EHA - STRC

Analysis suggests that focused and uniform strategies are required to develop the capacity of TI partners to ensure the quality of intervention in order to saturate coverage of core target populations. To build the capacity of partner NGOs of the State AIDS Control Societies, NACO has developed detailed guidelines for working with core and bridge populations to ensure uniform structure in targeted intervention throughout the nation. These guidelines need to be put into action through a significant capacity building effort. To further the goals of NACP III, NACO has decided to identify competent organizations/training institutes to become ‘State Training and Resource Centers” (STRC) in all the states of India .In the year 2008, about 20 such potential STRC were selected through a fair means by calling for expression of interest.

The selection criteria for organization setting up STRC should have the following qualifications:

• Local presence in the state/region
• The STRC will be selected from existing training institutes with proven track record of providing high quality training, and adequate infrastructure and experience in building the capacities of institutions/organizations/NGOs/CBOs in the social/development sector.
• The organization must have a substantial structure to carry out series of trainings as designed by SACS/DACS and TSU in a professional manner.
• Institutions/organizations should be committed to supporting long term capacity building for SACS and their partners.
•  Experience in health-related research and documentation will be an added advantage
• Experience with HIV prevention among high risk groups (through training or implementation) will also be an added advantage
• Sensitivity towards the marginalized populations to be covered by TIs (e.g., female sex workers, MSMs)

Partnership with Emmanuel Hospital Association:

EHA (Emmanuel Hospital Association) a Delhi based largest Christian health care providers in India with 20 hospitals and 30 community centers, 6 nursing school, 6 HIV/AIDS projects and an active disaster response programmes and 3 rehabilitation projects has its presence in 14 states and union territories of India.

EHA  was selected by NACO to set up STRC, to meet the training needs and to build the capacity of TIs (targeted intervention) of the state of Manipur & Nagaland .Therefore, EHA, upon selection entered into a tripartite contract with the two SACS (Manipur and Nagaland) and NACO with effect from 29th of April 2009 till 28th of April 2010.

EHA- STRC will train 54 TIs SACS partners and Nagaland will carry out trainings for 39 SACS TIs partners. STRC infrastructure is located within CIHSR (Christian Institute of Health Sciences & Research) 4th Mile, Dimapur, Nagaland - 797 112.

Objectives of STRCs:

1. Ensure standardized and high quality implementation of TIs as per NACP III’s technical and operational guidelines. TIs will focus on providing HIV prevention services to the highest risk groups such as MSM, FSWS, IDU, truckers and migrants.
2. Develop a sustainable system for the capacity building of partner Organizations for TIs
3. Codify learning through additional research and develop pedagogy of learning for TI scale up

The STRC are expected to do the following:

1. The training and capacity building of NGOs/CBOs implementing TIs among core and bridge groups through in-house training, concurrent onsite training, etc.
2. Developing learning materials and curricula/pedagogy of learning
3. Development of best practice/learning sites
4. Establishment of a documentation centre on issues related to TIs and undertake operational research by building in-house capacity for evaluating these TIs
5. Form an academic committee members to guide them