Why we exist
Sub-Saharan Africa continues to be confronted by many complex challenges in its development efforts and aspirations. MSA was established to redress such health development problems and challenges as below:
1. Ineffective organisations and institutions
In Sub-Saharan Africa, the number of effective organizations and institutions is small and most lack strong institutional and management capacity. Although resources and capabilities differ, the common weaknesses in public, private, and voluntary sector organizations are evident: weak human and organizational capacity. Strategic directions and goals are often lacking; organizational, departmental, and unit roles and responsibilities are unclear or not well communicated; systems for supervision, monitoring and evaluation are lacking or often ineffective; financial and accounting systems are weak; formalized and effective partnerships are few, and the absorptive capacity for the available resources is low. MSA exists to help transform ineffective organisations.
2. Poor organisational performance and impact
African governments are investing in health sector reforms aiming at significant improvements in sector performance and achievements. However, commitment , attention to, and investment in long-term institution development/organization development have been poor. The ultimate result of weak human and organizational capacity is poor or mediocre organizational and program performance. Without investment in ID/OD, this condition is set to persist. A substantial and robust strategy for organization development and institutional and management capacity building/strengthening is urgently required. MSA was founded to address these needs.
3. The precarious HIV/AIDS situation in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa is the current epicentre of the HIV/AIDS crisis. The HIV/AIDS pandemic is threatening to erode the foundations for economic development, and other killer diseases continue to strike the young and old in sub-Saharan Africa.
With just over 10 per cent of the world's people, the region is home to 90 per cent of children (under 1) living with the virus. Twelve million sub-Saharan African children are orphans. Around 9 per cent of HIV-positive adults in sub-Saharan Africa - a total of 1.2 million people - are women. Although there have been recent revisions to the previously envisaged impact of the pandemic, the cause for concern continue to be valid. MSA focuses on increasing the organizational and program effectiveness of frontline organisations working to combat HIV/AIDS.
4. Supporting global development frameworks in Africa
Among others, the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), the Milleniuum Development Initiative, and the Paris Conference of 2003 provide the main frameworks for development, setting out goals for development in general, and for sexual and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS in particular. The lofty goals cannot be achieved without strong and effective institutions and organizations. MSA seeks to support implementation of the frameworks by building/strengthening institutions, organizations, and programs.
5. Working through organizations for positive social change in Sub-Saharan Africa
MSA seeks to complement the efforts of existing organizations, and to introduce a sharper focus and emphasis that are critical for capacity building and organization development to achieve organizational and program effectiveness. MSA aims to promote greater visibility and attention to the practice of sound management and the development of leaders and managers supported by strategic, culture-sensitive knowledge, as critical needs in increasing the effectiveness of organizations and programs to achieve development goals.