Preparing a successful Global Fund grant application in a lockdown

As part of Ghana’s grant application to the Global Fund, the Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate (PPMED) of the Ghana Health Service needed to develop a proposal for a $16 million health systems strengthening grant. In March 2020, the team nimbly responded to the imposition of lockdown in Accra (following the COVID-19 outbreak in Ghana) by pivoting from the planned in-person proposal development process to a completely online process.

The AMP Management Partner supported the team to effectively plan and develop the proposal, including transitioning to online collaboration and productivity tools during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Task teams were each responsible for developing different components of the proposal, and more than 60 stakeholders (representing government agencies, funders, and civil society) were identified and consulted at the different stages of the process.

Working together in new ways challenged the team to draw on a range of leadership and management skills including change management, resilience, stakeholder engagement, teamwork, influencing, and negotiation.

Following a stringent review and negotiation process, the Global Fund approved the proposal. This will unlock crucial new resources to strengthen Ghana’s health system through improved supply chain management, health management information systems, public financial management, human resources, integrated service delivery, and laboratory systems.