The overarching objective of Regional HIV Resource Allocation Mapping Exercise (RHRAME) was to create a searchable electronic database that would provide up-to-date information on resources allocated to the HIV response in the Caribbean as a strategy for enhancing strategic and operational planning, identifying resource gaps and promoting more effective donor coordination.

Further, the creation and maintenance of such repository was expected to increase harmonization of regional and national HIV resource allocation efforts, establish baselines for conducting further gap analyses and contribute to the availability of strategic information that may be used by the broad membership of PANCAP for planning and programming.

For operational reasons, RHRAME was executed in two phases. A pilot phase allowed for the collection of data for 2011 and 2012 from nine (9) randomly selected PANCAP countries and from all regional support agencies and donors.

The second phase involved the expansion of the initiative to all 24 PANCAP countries, regional support agencies and donors from 2013 and beyond drawing on the lessons learned from the pilot phase.

The strategic approach to the execution of the pilot phase involved the following key steps:

• Comprehensive literature review
• Active and consistent engagement of key stakeholders
• Design and testing of data collection instrument
• Design of electronic database platform
• Collection, validation and entry of data into electronic platform
• Documentation of processes, findings and lessons learned
• Transfer of knowledge and experiences to the PCU