Continued success in five national malaria programmes

In our 2023 annual report, we mentioned our partnership with National Malaria Programmes (NMP) in the Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Mauritania, Namibia, and the Republic of the Congo, made possible thanks to resources provided by USAID through the Sustaining Technical and Analytic Resources project. AMP Health’s Management Partners (MPs) support the NMPs’ ambitious objectives by working with the team on goal setting and the skills needed for successful grant application (from project scoping and budgeting to delegation, time management, and project management), providing tailored on-the-job training, and hosting in-country workshops for the senior leadership team.  

In line with our dedication to the success of teams beyond the embedded phase of support, our role has shifted increasingly toward facilitating the institutionalisation of leadership and management skills and driving change well into the future. Following the success of our partnerships with various NMPs, several countries have requested a continuation of support beyond the initial partnership period, and in some countries, other teams have also requested a partnership with AMP Health. 

Central African Republic: strengthening leadership, resilience, and data access 

Building on the growth of managerial and strategic planning skills gained by the NMP team in the previous year, we facilitated the strengthening of the NMP team's capabilities in effectively engaging stakeholders and partners, as well as streamlining internal team coordination, collaboration, and transparent communication for the preparation of grant proposals. This effort ensured the team’s timely submission of a high-quality comprehensive grant application to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GF) for Cycle 7 (with the GF serving as a critical partner in providing financial support to CAR's malaria program). The CAR team’s application was approved and awarded in October 2023.  

The MP also coached the team through operational uncertainties caused by the national referendum campaign which enhanced their resilience and problem-solving skills. The CAR team faced challenges with data quality and accessibility due to fragmented systems and incomplete data, hindering informed decision-making and resource allocation. To address this, the MP engaged with the team to promote the value of quality data, facilitating discussions with stakeholders to improve data governance and integration, leading to substantial progress and enhancing the team's capacity for evidence-based decision-making and program management. Of the six partnership objectives for 2023, five were achieved while one remained on track to be achieved.  

2023 team size: 15 | 2024 team size: 15  

Chad: navigating complexity 

Chad’s NMP team achieved significant milestones in 2023, most notably the thorough drafting of its National Strategic Plan (crucial to its ability to apply for funding from the GF) and the successful resolution of fund disbursement delays and other grant implementation bottlenecks. The MP contributed to the support of the NMP team by facilitating discussions among stakeholders, promoting regular coordination meetings both within the team and with partners, and implementing tracking mechanisms to monitor progress.  

This led to improved activity execution, with the team effectively carrying out the seasonal malaria chemoprevention campaign and long-lasting insecticidal nets campaign. The digitisation pilot project of both campaigns was also completed according to schedule. The NMP team’s significant achievements and the importance of effective leadership did not go unnoticed, with the Alliance for Malaria Prevention awarding the team leader the Samuel Juana Smith Leadership Award. 

The enhancements made to the NMP team's ability to communicate promptly and transparently, resolve conflicts, and restructure strategically have cultivated a more cohesive and productive working environment, enabling the team to effectively achieve many of the goals they had set for themselves. Of the nine partnership objectives for 2023, seven were achieved while two remained on track to be achieved. We believe that the Chad NMP team has made sufficient progress to transition to the sustainability phase of AMP Health's support, which commenced in January 2024 after the end of the MP’s tenure in December 2023. 

2023 team size: 40 | 2024 team size: 45 

Mauritania: steering through transitions and growth  

Mauritania’s National Malaria Service team gained eight team members in the last year and was elevated to a fully-fledged NMP, paving the way for increased responsibility and greater resources for the team to conduct its work. Amid rapid team expansion, the MP supported the NMP team in refining the onboarding process. This included promoting the dissemination of the program's vision, mission, and essential documents to new team members; ensuring their comprehensive understanding of this vision and mission; and assisting team leaders with their approach to efficient task delegation.  

In addition, the MP worked closely with the team on their stakeholder management and strategic planning skills. All these efforts ensured an efficient, effective, and successful execution of the 2023 malaria campaigns by the NMP team. Of the 10 partnership objectives set for 2023, three were achieved, six were on track to be achieved, and one was at risk.  

2023 team size: 10 | 2024 team size: 18 

Namibia: building resilience  

Under the MP's guidance, Namibia’s National Vector-Borne Disease Control Program (NVDCP) team has demonstrated remarkable resilience and success. They prioritised team cohesion to elevate morale and strengthen relationships in the face of unforeseen staff turnover and the loss of the director of programs. Additionally, the team focused on enhancing their strategic planning, coordination, and streamlining efforts to ensure the seamless progression of projects. This allowed the NVDCP team to complete their previous strategy’s end-of-term review and formulate their new National Malaria Elimination Strategic Plan ahead of their GF grant application.  

Furthermore, the MP coached the team to enhance their stakeholder management, conflict resolution, communication, and decision-making skills enabling them to effectively navigate challenging discussions with stakeholders and cultivate stronger alignment and collaboration with key partners. This growth ensures the NVDCP team is on a positive trajectory having transitioned to the sustainability phase at the end of 2023. Of the four partnership objectives for 2023, three were on track while one was at risk.  

2023 team size: 6 | 2024 team size: 10  

Republic of Congo: strengthening leadership and bolstering resilience  

Over the past two years, the Congo NMP has experienced significant growth, doubling in size. The introduction of a new team lead last year underscored the necessity for heightened organisational resilience, coordination, and collaboration. The MP collaborated closely with the NMP team to facilitate the onboarding and transition of the new team lead. He coached them in the creation of a comprehensive onboarding structure for incoming team members, in assessing roles and responsibilities to maximise team effectiveness, and in the revision of the team’s Manual of Procedures. These initiatives resulted in streamlined internal processes, reinforced governance practices, and strengthened leadership and management capabilities among department heads. 

Consequently, decision-making, people management, delegation, collaboration, and collective accountability have all been markedly improved. In addition, the NMP team successfully applied for their next GF grant, and were awarded funding support starting in January 2024. With coaching from the MP, the team formulated an innovative communication strategy aimed at disseminating malaria prevention messages by leveraging social media platforms and distributing materials at health facilities to effectively increase the NMP’s visibility and reach the target audience. Of the nine partnership objectives for 2023, four were achieved and five were on track to be achieved. 

2023 team size: 32 | 2024 team size: 35