Code of Good Practice

Code of Good Practice: Self-Assessment Tool

Wed, 7 May 2008 13:45:05 BST

A series of self-assessment checklists are currently being developed to help you to measure where your programmes stand in line with Code principles. In completing each module, you should be able to identify areas in your programmes that are already at a good practice level, as well as areas that can be developed and strengthened to meet the Code's principles.

The first four checklists are now available for download:

Mainstreaming HIV:
English, French, Spanish, Russian & Arabic
Meaningful Involvement of People Living with HIV:
English, French, Spanish, Russian & Arabic
Stigma and Discrimination:
English, French, Spanish, Russian & Arabic
Voluntary Counselling and Testing:
English, French, Spanish, Russian & Arabic

You can also download our newest DRAFT modules in English:

Don't forget to send us your Action Plan!
At the end of each self-assessment module you will find a template Action Plan. We challenge you to highlight HOW you will make improvements on your programmes.

If you complete it and submit it to the Code Secretariat you will receive credit as an IMPLEMENTING NGO and full Code signatory!

Code of Good Practice: Home

Wed, 7 May 2008 13:41:14 BST

The NGO Code of Good Practice was developed by NGOs, for NGOs, to help guide our work by providing a framework to which we can commit and be held accountable. Drawing on 20 years of knowledge and experience, the Code sets out key principles, practice and evidence base required for successful responses to HIV.

In an effort to help NGOs put the Code's principles into practice, we are pleased to announce the following NEW RESOURCES:

Self-Assessment Checklists: Download the first four modules to help you assess where your NGO's programmes stand along the lines of good practice.

We also have four new DRAFT checklists for you to use:

There are more checklists in development so check back regularly!

Code of Good Practice: Has you NGO Submitted an Action Plan?

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:00:17 BST

As a signatory to the Code of Good Practice for NGOs Responding to HIV/AIDS, you agreed to complete a self-assessment checklist & submit an Action Plan to the Code Secretariat within 3 months.

Has your NGO submitted an Action Plan?

If not, it's easy:

Simply download the self-assessment checklist that is most relevant to your programmes.
Complete at least one of the checklists & create a short Action Plan that highlights how you will improve your programs in the next year.
Email your Action Plan to the Code Secretariat at melissa.isles@ifrc.org.

The Code will highlight NGOs who complete an Action Plan by:

Sending you a credit as an 'Implementing' NGO and a full signatory of the Code!
Mailing you an official certificate with your new status!
Emailing you a new logo that you can use on your website & communication materials to promote your new status!
Highlighting you on our website as an Implementing Organisation.

So what are you waiting for - get started on your Action Plan today!

Code of Good Practice: Project Governance

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:48:59 BST

In 2007, the Code Project entered into a new, implementation phase with the aim of supporting signatories to put the Code's principles into practice.

The Code Project is currently governed by a Steering Committee of six organisations:

	Represented by Madhu Deshmukh, Director of AIDS Unit
	Represented by Dr. Kevin Moody, International Coordinator
	Represented by Sumita Banerjee, Senior Program Officer
	Represented by Mr. Bernard Gardiner, Unit Manager, Global HIV/AIDS Unit (Host organisation)
	Represented by Abdelkader Bacha, Associate Director: Global Alliance Services
	Represented by Kevin Osborne, Senior HIV/AIDS Advisor

Code of Good Practice: Code Resources

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:09:16 BST

Whether you use the Code as a tool for the implementation and evaluation of your programs, to inform your organisational structure, or as a framework for collaborative partnerships, our new tools can help you incorporate the Code into your every day work.

The NGO Code of Good Practice
You can download the full Code of Good Practice for NGOs Responding to HIV/AIDS in English, French, Spanish, Russian & Arabic (Mandarin coming soon)

You can also download the Code by Chapter:

Awareness Tools
Use these easy-to-download tools to share the Code with your colleagues, partner NGOs and the communities that you work with!

Self Assessment Tool
Wondering where to start? Download our self-assessment checklists today.

Code of Good Practice: Awareness Materials

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:57:40 BST

Download these materials to raise awareness of the Code among your colleagues and community:

Executive Summary Brochure:

A list of the Code's principles:

English
French
Spanish
Russian
Arabic (coming soon)

The Code Banner

Signatories can use this banner on your websites or email. Right click and go "Save Target As" or on a Mac control-click select 'Save Link As' on the link below.

HIV Code Banner

Code of Good Practice: About the Code

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:23:15 BST

The Code of Good Practice for NGOs Responding to HIV/AIDS was developed by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), for NGOs, drawing on the knowledge and experience gained since the response to HIV began.

The Code sets out the key principles, practice and evidence base required for successful responses to HIV with the aim of:

assisting NGOs to improve the quality and cohesiveness of our work and our accountability to partners and beneficiary communities
fostering greater collaboration between the variety of NGOs now actively engaged in responding to the AIDS pandemic
renewing the 'voices' of NGOs responding to HIV by enabling us to commit to a shared vision of good practice in programming and advocacy

This Code can be used to inspire organisational change; provide a framework for collaborative partnerships; and inform the development, implementation and evaluation of evidence-informed programmes and advocacy.

The Code's principles are aspirational. In endorsing the Code, NGO's commit to continuous improvement and accountability.

What does the Code say? Read the Introduction in Chapter 1 or download the Executive Summary.

Code of Good Practice: Programming Principles

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:22:02 BST

This section provides good practice principles to guide:

HIV programming, including prevention; voluntary testing and counselling; treatment, care and support; and addressing stigma and discrimination; and
mainstreaming HIV within development and humanitarian programmes.

The principles in this section relate to services, programmes and advocacy work (the term ‘programmes' is used to encompass all three). Given the wide diversity of programming work undertaken by NGOs, different good practice principles will be applicable to different organisations.

Click here to download the Code's Programming Principles (Chapter 4) in PDF format.

PROGRAMMING PRINCIPLES:

HIV Programming

Our HIV programmes are integrated to reach and meet the diverse needs of PLHIV and affected communities.
Our HIV programmes raise awareness and build the capacity of communities to respond to HIV.
We advocate for an enabling environment that protects and promotes the rights of PLHIV and affected communities and supports effective HIV programmes.
We provide and/or advocate for voluntary counselling and testing services that are accessible and confidential.
We provide and/or advocate for comprehensive HIV prevention programmes to meet the variety of needs of individuals and communities.
Our HIV prevention programmes enable individuals to develop the skills to protect themselves and/or others from HIV infection.
Our HIV prevention programmes ensure that individuals have access to and information about the use of commodities to prevent HIV infection.
We provide and/or advocate for comprehensive harm reduction programmes for people who inject drugs.
We provide and/or advocate for comprehensive treatment, care and support programmes.
We enable PLHIV and affected communities to meet their treatment, care and support needs.
We enable PLHIV and affected communities to understand their rights and respond to discrimination and its consequences.
We monitor and respond to systemic discrimination.
We enable communities to understand and address HIV-related stigma.
We foster partnerships with human rights institutions, legal services and unions to promote and protect the human rights of PLHIV and affected communities.

Mainstreaming HIV

We review our development and humanitarian programmes to assess their relevance to reducing vulnerability to HIV infection and addressing the consequences of HIV.
We work in partnerships to maximise the access of PLHIV and affected communities to an integrated range of programmes to meet their needs.
We design or adapt development programmes to reduce vulnerability to HIV infection and meet the needs of PLHIV and affected communities.
We ensure that our humanitarian programmes reduce vulnerability to HIV infection and address the needs of PLHIV and affected communities.
Our programmes for orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV (OVC) are child-centred, family- and community-focused and rights-based.
We advocate for an environment that supports effective mainstreaming of HIV.
We advocate for an enabling environment that addresses the underlying causes of vulnerability to HIV.

Code of Good Practice: Organisational Principles

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:21:13 BST

Organisational principles guide how we do our work. These principles demonstrate, with a greater degree of specificity, our commitment to the guiding principles set and provide the foundation for effective programming. Please note that some of these good practice principles apply specifically to your work and others do not.

Click here to download the Code's Organisational Principles (Chapter 3) in PDF format.

THE PRINCIPLES:

We foster active and meaningful involvement of PLHIV and affected communities in our work.
We build and sustain partnerships to support coordinated and comprehensive responses to HIV.
We have transparent governance and are accountable to our communities/constituencies.
We have a clear mission, supported by strategic objectives that are achieved through good management.
We value, support and effectively manage our human resources.
We develop and maintain the organisational capacity necessary to support effective responses to HIV.
We manage financial resources in an efficient, transparent and accountable manner.
We select appropriate partners in a transparent manner.
We plan, monitor and evaluate programmes for effectiveness and in response to community need.
Our programmes are non-discriminatory, accessible and equitable.
We advocate for an enabling environment that protects and promotes the rights of PLHIV and affected communities and supports effective programming.
We plan, monitor and evaluate advocacy efforts for effectiveness and in response to community need.
We undertake and/or advocate for adequate and appropriate research to ensure responses to HIV are informed by evidence.
We work to scale up appropriate programmes while ensuring their quality and sustainability.
We develop and maintain community ownership and organisational capacity to support scaling up of programmes.
We monitor and evaluate programmes that are scaled up.

Code of Good Practice: Guiding Principles

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:20:05 BST

Human rights, public health and development provide the overarching framework for the NGO Code of Good Practice. These principles are then applied in specific terms both to how we do our work and to what we do.

Core values: The motivation for, and commitment to, responding to HIV is underscored by core values that guide both what we do and how we work. At the centre of our work is our commitment to:

valuing human life
respecting the dignity of all people
respecting diversity and promoting the equality of all people without distinction of any kind, such as sex, race, colour, age, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, physical or mental disability, health status (including HIV), sexual orientation or civil, political, social or other status
preventing and eliminating human suffering
supporting community values that encourage respect for others and a willingness to work together to find solutions, in the spirit of compassion and mutual support, and
addressing social and economic inequities and fostering social justice.

These values are common to our work as NGOs in responding to HIV, whether we are HIV, health, development, human rights or humanitarian NGOs. Many of these same values also find expression in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Click here to download the Code's Guiding Principles in PDF format.

THE PRINCIPLES:

We advocate for the meaningful involvement of PLHIV and affected communities in all aspects of the HIV response.
We protect and promote human rights in our work.
We apply public health principles within our work.
We address the causes of vulnerability to HIV infection and the impacts of HIV.
Our programmes are informed by evidence in order to respond to the needs of those most vulnerable to HIV and its consequences.

Code of Good Practice: Introduction - Chapter 1

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:18:18 BST

HIV is an unprecedented global development challenge, and one that has already caused too much hardship, illness and death. To date, the epidemic has claimed the lives of 20 million people, and over 37 million worldwide are now living with HIV. In 2003, almost 5 million people became newly infected with HIV, the greatest number in any one year since the beginning of the epidemic. AIDS is a crisis that is extraordinary in its scale. To stand any chance of effectively responding to the epidemic, we have to treat it both as an emergency and as a long-term development issue.

Social, cultural, economic and legal factors exacerbate the spread of HIV and heighten the impact of HIV. In almost all cases, poor and socially marginalised people are disproportionately vulnerable to HIV and its consequences. The UN Millennium Declaration, and the goals it sets, highlight the interconnectedness between development goals and the need to address the causes of vulnerability to HIV and its impacts, by alleviating poverty through sustainable development, the promotion of gender equality and access to education. The overwhelming burden of the epidemic is borne by developing countries, where the vast majority of the people most affected by, and vulnerable to, HIV do not have access to even a basic set of HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services and programmes.

In this way, the Code seeks to help NGOs to:

Download Chapter 1 in PDF format.

Code of Good Practice: Tiered Endorsment Process

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:45:57 BST

The Code has developed a tired system for NGOs to recognise signatories as they move forward on intergrating the Code into their work. The process is as follows:

Endorsing NGO: An organisation that has endorsed the Code's principles and is committed to utlising the Code in their programmes.^

All signatories of the Code can use this logo on their own materials, publications & website. Just email the Code (info@hivcode.org) for a copy.

Implementing NGO: An organisation that can demonstrate it is putting the Code principles into practice. Signatories must complete at least one self-assessment checklist and submit an Action Plan, or reference the Code in an organisational strategic document.

Code Champion: An organisation that can actively demonstrate use of the Code in its daily work or ‘champions' the Code in its community, with other NGOs, at conferences - the possibilities are endless!

Note: In order for a signatory to reach the next tier, you must first contact the Code Secretariat and demonstrate that you have taken the necessary steps to meet the necessary criteria.

Code of Good Practice: Africa Regional Hub

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:25:06 BST

Code of Good Practice: Mainstreaming HIV

Mon, 7 Apr 2008 11:31:57 BST

The term mainstreaming HIV refers to adapting development and humanitarian programmes to ensure they address the underlying causes of vulnerability to HIV infection and the consequences of HIV. The focus of such programmes, however, remains the original goal (for example, improving household incomes or food security, or raising literacy rates).

This definition of ‘mainstreaming HIV' and considers its inter-relationship with HIV programming. Mainstreaming HIV is a learning process that requires changing attitudes, developing skills and understanding the effects of HIV in communities in order to adapt development and humanitarian programming to respond effectively.

Mainstreaming requires organisational changes as well as changes to programming. In relation to the organisational changes necessary to support effective mainstreaming, see Organisational Principles. This section focuses on mainstreaming HIV in development and humanitarian programmes.

THE PRINCIPLES:

Code of Good Practice: Development Programming

Mon, 7 Apr 2008 11:26:04 BST

We design or adapt development programmes to reduce vulnerability to HIV infection and meet the needs of PLHIV and affected communities.

HIV is having a major impact on household food security, nutrition, and livelihoods, most visibly in high-prevalence countries. Household food security declines as HIV-related illness and death affects agricultural production, transmission of knowledge about farming practices, availability of labour and seasonal employment opportunities for labourers. Food availability decreases through falling production; food access declines due to loss of income; and food utilisation is compromised because of changes in the type and quantity of food consumed. As food consumption declines, malnutrition increases. Malnutrition inhibits immunity to disease and increases the likelihood of opportunistic infections among PLHIV.

The need for food can lead to the sale of productive assets, undermining long-term food security; encourage families to withdraw children, especially girls, from school; and result in coping strategies that increase the risk of HIV transmission, notably migration for work and selling sex. The common impact is a decline in income, savings and livelihood opportunities that can increase household and community vulnerability. The impact on individual households depends on a variety of factors, such as economic status, size of the household, which members are ill, and the strength of social networks and support.

We need to ensure that development programmes:

reach households where there are limited employment options, where food supplies are insecure and/or income-generating capacity is affected by HIV-related illness or death, and where there is reduced productivity due to increased burden of care, and/or changes in family composition, including grandparent-, women- and child-headed households
support the capacity of individuals, households and communities to be resilient in the event of ill health, including strategies such as building up protective assets and preserving and investing in family and community relationships
develop and promote technologies and approaches that address changes in labour and other resources
facilitate the transfer of traditional and institutional knowledge about life skills and livelihoods across generations
assess the wider effects of HIV, beyond the household, to address the impacts on social systems, human capital, infrastructure, environment and other community assets, and
track changes in vulnerability over time as households and communities respond and adapt to the impact of HIV, and respond accordingly.

Different kinds of development programme can be adapted to respond to the ways that HIV has affected the lives of individuals, families and communities. The following are some examples.

Agricultural programmes have a vital role to play in reducing vulnerability to HIV and its impacts among rural communities. Several studies have found that agricultural outputs fall by up to 50 per cent in AIDS-affected households, not only decimating earnings, but also leading to a reduction in land under cultivation, the forced sale of productive assets and loss of knowledge as families revert to subsistence crops.

NGOs providing agricultural programmes need to:

develop and promote labour-saving agricultural technologies
promote appropriate diversification of crop production, including introduction of new, appropriate technologies that match the labour and nutrition needs of the affected households, and
ensure that PLHIV and affected communities have access to appropriate credit, tools and knowledge, such as transfer of customary and institutional knowledge about agricultural practices and skills across generations.

Adjustments to agricultural programmes may include:

use of threshing machines, mills, wheelbarrows and carts to reduce demands on labour-constrained households
tools and techniques that are better suited to young, elderly or weak people
livestock that is better suited to vulnerable households in producing quick returns and aiding accumulation of assets, such as rabbits and chickens, which are easier to look after and reproduce more rapidly
composting, mulching and applying manure and ashes from the burning of crop residue to increase production, without the use of expensive chemicals
locating production outside the home, including in kitchen gardens, and
intercropping to reduce weeding work.

Micro-finance projects or savings and credit schemes can help households to increase their income and build up assets, so as to reduce their vulnerability to HIV and to address its consequences. NGOs providing micro-finance and micro-credit schemes need to consider how these schemes can be adapted to meet the needs of PLHIV and affected communities, without compromising the sustainability of such initiatives. Approaches to doing so may include:

flexibility in rules governing schemes and allowing for breaks within the savings and credit cycle while retaining membership
introducing rules to protect the savings of married women, which may otherwise be acquired by their husbands' relatives if they are widowed
enabling household members to take on responsibility for, or take over, loans if the original member becomes ill or dies, and
setting up a simple community bank so that people excluded from credit schemes because they are too economically vulnerable can save money and, in time, gain access to the credit facilities of the micro-financing scheme.

The dual challenges of HIV and unsafe water and sanitation predominantly affect poor and marginalised populations, particularly women and girls and PLHIV. Collecting water can make woman and girls vulnerable to sexual violence. Lack of water can force women and girls to exchange sex for access to resources. Water and sanitation issues also affect PLHIV, as unsafe water and food often cause diarrhoea, which hastens the progression of HIV-related disease. Access to safe and adequate water is also essential for people taking medicines.

Adjustments to water and sanitation programmes to address access to and safety of water for PLHIV and affected communities may include:

establishing a management role in water and sanitation projects for women's groups, particularly widows and other marginalised women, and making them the caretakers of water points, with appropriate incentives for their time
establishing a safety net to ensure access for the poorest households, who cannot afford to pay for access
establishing community mobilisation strategies around access to safe water, including addressing misconceptions about contamination of water with HIV and raising awareness among all community members about the rights of PLHIV and affected communities, particularly women and girls, and their access to facilities
establishing mechanisms for reporting and handling complaints regarding access
placing latrines and water points appropriately to reduce risk of sexual violence
involving PLHIV and women's groups in the promotion of point-of-use safe water treatments
ensuring safe water strategies and education in all clinic- and community-based HIV programmes, including home-based care of PLHIV, and ensuring safe water and hygiene education in all antenatal care, and that HIV-positive mothers who choose formula feeding have access to safe water.

Code of Good Practice: Reviewing Development and Humanitarian Programmes

Mon, 7 Apr 2008 11:25:11 BST

We review our development and humanitarian programmes to assess their relevance to reducing vulnerability to HIV infection and addressing the consequences of HIV.

The nature of development and humanitarian work means that all the people with whom we work are likely to be vulnerable to HIV and its consequences to some extent. However, a sharper focus on how HIV and AIDS have changed the context for development and humanitarian work is needed, to enable the expertise of development and humanitarian NGOs to be bought to bear in responding to the causes and consequences of HIV.

Development and humanitarian NGOs need to explore and understand the way HIV and AIDS affect people's daily lives: in income-generating activities such as agriculture, trading or holding a job; in household activities such as raising children, attending school, caring for family members who are ill, and managing one's own illness; and in how people engage in their communities. The increased burden of illness and caring for those who are sick most often falls on women and girls and older family members, such as grandparents. In turn, this affects people's capacity to participate in the community, rendering them invisible and reducing their access to development and humanitarian programmes. Poverty escalates as the result of illness or death of an income-generating family member. Changes in household composition, such as child-headed, female-headed or grandparent-headed households, may mean that programmes need to be targeted differently or ways of working need to be adjusted in order to reach those who need them and address their particular needs.

Humanitarian NGOs need to understand the nature of vulnerability to HIV infection and the implications of HIV in emergency settings. Emergencies involve an array of factors that affect vulnerability to HIV infection and compound the affects of HIV:

poverty and social instability affect the cohesion of families and communities, often weakening social norms that regulate behaviour
women and children are at increased risk of violence, and can be forced into having sex to gain access to basic needs such as food, water and sanitation
displacement can bring populations, each with different HIV prevalence levels, into contact with one another
health infrastructure may be stressed, affecting access to basic care for PLHIV and affected communities, and
poor infection control, lack of availability of condoms and the presence of military forces, peacekeepers or other armed groups can contribute to increased transmission rates.

Mainstreaming HIV is a learning process that requires development and humanitarian NGOs to understand:

how HIV and AIDS change the context for their programming and affect the nature of their work
whether and how programmes may reduce or inadvertently increase vulnerability, and
how specific programmes can respond to vulnerability to HIV and its impacts, given the particular expertise of NGOs.

Community research is vital to understanding the way in which HIV and AIDS affect people in a given context. We need to involve PLHIV and affected communities, including families, partners, dependants and carers of PLHIV, in participatory assessment to understand and respond to unmet needs, and in the design, implementation and evaluation of programmes that are adapted to meet identified needs.

Code of Good Practice: Orphans and Vulnerable Children

Mon, 7 Apr 2008 11:24:22 BST

Why do we use the term ‘orphans and children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS'?
Children are affected by HIV in a multitude of ways, and not only when a parent dies of AIDS. There are increasing numbers of children living with sick or dying parents. Children are often required to drop out of school to provide care or generate an income for the family. Many children affected by HIV are excluded, abused and subjected to stigma and discrimination.

Our programmes for orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV are child-centred, family- and community-focused and rights-based.

Programmes for orphans and children made vulnerable by HIV (OVC) are often a hybrid of both HIV and mainstreaming approaches. This section illustrates the use of a human rights approach to programming and the need for partnership approaches that involve different types of expertise in addressing the vulnerability of a particular population group to HIV and its consequences.

Rights-based approaches to programming for OVC are guided by the principles set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The principles in the CRC include:

the right to survival, wellbeing and development
non-discrimination (see Access and equity)
giving primacy to the best interests of the child in all actions regarding him or her
fostering participation of children, including the right to express their views freely in all matters affecting them, the right to freedom of expression, and freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds
protecting children from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, and
protecting children from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child's education, or to be harmful to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.

OVC programmes need to:

involve children and young people as active participants
increase the capacity of children and young people to meet their own needs, through access to quality education, protection from exploitation and developing the skills to care for themselves
recognise that families and communities are the primary social safety net for OVC and strengthen community-based responses, including engaging leaders in responding to the needs of OVC
support parents living with HIV to fulfil their parenting role, including succession planning for children
strengthen the caring capacity of families and communities to protect and care for OVC by provision of economic, material and psycho-social support and development of life skills of children, parents and carers (see Treatment, care and support)
ensure that OVC have access to essential services, including birth registration, schooling, health and nutrition services, safe water and sanitation, and appropriate placement services for those without family or community care
support children facing stigma and discrimination to cope with and respond to their situation (see addressing stigma and discrimination)
pay particular attention to the roles of girls and boys and women and men, including addressing gender roles and norms that affect the vulnerability of women and girls to HIV and its consequences
build and strengthen partnerships with governments, donors, the public sector and the full range of NGOs to coordinate responses, and develop responses that are sustainable and capable of replication to meet the long-term needs of OVC.

Code of Good Practice: Addressing Vulnerability

Mon, 7 Apr 2008 11:18:58 BST

We advocate for an enabling environment that addresses the underlying causes of vulnerability to HIV.

We need to advocate for review and reform of laws and policy to ensure:

gender equity for women in accessing credit and income-generating activities and property ownership
universal birth registration
protection of the inheritance rights of orphans and widows
protection of access to land, natural resources, services, and credit for PLHIV and affected communities
protection of children against neglect and abuse (physical, sexual and emotional)
prohibition of exploitative and harmful child labour
availability and accessibility of social welfare support
regulation of institutional facilities caring for children, including locating family and community-based care as soon as practicable
access to education for both girls and boys, especially for girls[i] (see discussion on education below), and
appropriate placement and guardianship of children who lack adequate adult care.

HIV is spreading fastest among young women aged 15-24. Improving access to education for girls and boys can make a powerful contribution to reducing vulnerability to HIV infection and the impacts of HIV, both directly and indirectly. The UN Millennium Declaration recognises that universal access to primary education and equal access for girls and boys to all levels of education are vital in making the right to development a reality. Literate women are four times more likely than illiterate women to know the main ways to avoid HIV. Education also accelerates behaviour change among young men, making them more receptive to prevention messages and more likely to adopt condom use.

NGOs working to improve access to, and quality of, education need to advocate for:

a diverse range of educational opportunities, including vocational training to enhance income-generating opportunities
education that enables individuals to develop life skills that will enhance their capacity to reflect on problems, find solutions, make decisions and acquire skills to earn a living
strategies to ensure that educational environments are non-discriminatory, that they challenge gender roles and norms and that they encourage changes in attitudes and behaviour that affect the vulnerability of women and girls
strategies to ensure that educational environments do not expose pupils to vulnerability to HIV infection, including implementation of policies and procedures for universal infection control and the prevention of sexual exploitation
strategies to address exclusion of children vulnerable to HIV and its impacts, including reducing fees and the cash costs of school attendance, and flexible programming to enable children with competing responsibilities to attend
creating incentives for school attendance, such as provision of meals
integration of HIV prevention within the curriculum, including information on sexual health and HIV transmission, and effective referral to HIV programmes to address the needs of children and young people living with and affected by HIV.

Code of Good Practice: Effective Mainstreaming of HIV

Mon, 7 Apr 2008 11:16:08 BST

We advocate for an environment that supports effective mainstreaming of HIV.

It is critical that global resource mobilisation for the HIV response provides additional resources, and that resources are not merely shifted from development work to HIV programming or vice versa. Resources for sustainable development initiatives need to be expanded in order to support mainstreaming of HIV, just as additional resources are required for HIV programming. To bring this about, we need to contribute to creating an environment where there is a common understanding about what mainstreaming HIV means and how it can best be achieved.

Given that mainstreaming HIV is evolving and evidence of its effectiveness is still limited, it is often difficult to mobilise different sectors to mainstream HIV within their core business or raise additional resources to support mainstreaming. However, there are also factors that give impetus to advocating for the need for mainstreaming HIV, including:

a growing recognition that HIV work alone does not address the underlying causes of vulnerability to HIV and its effects
the fact that in countries worst affected the impacts of HIV are impossible to ignore, and
recognition that mainstreaming HIV draws on the existing expertise and capacity of different sectors that can and should be applied to addressing HIV and its impacts through their core business.

We can contribute to creating and sustaining an environment that supports mainstreaming HIV by:

learning by doing, sharing experiences and improving capacity to monitor and evaluate mainstreaming initiatives
conducting, participating in and/or advocating for research to improve understanding about what is effective
advocating for governments and private and public sector agencies to mainstream HIV within their core business
advocating for mainstreaming within the HIV, humanitarian and development sectors
advocating for transparency in resource allocation to ensure additional resources are provided for mainstreaming of HIV and for specific HIV programming, and
advocating for inclusion of mainstreaming HIV within strategic national AIDS frameworks.

Code of Good Practice: Humanitarian Programming

Mon, 7 Apr 2008 11:13:33 BST

We ensure that our humanitarian programmes reduce vulnerability to HIV infection and address the needs of PLHIV and affected communities.

Increasingly, attention is being directed to addressing vulnerability to HIV infection and the effects of HIV in emergency settings, including natural crises such as droughts and earthquakes, as well as situations of armed conflict. Humanitarian work in emergency settings has much in common with development work, where programmes address the water and sanitation, food security, housing and healthcare needs of people who are not displaced from their homes.

The Inter-Agency Standing Committee's Guidelines for HIV/AIDS Interventions in Emergency Settings (the Guidelines) utilise a range of strategies to address vulnerability and the effects of HIV/AIDS, including HIV-specific responses such as making condoms available, integrating HIV within sexual health and wider primary health programmes and mainstreaming HIV (for example, taking HIV into consideration when planning water and sanitation facilities).

The Guidelines provide detailed guidance for considering the HIV dimensions of emergencies in the preparedness phase, minimum responses in the midst of emergencies and comprehensive responses in the stabilised phase, in each of the following sectoral responses:

coordination
assessment and monitoring
protection
water and sanitation
food security and nutrition
shelter and site planning
health
education
behaviour change communication and information, education and communication (IEC), and
HIV in the workplace.

The extent to which it is possible to mainstream HIV in an emergency setting depends upon the stage of the emergency. In the emergency preparedness phase, depending on the different role of NGOs, preparation for an effective response to HIV in emergencies should include:

developing indicators and tools for assessing HIV risk and vulnerability in a given context
including HIV in humanitarian action plans and training relief staff on HIV, gender and non-discrimination
protecting and promoting the human rights of PLHIV and affected communities, including minimising the risk of sexual violence, exploitation and HIV-related discrimination, and
planning interventions, developing resources and training staff on the special needs of PLHIV and affected communities in each of the areas of sectoral response outlined above.

The Guidelines provide minimum standards for responses in the midst of emergency and comprehensive responses for the stabilised phase of emergencies, in relation to each of the sectoral responses outlined above. Different aspects of each of these responses can be adapted to respond to the ways that HIV has affected the lives of individuals, families and communities in emergencies. The following are some examples.

Targeting food aid to HIV-affected households is complex, given that the vast majority of people in developing countries are not aware of their HIV status, both because of a lack of availability of testing and fear of testing due to the stigma associated with HIV. When providing food security and nutrition programmes, food aid needs to reach PLHIV and affected communities and the nutritional needs of PLHIV need to be addressed. In order to do this, we need to:

target food-insecure individuals, regardless of their HIV status, paying attention to female-, child- and elderly-headed households, families supporting OVC and families caring for chronically ill persons
ensure food aid does not increase stigmatisation when provided to PLHIV and affected communities
plan food baskets that accurately reflect the dietary and nutritional needs of PLHIV, including adequate intakes of energy, protein and micronutrients essential to coping with HIV and fighting opportunistic infections, and
strengthen community capacity to respond to the needs of PLHIV and affected communities, including ensuring access to programmes designed to address long-term food insecurity.

Sites in emergencies may take the form of dispersed settlements, mass accommodation in existing shelters or organised camps. When planning sites and providing shelter, we need to consider safety and access issues for PLHIV and affected communities, including:

layout of shelters and location of, and access to, facilities that reduce the physical risks for women and girls, such as separate toilet blocks for men and women, and
layout of shelters and location of, and access to, facilities that address the vulnerability of separated children, especially girls and female-headed households, PLHIV and/or those with chronic health conditions.[v]

When providing health programmes, NGOs need to integrate HIV prevention and ensure access to basic health care for PLHIV and those vulnerable to HIV and its consequences, including:

ensuring access to basic health care for PLHIV and those vulnerable to HIV and its consequences
ensuring a safe blood supply and implementation of universal infection control
securing condom supplies, together with effective condom distribution and appropriate information for their effective use
ensuring comprehensive management of STIs, reducing their incidence by preventing transmission through safer sex promotion and treating curable STIs to reduce their prevalence
ensuring appropriate care for people who inject drugs, including risk reduction information and access to needles and syringes
ensuring safe and clean delivery of babies, and managing the consequences of sexual violence.

Code of Good Practice: Building Partnerships for Integrated Programming

Mon, 7 Apr 2008 11:03:18 BST

We work in partnerships to maximise the access of PLHIV and affected communities to an integrated range of programmes to meet their needs.

We need to focus on our own unique expertise, while working in partnerships with organisations that can address the needs of PLHIV and affected communities. Effective referral systems and partnership initiatives between HIV programmes and development and humanitarian programmes ensure that PLHIV and affected communities have easy access to the range of services and programmes that are appropriate to meet their needs. Measures to address the material and psycho-social needs of PLHIV and their families, partners, dependants and carers are also considered in the section on Treatment, care and support.

Code of Good Practice: Goals and Objectives

Mon, 7 Apr 2008 10:51:53 BST

The Code's vision is ‘a united and accountable NGO response to HIV, dedicated to continuous improvement, informed by evidence and the needs of affected communities'.

By working toward the principles outlined in the NGO Code of Good Practice, we anticipate that:

People affected by HIV receive better services more responsive to their needs.

NGOs are more accountable to people living with and affected by HIV.
Programs are more effective when they draw on the lived experiences of people with HIV and communities affected by AIDS. When NGOs assess their programs in the context of the Code, they actively inform themselves of their responsibilities to the communities they work with, they identify areas for progress and develop work plans to address issues that arise. This process will have direct and far reaching impacts on the quality of the response, as it opens up meaningful dialogue and consultation between NGOs and their constituencies.
There are positive changes to the policy/funding environment in favor of evidence based programs informed by the needs of affected communities.
By providing advocacy support and working with existing networks, the Code will help to build the capacity of nationally based NGOs to carry out advocacy work. This will result in important changes to the funding and policy environment in favor of evidence-based programs informed by the needs of affected communities.

Code of Good Practice: How to use the Code

Mon, 7 Apr 2008 10:39:03 BST

The principles set out in the Code can be used to guide:

organisational planning
the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes, including advocacy programmes
advocacy efforts to ensure effective scaling-up of our responses to HIV
allocation of resources based on the principles it outlines, and
advocacy efforts to ensure that the essential range of programmes is available where they are needed.

The Code is aspirational. It sets out good practice principles, rather than minimum standards, which we can work towards implementing over time. Signatory NGOs have endorsed all the principles in the Code. However, not all the programming principles are applicable to all NGOs. For example, some will be relevant to development NGOs and others to NGOs working in HIV prevention or treatment, care and support. Signatory NGOs will work to implement the programming principles in the Code relevant to their own work.

You can use this website to search the Code for more information and resources on topics that you are interested in.

Code of Good Practice: Who is it for?

Mon, 7 Apr 2008 10:34:04 BST

All organisations working in the response to HIV are invites to use the Code and sign on as a way of publicly committing to this shared vision.

Endorsing the Code means that you support ALL principles, even if your organization does not deliver a full continuum of services. It demonstrates the commitment to continuous improvement and movement toward best practice principles.

The Code Secretariat provides tools to help NGOs assess where their programmes stand along the lines of Code principles and resources to implement the parts of the Code relevant to their work.

Become a signatory today - Endorse the Code!

Code of Good Practice: Who created it?

Mon, 7 Apr 2008 10:33:10 BST

In 2003, NGOs from around the globe met to re-examine the challenges faced in the HIV response and decided there was a need to support and strengthen commitment to the quality of the NGO response to HIV. Over the next year, the Code of Good issues Practice for NGOs Responding to HIV/AIDS was developed to provide a shared vision of good practice principles to which NGOs can commit and be held accountable.

The development of the Code was overseen by a committee of 16 Steering Committee organisations:

ActionAid International
CARE USA
Global Health Council
Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+)
Grupo Pela Vidda
Hong Kong AIDS Foundation
International Council of AIDS Service Organisations (ICASO)
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
International Harm Reduction Association
International HIV/AIDS Alliance
World Council of Churches

Based on human rights and public health principles the NGO Code of Good Practice draws on lessons learned over the past 25 years. It includes Guiding, Organisational and Programme Principles, with references to the evidence on which the principles are based and relevant tools that are available to support NGOs.

The development of the Code involved extensive global consultation with a wide range of NGOs including development agencies, AIDS specialist groups, networks of people living with HIV, sexual and reproductive health initiatives and faith based organizations. The wide ranging consultation ensured that by the time it was launched 160 international and national NGOs had signed up to the Code.