What is TBTEAM

TBTEAM (the TB TEchnical Assistance Mechanism) is a global coalition of partners, countries and funding agencies. It aims to build up national capacity and ownership of countries' own technical assistance plans and implementation, and to help countries and international agencies coordinate their technical assistance through a well-organized network of technical partners. It facilitates implementation of the Stop TB Strategy, achievement of the 2015 Millennium Development Goals, and enables the most effective use of Global Fund and other external resources.

Objectives

• to facilitate access to high-quality technical assistance
• to encourage planning at national, regional and global level, but most importantly at national level
• to improve the efficiency of TA by ensuring that needs are met while minimizing redundant TA
• to promote capacity-building at all levels in terms of TA planning and training of consultants according to international standards

Structure

TBTEAM operates at global, regional and national level. Global/Central TBTEAM complements Regional and National TBTEAM, which take the lead on partner coordination, TA planning and identification of funding for TA. Where a National Partnership or similar collaborative entity exists, National TBTEAM functions as a mechanism for TA coordination among these partners.

Progress in 2010

Since its inception in 2007, TBTEAM has substantially increased information-sharing of TA plans and requests among stakeholders through the website (330 in 2007; 547 in 2008; 958 in 2009 and 955 in 2010). The annual number of TA requests has more than doubled since 2009, and more and more partners are entering their missions well in advance. Furthermore, increasing numbers of partners wish to be part of TBTEAM, and there is more and more ownership at country level, which can be seen through the establishment of National TBTEAMs.

10% of the events entered for 2010 have mission reports uploaded in both confidential and non-confidential status.

TBTEAM has also been proactive in:

• Meeting TA requests -100% in 2008; 57% in 2009, 71% in 2010
• Facilitating the establishment of 54 new National-TBTEAM focal points in 2010, totally 67.
• Supporting 45 out of 50 Global Fund Round 10 applicant countries, organizing five regional workshops to finalize proposals, giving a success rate of R10 TB at 54%.
• There are missions entered for each 22 technical area ranging from 2 events entered for X-ray, other non-laboratory diagnostics to 147 missions entered for MDR-TB / XDR-TB

Experts added into the TBTEAM Roster - 31 experts were added in 2009, and 208 were added in 2010.