Public contracting with civil society organizations for HIV/AIDS service provisions: A key strategy to ending AIDS in Thailand

Abstract Civil Society organisations (CSOs) play a vital role in supporting HIV/AIDS prevention as they have an advantage over public providers in reaching out and maintaining relationships with key populations (KPs). We assessed the National Health Security Office (NHSO)’s contractual arrangement with CSOs for Reach-Recruit-Test-Treat-Retain (RRTTR) services, identifies gaps and recommends strategies for improvement. Document reviews, in-depth interviews with 31 key informants, and inductive thematic analysis were performed. Stakeholder consultation was convened to validate and improve recommendations. Effective contracting is characterized by (1) engagement with partners in identifying annual targets of KPs in regard to the CSO capacity, budget allocation, term and conditions and clear role of each stakeholder; (2) clear and transparent CSO selection process; (3) pre-award assessment of CSOs’ capacity; (4) effective and timely payments; (5) monitoring and evaluation of CSOs’ performances and support capacity building; and (6) a national project manager designated to manage contracting and performance assessment.