Welcome to The Synergy Project APDIME Toolkit
Version 2.0!
The Synergy Project APDIME Toolkit was developed
to help public health specialists and program managers improve the Assessment,
Planning, Design, Implementation Monitoring,
and Evaluation of HIV/AIDS interventions. The APDIME Toolkit Version
2.0 has been updated with additional new tools and resources organized
into five interrelated modules that represent the five phases of the programming
cycle. Each module contains a step-by-step methodology for conducting
that phase of the cycle and acts as an index for related materials and
resources.
Who
can use the Toolkit?
This Toolkit is for managers and technical specialists who are responsible
for planning, designing, and managing HIV/AIDS programs in resource-poor
countries. While anyone can learn from the Toolkit, the text assumes that
readers are familiar with the nature of HIV/AIDS and its impact on individuals,
households, communities, and nations. It also assumes that users are operating
as members of an organization or team. Some steps in the HIV/AIDS programming
cycle are the same for organizations working at the community, district,
national, and international levels, and in all types and stages of the
HIV/AIDS pandemic. On the other hand, many choices and directions will
depend on the size, type, and mandate of the organization. Users can select
and adapt the resources most appropriate to their needs.
How to use the Toolkit
There are three ways to use the APDIME Toolkit:
- As a Roadmap: Click on the stages and steps of the modules most relevant to your current activities, and then scan through the text for information and tools.
- As a Search for Resources: Use the SEARCH function and go directly to materials in the Toolkit or use the Toolkit Library to browse annotated citations of all of the material used in researching the Toolkit.
- As a Guide: Just follow the stages and steps that The Synergy Project uses when it provides technical assistance on HIV/AIDS programming. First, review the Key Questions (see below) and determine where you are in the programming cycle. Then, read the Overview section of the module that best represents your needs. Read the stages and steps for that segment for more details of how to implement the programming process.
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The APDIME Toolkit also provides links to several types of additional resources. Links include:
[LINKS]
Publications and other source material. Most of these materials also are
available directly from the authoring organizations.
[TOOLS] Budget
templates, case studies, and checklists designed or adapted for the Toolkit.
[LINKS to Cross-cutting issues] Brief
overviews or explanations of issues and themes relevant to all stages
of the programming cycle.
[I-Links] Links to websites of relevant
organizations and projects where users can seek additional contacts and
materials.
What
is The Synergy Project?
The Synergy Project is a contract funded by the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) and implemented by Social & Scientific
Systems, Inc. (SSS). The mandate of The Synergy Project is to provide
technical assistance to USAID Missions and Bureaus in the design, monitoring,
and evaluation of their HIV/AIDS programs; to support USAID’s management
and coordination of its HIV/AIDS programs; and to identifiy, synthesize
and disseminate lessons learned from global HIV/AIDS programs. By sharing
information and strengthening coordination, SSS helps USAID to improve
the quality, sustainability, and impact of HIV/AIDS programs, contributing
to achievment of USAID’s global health objectives. SSS staff design
and conduct Synergy Project activities in collaboration with USAID and
its other HIV/AIDS projects, drawing on the research and training skills
of Synergy’s subcontractor and partners in the University of Washington’s
Center for Health Education and Research (CHER), and a network of experienced
consultants around the globe.
How
was the Toolkit developed?
Under Synergy’s
mandate to identify, synthesize, and disseminate lessons learned in HIV/AIDS
programming, we distilled our years of experience in the design and management
of HIV/AIDS programs into the stages and steps of the APDIME cycle. Meanwhile,
Synergy’s research and training experts at CHER collected and reviewed
more than 2,500 published and unpublished resources from around the world.
These materials were organized into modules.
All materials in the Toolkit are protected by copyright laws. We have included materials from a variety of sources and have clearly cited the publishing organization and the Web address where available.
How
to contribute to the Toolkit
We welcome contributions from global HIV/AIDS
specialists and our USAID-funded partners.
Send
your ideas, recommendations, and resource materials to
Info_Toolkit@s-3.com
The
Synergy Project under USAID contract HRN-C-00-99-00005-00.
July 2004
