Ignoring difficult realities, a costly habit in the case of HIV and AIDS
Local NGOs recognise that it makes sense to invest in managing HIV and AIDS, including providing treatment for HIV-positive employees and their families, in order to reduce the effect that AIDS has on their work. Obstacles to actually define a strategy are the fear to discuss additional costs with donors and the fear to be open about the ways in which AIDS is affecting the performance. Many donors remain silent, compounding the denial among NGOs of any need to manage HIV and AIDS in the workplace. As a result, the local NGOs, their staff and their work are more vulnerable to the impact of HIV and AIDS than they need to be.
Managing HIV and AIDS in the Workplace
International NGOs, like many international businesses, have recently woken up to the need for workplace policies on HIV and AIDS. Policies like these help to reduce the impact of HIV and AIDS, ultimately maintaining the performance and effectiveness of the organisation. The positive effects are worth much more than the extra costs involved, yet many organisations - especially local NGOs - still don’t have an HIV and AIDS workplace policy. STOP AIDS NOW! is therefore working together with local NGOs in Uganda, India and Ethiopia to build on their capacity to develop and implement policies for the workplace.
Good Donorship
Instead of being concerned bystanders, STOP AIDS NOW! is committed to opening up dialogue and actively supporting partner organisations to develop and fund workplace policies. One outcome of this is the document ‘Good Donorship in a Time of AIDS: Guidelines on Support to Partners to Manage HIV/AIDS in the Workplace’. Although the guidelines are aimed at donor organisations, they can also be useful for local NGOs, governments and businesses. Most importantly, the guidelines are not just talk; they present explicitly stated principles and commitments from the STOP AIDS NOW! partners, including financial and other support that can be given. This means that local NGOs and donor staff know exactly what support is offered, why, and what the limitations are. For example, STOP AIDS NOW! will fund the costs of workplace policies up to a maximum of 4% of total staffing costs.
