This case study examines the period when UNDP assumed the role of interim Principal Recipient of Global Fund grants in 2010. It focuses on the joint effort by the Global Fund, UNDP and partners to strengthen national capacity so that the Zambian Ministry of Health may ultimately reassume the PR role following an assessment by the Global Fund. Ingredients for success in the rollout of the capacity development plan include:

- Strong national political commitment and high-level support from the Global Fund, UNDP and other partners;

- Close and effective collaboration between UNDP and the Ministry of Health, including the embedding of UNDP staff in the Ministry;

- Collaboration with the Global Fund to enable the alignment of capacity development with grant cycles and flexible reprogramming. The reallocation of resources from existing Global Fund grants for the capacity development plan; and

- The capacity development plan was firmly grounded in strengthening national institutions and systems, rather than creating parallel systems. The plan complemented other efforts to strengthen government systems including the Ministry Of Health / donor Governance and Management Capacity Strengthening Plan (2011).