The Madikwe Forum: a comprehensive partnership for supporting governance of Botswana's HIV and AIDS response

There is a need for actors within the philanthropic sector to pursue collaborative partnerships with developing nations which could result in sustainable country-led responses to HIV and AIDS. There is also a need to evaluate the structures governing these partnerships in order to determine their effectiveness in strengthening national responses to HIV and AIDS. This article presents findings from a qualitative study of a governance structure of the African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnerships (ACHAP), namely the Madikwe Forum. The investigation sought to critically reflect on the role and effectiveness of the Madikwe Forum in Botswana's response to HIV and AIDS and to consider the value of such a forum for other developing nations and partnership arrangements. The findings indicate that the Madikwe Forum has enabled considerable progress in the implementation of ACHAP-supported initiatives in Botswana. The constructive working relationship and close alignment between ACHAP and the Botswana government's objectives and priority areas were viewed as critical to this success. However, problems exist regarding the operation of the forum as well as a lack of focus on monitoring and evaluation, which requires the forum's urgent attention.