Capacity Building Approach. (i) Strengthening the PVO Organization The majority of CARE Nicaragua staff involved in the CS project has worked in previous CARE health projects and are competent professionals. In order to maintain technical and programmatic expertise, all staff has received a number of training courses , including; IMCI, breastfeeding, community empowerment, community organization, logframe planning, theater and puppets, chicken production, gardens, and XXX. During weekly staff meetings, there is a focus on continued education. Some of the staff has had the opportunity to attend a number of CARE regional and international events to keep up-to-date on technical issues and to share lessons learned with other projects. A missed opportunity for CARE to enhance the impact and efficacy of the project is through coordination with other NGOs and GOs. There are a number of organizations working in the municipality of Matagalpa, and particularly in the urban area. Some opportunities for coordination include: • Coordination with PROSALUD should continue in order to maximize use of the additional USAID Nicaragua resources they are putting into the Department of Matagalpa. PROSALUD works in the more outlying areas of the department and there is strong collaboration with the other CARE health project in those municipalities. • A suggestion from MECD, was for NGOs in Matagalpa to develop together a plan for working in the schools, so that the ministry doesn’t receive numerous requests from organizations wanting to work with teachers. • In the DIP, a pilot community pharmacy was planned. If the pilot pharmacy is implemented, an organization called Colectivo de Mujeres now has a system of community pharmacies and would be an excellent resource for developing the pilot pharmacy. • There are other agricultural and health projects working in the same rural communities as the CARE-MINSA project, such as ADDAC. To avoid duplication of effort, closer coordination is needed. CARE should assume a leadership role in sponsoring (a minimum of) an annual workshop for NGOs, to provide an opportunity for sharing work strategies and annual plans, and for identifying points of coordination.
Capacity Building Approach i. Local Partner Organizations Throughout the project, Healthy Babies has worked very closely and cooperatively with DIRESA: to provide trainings, provide TA to health facilities, and integrating data obtained to development of policy. There is a strong sense of ownership of the project at all levels: from DIRESA to health personnel to CHWs. One project coordinator at an urban health facility spoke very favorably of the cooperative manner in which the project is implemented at all phases, describing the project staff as “our allies.” She worked closely with the project staff to develop the training materials, explaining that “the team does not impose its plan like other organizations; instead they accompany us step by step.” It is clear that the DIRESA and local MOH health personnel are learning new skills and techniques to promote health and improve the quality of services, and they are participating actively in the development and implementation of the project activities, while requesting training on training techniques that they can use for other health topics.
Capacity Building Approach a. Strengthening the PVO Organization Save the Children/HQ SC completed an Institutional Strengths Assessment (ISA) in February and March 2002 with assistance from CSTS using the CSTS ISA methods and tools. ISA inputs included: • Completion of an organizational profile by SC’s CS Team in Wesport. • A self-assessment conducted in Westport with in-person participation of all three members of the Office of Health CS Team, as well as SC/Westport staff from Human Resources, Finance, and International Programs; and written input from the OH Manager and the Regional Health Advisors for Asia and Africa. • Field input: Eight field respondents were identified by SC/OH for this assessment, each of whom works closely with one of SC’s eight current AID/DCHA/PVC-supported CS projects. These eight respondents are either CS field project managers or Field Office (country office) health program managers who support CS field projects. Responses were received by CSTS from six of these eight field respondents. The mode of response was “one individual completed the guide after reflecting on guiding questions” for three respondents and “multiple individuals participated in a group discussion and then scored” for three others. Reasons for non-response can, in one case, be linked to the newness of staff in key positions and thus difficulty in identifying an appropriate respondent. • A self-assessment results-sharing and capacity improvement prioritization meeting conducted in Westport with in-person participation of all those who participated in person in the self- assessment, as well as participation by phone of the Regional Health Advisor for Asia. Data analysis involved the following methods: • Scores were calculated by capacity area. • The range of scores provided information on where there was agreement and for identifying ‘critical questions.’ • Within each capacity area: o Questions with highest scores were examined to identify areas of strength; and o Questions with lowest scores were examined to identify areas for improvement or further assessment. • Quantitative data was supplemented by qualitative input from ISA participants through discussion and recommendations. • According to the section of the ISA final report on findings, “General Trends and Overall Scores of SC/OH Capacity Areas:”9 • “The positive scores received both from the field and central office suggest that the SC/OH, working within an established agency of formidable experience, is a strongly performing P...
Capacity Building Approach. Capacity Building • SC/HQ: At least 2 SC Field Offices and/or other organizations will develop a plan for adopting successful CS16 approaches. • SC/M: SC/Moz staff will participate in policy forums at the provincial level advocating for changes in policy based upon CS16 strategies. • DHOs: Presence of annual work plan specifying activities, persons responsible, date and resources available/monitoring and supervisory tools for each capacity. • Presentation of HIS reports during quarterly PMT meetings. • Communities: (1) 75% of regulados will be able to identify 2 or more priority maternal/child health problems to be addressed through an action plan; (2) 70% of regulados will have formed CHTs and members will know the roles and responsibilities; (3) 80% of CHT members will be able to cite five approaches to increase community participation in health activities; (4) 75% of CHT members will understand numerical trends of HIS and use for health planning. The essential aim of the CS-16 Project is to build capacity in the DDS and the communities for long-term access, coverage, quality, and sustainability. The Project addresses capacity building on three systems levels: the household, the community, and District Health levels as well as the field office. The goal is to provide organizations (families, communities, DDS) with the tools and skills they need to promote their own ongoing development. CLCS members were to receive training necessary for: (1) developing care- seeking and transport plans for pregnant/postpartum women and sick children;
Capacity Building Approach. (i) Strengthening the PVO Organization Curamericas and the Consejo de Salud Rural Xxxxxx have both benefited from the experience of implementing a Child Survival Project. The XX Xxxxx has been a catalyst for improving communication and coordination between Curamericas and CSRA, and increased the capability of both organizations to assume leadership roles in child survival in an ever-widening circle of influence. Curamericas involvement in health programming, as a result of the Bolivia CS Project has increased greatly in the past four years. New initiatives include: 1) a health project in Mexico based on the census-based impact-oriented approach; 2) a CS mentoring grant in Haiti, implemented by XXXXX, a US-based PVO; 3) a Matching Grant project in collaboration with Freedom from Hunger to integrate services of women’s banks and primary health care in the Altiplano Region of Bolivia and in western Guatemala; 4) a sub-grant with CARE as part of the CARE MoRR project; and 5) active involvement in CORE with participation in the Monitoring and Evaluation Working Group. Curamericas has also increased staff positions as a result of an institutional assessment in 1999 using the DOSA methodology. A new Executive Director was hired in June 2001, Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, with extensive experience in fund raising. A County Program Coordinator, Xxxxx Xxxxxxx, was hired during 2000. Xxxxx has an MPH and several years of experience in Latin America, along with a background in population and reproductive health. He represents Curamericas as a member of CORE and participates in the Safe Motherhood Working Group. Another new hire is Xxx Xxxxx, an expert in Child Survival, quality assurance, behavior change communication and training. Xxx will give 40% of his time to Curamericas in these areas. A new certified public accountant, Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, was also hired this year to upgrade the accounting system and improve financial procedures. Curamericas has made progress in creating strategic alliances. Curamericas has developed a close relationship with CARE headquarters in Atlanta and receives invitations to attend conferences and training events. CARE shares new child survival and reproductive health materials with Curamericas on a continual basis. Another alliance has been formed with the Office of the First Lady in Bolivia, which will facilitate the shipment of materials and supplies for health projects from the U.S. to Bolivia. Finally, Curamericas relocated its headquarters to the Re...
Capacity Building Approach. (i) Strengthening the PVO Organization The CS Project has strengthened CARE’s capacity to design, implement and evaluate Child Survival Programs in a number of ways. Capacity building for CARE personnel in Nicaragua was extensive, not just in learning new technical topics but in learning how to do things differently. Interviews during the Final Evaluation with project staff revealed a feeling that the four years with CARE in Child Survival are comparable to a degree program in public health. All of the Extensionists mentioned learning far more than they have in any previous development job, and feeling prepared to face any challenge in the future. Part of doing things differently for CARE Extensionists meant teaching in a way that empowers others, preparing educational sessions based on Learning-by-Doing techniques, improving the quality of presentations by using PowerPoint, multi-media projectors and other technology, and evaluation of learning with pre and post tests. CARE Nicaragua was strengthened through participation in scaling up of successful strategies, such as community IMCI, development of improved management systems, community and MOH health information system, and certification as Baby and Mother Friendly Health Units for the entire municipality of Matagalpa. Monitoring and evaluation systems have been improved, with the community information system linked to the MOH system. The use of data for decision-making was enhanced through the improvement of forms and the implementation of a new software program, based at the Municipal Health Center that summarizes data from outlying health posts and presents results in a user-friendly format. Other CARE programs in Nicaragua have learned from the CS Project. The process of project design, including a baseline survey, establishment of indicators, and midterm and final evaluations used in the CS Project was adopted by other CARE projects in Nicaragua as a means to improve program quality. The only CARE project with a strong monitoring and evaluation component was the CS Project, which served as a model for the adoption of M&E indicators and assessments by other projects. The successful CS project helped build the credibility of CARE among other NGOs and the MOH in Nicaragua. Total Quality Management (TQM) was piloted in CARE Nicaragua during the CS Project, a part of the relationship with CDC. CDC Atlanta offers a course in concert with Emory University called Management for International Public Health....
Capacity Building Approach. Capacity building was one of the core strategies of the project to achieve its goals and objectives. CLICS has invested a tremendous amount of time, effort, and resources in building the capacities of DCM and a wide range of partners, including community members, health personnel in the public health system, and private practitioners. CLICS trainings are based on a Training Needs Assessment (TNA) conducted as the project was launched. The assessment determined the capacity building needs at the program, facility, community, and household levels. Separate needs assessments were carried out for all the different personnel involved in the CLICS project, including the Program Coordinators, the MIS Program Officer, the Documentation and Communications Program Officer, Project MOs, and ANMs, COs, AWWs, and VCC members. A training plan was developed based on the TNA and areas of training were identified (see Annex 6). CLICS has developed curricula, training materials, and teaching aids for all the components in their capacity building activities. The training approach is often on-the-job, highly participatory, practical, and field oriented. The training load in the Project was immense, especially at the community level. It included 1,298 members of 64 VCCs, 4,329 members of 276 SHGs, 1,197 members of 75 KVMs, and 1,089 members of KPs. In addition, members of GPs were also trained. Tables 9 and 10 (in Annex 2) show the category-wise numbers of personnel and average person days of human resource capacity development and training. In total CLICS provided more than 28,000 person days (over 108 person years) of training. Multi-day Training - The project provided multi-day training for specific target groups. ANMs, MOs, and Lady Health Visitors (LHVs) from the PHC staff received eight days of training on Integrated Management of Newborn and Child Illnesses (IMNCI) and two days on Quality Assurance (QA). CLICS conducted a six-day training session in Early Childhood Development (ECD) and a two-day training in QA for AWWs. CLICS staff (including the APOs, COs, ANMs, and MIS Assistants) were trained extensively in the principal project interventions (i.e., PLA, breastfeeding, complementary feeding, IMNCI, rational injection use, village health fund, and CHC record keeping). CLICS trained KVM members through Master Trainers in a three-day residential session at an agricultural institution on innovations in farming, livestock rearing, organic farming and vermiculture, and a ...
Capacity Building Approach i. Strengthening the PVO Organization Capacity building effects on the overall organization The experience and capacity of Plan Headquarters staff is already well established. Per the Detailed Implementation Plan, the focus of capacity building was to be at the Mali country level. Above and beyond the actual Kita Child Survival Project team, the Mali country office benefited tremendously from exposure to this program, starting with the project start up workshop conducted by the Senior Health Project Coordinator based in Washington. The Bamako based Health Advisor also conducted a training on the development of Detailed Implementation Plans for the benefit of Plan program staff.
