Community Systems Strengthening Framework

This 81-page document outlines the concepts, history, and perimeters of the Community Systems Strengthening Framework (CSS). As argued here, the Framework is primarily intended to strengthen civil society engagement with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, with a focus on HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria. It outlines the development approach taken, which according to the authors seeks to ‘bring balance back to health care and puts families and communities at the hub of the health system'. The document identifies the Six Core Components of Community Systems (CSS) Frameworks as: • Enabling environments and advocacy; • Community networks, linkages, partnerships and coordination • Resources and capacity building • Community activities and service delivery • Organisational and leadership strengthening • Monitoring & evaluation and planning The Framework, according to the authors, was developed in collaboration with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) , the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Bank, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and a range of other stakeholders including the United Nations Development Programme in Burkina Faso, and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in Tanzania, among others. Key aspects addressed within the CSS Framework include collaboration with community organisations in: • increasing access and adherence to treatment; • development of health service performance assessment guidelines; • and the need for joint development of partnership frameworks between communities and health services and other services. According to this document, the CSS Framework is flexible and adaptable for different countries and contexts. And within this framework, community systems are regarded as being both complementary to and linked with health systems. The document further outlines, in some detail, each of the following: • Key terms of the Community Systems Strengthening Framework • What is community strengthening and how does it contribute to health outcomes • The core components of a functional community system and suggested service delivery areas for each • Monitoring, advocacy, communication, and social mobilisation • Human resources, skills building for service delivery, and advocacy and leadership • Financial and material resources • Management and accountability • Development of indicators • And other useful resources