Background The ISEAN-Hivos Program is a Global Fund HIV Program focusing on MSMs and Transgenders in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Timor Leste. To create an internal system within the Program which can cross-check the financial data generated by the Sub-Recipients (SRs), a team of Local Finance Evaluators were engaged. The LFEs represent an added layer of financial accountability developed by Program as a financial management diligence initiative. It also has an additional advantage of providing real time regular feedback and mentoring to the SRs.

Methods The data for this presentation was based on a review of the SR documents submitted by the LFEs to Hivos, as Principal Recipient. Additional feedback was also gathered from the LFEs themselves, as well as other programme staff.

Results Findings from the review indicate that the LFEs performed reviews and signed-out monthly and quarterly reports of the SRs to the PR as well as providing feedback and recommendations on these reports. The initiative has also led to immediate adjustments in financial management activities, which addresses current concerns related to accountability. The LFEs intervention has lead to improved country audit performance.

Conclusion The LFEs, under the ISEAN-Hivos Program, show strong potential to be a good practise in implementing a regional HIV grant. To enhance overall capacity building, an LFE Finance Management Manual was also developed for their reference. This manual introduces to other HIV-focused programme implementers a new concept of “embedding“ LFEs among Sub-Recipients under Global Fund projects especially at a multi-country level.