Introduction  

This Foundational Disciplines toolkit presents a range of concepts, methods and tools for reviewing and integrating HIV into UNDP supported country programs and approaches to solving problems that are likely to be encountered. As HIV and AIDS is one of the fundamental issues impacting on the continent most of the examples used in explaining these tools and methods relate to this field. They could equally be applied to an environment such as risk or disaster management or to any other development sphere.

This toolkit has been developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It has been designed to complement the face-to-face and facilitated training for United Nations volunteers, UNDP country and regional policy advisors and key government partners in Africa.

The purpose of this toolkit is to provide participants with basic concepts in organizational learning and change, systems thinking, strategic thinking and planning so as to facilitate a clear understanding of the interlocking challenge of HIV and AIDS, poverty and disaster, with the view of developing policies, strategies and actions that will enable countries in the region to meet their national development goals. At the core of this toolkit is a better understanding of mainstreaming of HIV and AIDS into development efforts at regional, national and sub-national level.

The toolkit consist of several units. You can choose your unit using the left hand menu bar. Each unit has:

  • Objectives: These outline the purpose of the unit and detail what you should be able to do once you have completed it.
  • A task: This is an activity for you to try with colleagues or on your own. It is intended to focus your attention while you move through the content.
  • Resources: This is basic resource information to support you in completing the task. This is the bulk of the unit content and includes text, diagrams and interactive elements. The interactive elements require Flash Player version 6 or later. This player can be downloaded free of charge from the Internet.
  • A print summary: This a summary of the unit which is a pdf file that can be easily read on screen or printed out as a reference. You will need Acrobat Reader to open it. This programme can be downloaded free of charge from the Internet.
  • A presentation: This is the slide show presentation used in the facilitated face-to-face workshop session. It opens in the browser, which you can then save and open in MS Powerpoint and it can be used as a reference or once again printed out as notes. Both of the above can be opened directly via the left hand menu bar.

Units can be covered in any order although the sequence presented below is recommended.

  • Unit 1: Adult Learning: Adults and children learn differently. As an adult on a training programme it is important to reflect on how you learn in order to optimise your training experience. It is equally important to reflect on how what you are learning will be used in your context as an UNV, policy advisor or government partner.
  • Unit 2: Basic Epidemiology of HIV and AIDS and its relevance to mainstreaming: This unit first explains the critical importance of mainstreaming - that is, bringing HIV and AIDS to the centre of the development agenda. It defines what is meant by mainstreaming, both at the conceptual and operational level. In addition, it identifies the key concepts used in HIV and AIDS epidemiology that are linked to the strategy of mainstreaming.
  • Unit 3: Staging of Mainstreaming of HIV and AIDS into development efforts: At each stage of strategic planning HIV and AIDS should be taken into account. This can be done by posing and answering sets of questions which are presented in this unit.
  • Unit 4: Introduction to Systems Thinking: In this unit, we examine the concept of Systems Thinking along with the building blocks upon which it is based.
  • Unit 5: Strategic Thinking: This unit builds on the concept of mainstreaming HIV and AIDS to explore strategic thinking and planning as a method or tool for working in an environment where HIV and AIDS are having a significant impact.
  • Unit 6: Systems Thinking and its Application to HIV and AIDS: In this unit we analyse why Systems Thinking has an important role to play in formulating any overall strategy to combat HIV and AIDS.
  • Unit 7: Applications of Strategic Thinking and Planning to HIV and AIDS: This unit presents a series of tools and methods which can be used during strategic thinking and planning processes. These include the:
    • Supply and demand model;
    • Cross impact matrix;
    • SWOT and PEST analyses;
    • Scenario planning; and
    • Rapid assessment of HIV and AIDS

Additional Resources and Contacts

The following are useful websites for further reading:

The following research and concept documents published by the UNDP may be useful in deepening your knowledge of the African context and of development in Sub Saharan Africa:

Ngido Eutropia, Chwaya Habibu, Pollangyo Kisalli and Msiska Roland (June 2002) An Assessment of UNDP Assistance for a Multi-Sectoral National Response to HIV/AIDS in Tanzania: case study 1 UNDP Regional Project on HIV and Development in sub-Saharan Africa.

Msiska, Roland, (August 2002) Conceptual Shifts for Sound Planning: Towards an Integrated Approach towards HIV/AIDS and Poverty UNDP Regional Project on HIV and Development in sub-Saharan Africa.

van Donk, Mirjam (July 2003) Understanding the link between Development Planning and HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa UNDP Regional Project on HIV and Development in sub-Saharan Africa.

Kamwanga, Jolly, Ndubani Phillimon and Msiska, Roland (February 2003) Disease, HIV/AIDS and Capacity Implications: a case of the Public Education Sector in Zambia UNDP Regional Project on HIV and Development in sub-Saharan Africa.

Bergen Seminar Series (May 2004) Strengthening Democratic Governance in Post-Conflict Situations United Nations Development Programme and Chr. Michelsen Institute

Acknowledgments

The development of the content for this toolkit was made possible by funding from SIDA Regional Office Lusaka. Specific literary and related references are acknowledged in the individual units.

Foundational Disciplines Toolkit - Version 2 English November 2004
For comments and feedback please contact: UNDP Regional Project on HIV and AIDS and Development for Sub Saharan Africa
Content development: UNDP Regional Project on HIV and AIDS and Development for Sub Saharan Africa
Project management and instructional design: Kelello Consulting
CD content production: Reusable Objects (version 1) Neil Butcher and Associates (version 2)


This CD was made possible by: