GRAMIN EVAM NAGAR VIKAS PARISHAD

Project Title : Engaging Influential leaders to expand access to improved and quality family planning
Duration : 2017 to 2018 (Phase 1)
Intervention in : MPV districts of Bihar
Supported By : Global Health Strategies

Background
Gramin Evam Nagar Vikas Parishad with the support of Global health Strategy (GHS) working as a Lead CSO (Civil Society Organization) in Bihar to expand access to improved and quality family planning in 15 districts of Bihar. To achieve the objective of the project, GENVP is coordinating and supporting voluntary network of 46 Bihar-based Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) i.e. three CSOs from each district. It builds the capacity of the community champions and partner CSOs who work within the community / block / district to promote family planning, delaying and spacing between the children. The network of 46 CSOs are committed to disseminate the message of Family Planning through their ongoing community based program.  
Apart from this Voluntary network of CSOs and community champions are also engaging government officials especially from Health department / policy makers / media houses to improve access to contraception and contraceptive services and building general awareness on the importance of family planning.

Vision To achieve the FP2020 commitments, need to expedite efforts to improve access to family planning information and services in the state, with simultaneous attention to demand generation, service delivery, human resources, and engaging both public and private sector providers and hospitals.

Objective The project aims to create a conducive environment for improved access to informed and expanded contraceptive choices, Improving health indicators among women and children, through the voices of credible, informed champions. The identified champions will advocate for improved implementation of policies focused on an expanded basket of contraceptive choices, with a special focus on spacing methods in Bihar.

 

Note: Champions would include technical experts, including prominent provider networks like the Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India (FOGSI) and the Patna Obstetric and Gynecological Society (POGS), CSOs, popular public figures, and the media, who would speak to the value and need for family planning interventions and would reach out to stakeholders and decision makers at the policy and program level.

Achievements
Capacity Building

Regional Level Training

District Level Training

GENVP has conducted a Regional level training workshop in Patna, capital of Bihar to train the selected 46 CSO partners across 15 MPV (Mission Pariwar Vikas) districts of Bihar. The training was organized to train the CSO head on different aspects of Family planning in details including the current family planning programs and schemes including entitlements and compensation packages. The detail information related to current family planning programs and schemes including entitlements and compensation packages have been shared in the form of presentation with all the CSO partners for their reference and sensitizing champions and community. Since all the 46 CSO partners were from different specialization other than Health. But the training has brought all the CSO partners on the same level in terms of knowledge of family planning program. It has supported CSO in integrating FP message into their existing community level activities and dissemination of FP related information and messages to households and communities.

GENVP has conducted three District level training workshop in Gaya, Nalanda and Muzaffarpur district respectively to train the selected point person / program person (working on grass- root level) of 46 CSO partners across 15 MPV (Mission Pariwar Vikas) districts of Bihar. The training was organized to train the point person / program person on different aspects of Family planning in details including the current family planning programs and schemes including entitlements and compensation packages. The training has built their capacity to identify the champion within the community, block and district level. Afterward the champion has aware the community on family planning and government schemes including entitlements and compensation packages through different types of engagement platform.

 

Advocacy at different levels

Community Level	Block Level	District Level
The community champions with the support of CSO partners have conducted around 300 meetings at community level to do the advocacy for improving access to family planning services. These meetings has engaged community , service providers and influencers through different platforms like Saas-Bahu Samelan, Community meeting, Mothers’ meeting, SHG meeting, Farmer’s group meeting etc.	The community champions and CSO partners have participated in the several meetings organized at Block level like ANM meeting, ASHA meeting and AWW meeting to do the advocacy for improving access to family planning services. These meetings have engaged community health workers, service providers and government officials at a platform to address the issues related to family planning.	The CSO partners along with family planning champions with the support of Gramin Evam Nagar Vikas Parishad have conducted around 22 advocacy events and rally at District level on special health days to do the advocacy for improving access to family planning services. These meetings have engaged community health workers, service providers and government officials, policy makers and media houses at a platform to discourse on family planning and improving access to family planning services.

 

Engagement approach with the different stakeholders

• 1. Government officials

 GENVP with the support of CSO partners engaged more than 30 government officials especially from the health department like Civil surgeons, District Community Moblizer – ASHA (DCM), District Program Manager (DPM), Additional Chief Medical Officers (ACMO), Medical Officers (MO), Medical officer in charge (MOIC) and District Immunization Officers (DIO) across 15 MPV districts during the advocacy event organized on special health days i.e.  International women’s day, International Day of Action for Women’s Health, World Population Day. The government officials were engaged to address the myths and misconceptions around FP methods specially spacing methods and to disseminate the information on current family planning programs, schemes including entitlements and compensation packages and establish and strengthen feedback mechanism related to family planning supplies and services.

1. 2. Technical Experts

 GENVP with the support of CSO partners engaged Technical Experts especially from the health department like Medical officers in different platform to address the myths and misconceptions around FP methods specially spacing methods. Dr. K N Panday, Medical officer, Sitamarhi , Dr. Sushil Jha, Medical Officer, Muzaffarpur were engaged in the District Level Advocacy event and Bihar State Level symposium. Apart from this Dr. Ashutosh, Surgeon, Nalanda and Dr. Brajbhushan Tiwari, Medical Officer, Jehanabad were engaged in District level advocacy event organized on World Population Day and International day of action for women’s health in Nalanda and Jehanabad respectively. Additionally the GENVP has also engaged Dr. Reena Kumari, Associate professor, Dept. of Obstetrics & Gynecology, ANMCH, Gaya; Dr. Sunita Sinha ; Dr. Vibha Verma as Technical experts during the training workshop conducted to enhance the capacity of CSO partners and their point person.  Apart from this around 20 government officials from health department especially Medical officers, Medical officer in charge, Civil Surgeons, Additional Chief Medical Officers and District Immunization Officers were also participated to sensitize the community and address the media.

1. 3. Media

 CSO partners and GENVP engaged Media - both print and electronic in different platforms throughout the project duration. The engagement with the media benefited us to achieve the above mention objectives.  During the project duration, advocacy events was covered in 57 print media outlets, 2 Web portals and  5 electronic media and 5 success stories of champions has been covered in 6 print media outlets and one web portal. Apart from this, GENVP effectively shared the snaps and twits of the advocacy events and community meetings on social media like Facebook and twitter.

1. 4. Champions

 GENVP with the support of CSO Partners identified more 200 potential champions across the 15 project districts of Bihar. Out of them, 30 champions were selected and trained on family planning. These champions were conducted more than around 300 meetings to aware the community and address the myths and misconceptions around the FP method and specially spacing methods and by promoting delay in age at marriage, delay in first pregnancy. Champions were also engaged to strengthen feedback mechanism officials related to family planning supplies and services with the local government facilities.

1. 5. Popular figures

GENVP with the support of CSO Partners has also engaged popular figures from policy makers during the project duration. These popular figures were engaged in District advocacy events as well in Bihar State Level Symposium to address the myths and misconceptions related to family planning and disseminating the message of family planning in the media. The popular figures like Sr. Sudha Vargese , Padamshree awardees; Mr. Mangal Panday, honorable Health minister; Mr. Rajesh Gupta urf Babloo Gupta, Member of Legislative Council, Motihari;  Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal, Member of Parliament, Bettiah, West Champaran; Mr.Prakash Ray, Member of Legislative Assembly, Chanpatia, West Champaran; Mr. Suday Yadav, Member of Legislative Council, Jehanabad; Ms. Savita Devi, Chairman, Zila Parsihad, Buxar; Ms. Abha Rani, Chairman, Zila Parsihad, Jehanabad and Mr. Brajmohan Singh, Zila Parishad, Rohtas. This approach of work has supported us to achieve the above mention objectives.

Key shifts and notable development

• 1. The community champions and CSO partners has developed the environment in their geographical areas, especially within the community to initiate open discussion on family planning. Earlier community felt shy to discuss openly on family planning.
• 2. GENVP with the support of network CSO partners and community champions has reduced the myths and misconceptions related to different options of family planning across the intervene areas.
• 3. The network CSO partners and the community champions have aware the community and increased the demand of different options of family planning across the intervene areas through the different platforms and forums. Now community is opting different family planning according to their need.  
• 4. In some of the districts, the community champions and CSO partners has established and strengthen feedback mechanism to reduce the issue of supply of contraceptive options of family planning. The local government facilities have also recognized the effort of community champion and local CSO which established the strong bond between the community and government facilities.
• 5. The project has also shifted the views of male towards the family planning. In fact it’s ensured the participation of male in the family planning. Nowadays male are also adopting permanent method i.e. Non-scalpel vasectomy (NSV) and contraceptive option i.e. condom to limit the size of the family up to children and maintain the gap of three years between the children.
• 6. The GENVP with the support of network CSO partners have sensitized the policy makers, government officials and media houses on family planning through different advocacy event. Around 70 media coverage itself showcase the examples of key shift and notable development.
• 7. Now government is also recognizing the effort and effect of champion engagement to achieve the goal of family planning. Recently Mr. Mangal Panday, honorable health minister has appreciated the community champions and CSO partners as well launched the “Family Planning Alliance in Bihar” on September 14th 2018.
  
  

Strengthened feedback system to address bottlenecks related to family planning supplies and services

Sitamarhi District, Bihar

Muzaffarpur District, Bihar

Ms. Sobha Devi, Champion of Sitamarhi District, has aware her community on different contraceptive options through several community meetings. Due to lots of effort, the demand for contraceptive options especially for condom has been generated in the community. But Sobha Devi was unable to fulfill the demand of the community due to lack of enough supply of condom. At last she met with Dr. K. N Panday, Medical Officer, Prem Nagar, Runnisaidpur APHC (Additional Primary Health Centre) and requested to fulfill the demand of the community. Medical Officer has appreciated her dedication and instructed store keeper to fulfill the requirement. He also suggested Ms. Sobha Devi to encourage the community on contraceptive option other than condom. Afterward she has started his mission to aware the community on other contraceptive option and ensures male participation through motivating them to adopt NSV (Non-Scalpel Vasectomy). Nowadays, she has supported around 35 women to adopt contraceptive option – Chaya Pills and 11 men for adopting NSV.

Dr. Umesh Kumar and Mr. Gautam Kumar, Champions of Muzaffarpur district has initiated to aware male members of the community to ensure the male participation in family planning. They have aware the male members to adopt contraceptive method, condom to delay pregnancy and maintaining gap between the children. They have also taken care of fulfillment of demand through establishing feedback mechanism with the Dr. Sushil Jha, Medical Officer, Muraul PHC, Muzaffarpur and Mr. Deepak Kumar, Block Community Mobilizer. Apart from this, Mr. Gautam Kumar has also established feedback mechanism at district level with Mr.Shivchandra Bhagat, Civil Surgeon, Muzaffarpur to strengthen the feedback mechanism at Block and village level.