TB survivors associations and networks
• Key population-led networks
• Youth-led accountability groups

Community-Based Organizations (CBOs)

CBOs are locally operating organizations serving defined communities, often with formal or semi-formal recognition, engaged in community development and health-related interventions.

Examples:

• Woreda-level youth and women’s associations
• Local committees working on HIV, TB, malaria
• Community health education groups

3.4. Grassroots CSOs

Grassroots CSOs are small, locally rooted civil society organizations operating at woreda or kebele level and actively engaged in community service delivery, advocacy, social accountability, and community mobilization.

This includes CSOs working directly with:

• malaria-affected and endemic communities
• people living with or affected by HIV and TB
• TB survivors and HIV survivor support groups
• vulnerable and underserved populations at community level

These organizations typically maintain close relationships with local communities and play an important role in strengthening community participation, accountability, and access to essential health services.

GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE

A total of five (5) CLIPs will be competitively selected:

• Oromia Region – 3 CLIPs
  • North/Central Cluster
  • East/South Cluster
  • West/Southwest Cluster
• Dire Dawa City Administration – 1 CLIP
• Harari Regional State – 1 CLIP

Final allocation will depend on evaluation results and organizational capacity.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Selected CLIPs will:

• Coordinate CLM implementation across assigned woredas and clusters
• Supervise and support CLOs, CBOs, community volunteers, and local monitoring structures
• Ensure quality, timely, ethical, and accurate CLM data collection and reporting
• Strengthen community participation and engagement in HIV, TB, and malaria service monitoring
• Facilitate client exit interviews, community feedback mechanisms, and social accountability platforms
• Lead woreda-level CLM coordination forums and community coalitions
• Support identification, documentation, and escalation of service delivery gaps and community concerns
• Promote community-driven evidence generation for health service improvement
• Collaborate closely with health facilities, woreda health offices, and CCRDA coordination structures
• Ensure safeguarding, confidentiality, and ethical handling of community and health-related data
• Submit timely reports, updates, and implementation feedback to CCRDA coordination structures

SELECTION PROCESS

Selection of Community-Led Implementing Partners (CLIPs) will be conducted through a transparent, competitive, and merit-based process coordinated by CCRDA. The process will include the following stages:

1. Eligibility Screening: Review of submitted applications and supporting documents to determine compliance with minimum eligibility requirements.
2. Technical Evaluation: Assessment of organizational experience, community presence, operational capacity, CLM experience, safeguarding commitments, and overall technical suitability.
3. Organizational Capacity Assessment and Verification: Verification of organizational structures, governance systems, community networks, operational presence, and implementation capacity through document review and/or follow-up validation.
4. Final Selection and Cluster Assignment: Final selection of CLIPs based on overall evaluation results, geographic coverage, organizational strength, and cluster-specific implementation needs.

CCRDA reserves the right to request additional information, conduct clarification meetings, or adjust cluster allocations based on programmatic and operational considerations.

Evaluation Criteria (Indicative Weights)

Applications will be evaluated using the following indicative criteria and scoring weights:

• Program Experience – 25%: Relevant experience in community health, HIV, TB, malaria, CLM, social accountability, or related programming areas.
• Community Presence & Reach – 20%: Strength of operational presence, woreda-level engagement, and geographic coverage within target communities.
• Data Management Capacity – 20%: Capacity for data collection, reporting, documentation, digital tools utilization, and information management.
• Community Networks Strength – 15%: Established relationships and coordination mechanisms with CLOs, CBOs, volunteers, peer groups, and grassroots structures.
• Inclusion & Safeguarding – 10%: Commitment to safeguarding, PSEAH compliance, non-discrimination, ethical engagement, and inclusion of vulnerable populations.
• Governance & Structure – 10%: Organizational governance, management systems, reporting structures, and overall institutional capacity.

Final scoring and selection decisions may also consider geographic balance, implementation feasibility, and cluster-specific operational needs.

IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS

• CLIPs are community implementation and coordination partners and are not fund-holding entities under this arrangement.
• Engagement with selected CLIPs will be based on activity implementation, coordination, and community mobilization support aligned with approved project plans.
• Selection and engagement under this call do not establish funding partnership or an employment relationship with CCRDA.
• Operational support may include facilitation of approved implementation-related costs such as local transportation, communication and coordination expenses, community engagement facilitation, meeting and mobilization support, and limited implementation logistics support, as applicable.
• All implementation activities will be carried out in close coordination with CCRDA and relevant local health structures.
• CLIPs will be expected to comply with CCRDA operational procedures, safeguarding standards, and reporting requirements throughout the implementation period.

SAFEGUARDING & COMPLIANCE

All partners must comply with:

• PSEAH standards
• National health data confidentiality
• Anti-fraud and donor compliance requirements
• Ethical community engagement principles

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must demonstrate the following minimum qualifications and capacities:

• At least three (3) years of experience in community health, public health, social accountability, or related community-based programming
• Strong operational presence and engagement at woreda and/or community level
• Established community networks, including CLOs, CBOs, peer groups, volunteers, or grassroots structures
• Demonstrated capacity in data collection, documentation, reporting, and community feedback processes
• Experience working across multiple woredas or broader geographic coverage areas (preferred)
• Commitment to inclusion, non-discrimination, safeguarding, and ethical community engagement principles
• Willingness and capacity to comply with Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH) standards and donor compliance requirements
• Ability to collaborate effectively with communities, health facilities, woreda health offices, and CCRDA coordination structures
• Basic organizational and coordination capacity, including communication and community mobilization systems