Project Title

Sure Start, Hardoi

Funding Agency

Duration of the project

PATH

July, 2006-March, 2007

Geographical Coverage

Partner NGOs

Hardoi

Objectives

This study will throw light on improving maternal and childcare (MNC) which are of considerable importance to National Rural Health Mission and RCH II. The objectives of Sure Start initiative are:

Objective 1: To significantly increase individual, household and community action that directly and indirectly improves maternal and newborn health.

Related outcomes:
1.1 Increased individual, household, and community understanding on maternal and newborn care, thus creates mobilization and demand for early and timely care.
1.2 Improved life saving behavior within household.
1.3 Increased access to and use of skilled care and commodities for maternal and newborn care at home and community level.

Objective 2: To enhance systems and institutional capabilities for sustained improvement in MNC and health status.

Related outcomes:
2.1 Established community planning, monitoring and linkage system to support demand generation, evidence-based priority setting and community involvement.
2.2 Established community advocacy system to promote provider accountability and rights-based approaches to maternal and newborn health.
2.3 Strengthened community systems of resource mobilization for MNC.
2.4 Enhanced skills and effectiveness of lead partners, consortium members and other key district stakeholders.

The planning phase study is expected to generate:

· Public- and private-sector facility and resource mapping.
· Identification of key issues that influence household and community action on MNC as well as formal and informal service utilization.
· Identification of barriers to increased and improved action and service utilization.Initial community solution generation and prioritization.

Project Brief

In the planning phase the Lead partner is expected to undertake Rapid assessment (RA) and community mobilization, Systematic stakeholder consultations and Maternal / newborn health situation analysis as start up activity (Please refer Annexure I). The startup activity is further classified as Rapid assessment, Initial community solution generation and prioritization Systematic stakeholder consultations and Maternal / newborn health situation analysis. The PSA contains a host of activities and surveys for gathering and analysis to develop the common minimum package.

Initial months of the project would be devoted to collect qualitative data from different stakeholders viz primary - currently pregnant women (P/W)and new mothers (N/M), their Family members- decision makers about the accessibility of services. Service providers (both private and public) and other stakeholders like the village panchyat members and decision makers would constitute the secondary stakeholders.During this data collection process in the FGD the Pos would identify the Village level workers. This trained workforce would then be utilized in the programme implementation phase when we are going the cover all the villages of the District Hardoi. We identify a roster of community-based organizations, assess their activities and membership, and involve them in communicating the intent of the project.

To mobilize the community to participate in the project it has been proposed that the village level workers would hold monthly meeting with all the stakeholders except the service providers for poor MNC outcome from the qualitative interviews and the agenda or focal points would be identified and be used as themes of the particular months in the community meetings. It has also been proposed that the service providers both from the public health and private domains would be convened at the beginning to mobilise them into the whole process and at the end the share the RA findings. The intent is to capture the view points of the service providers starting at individual block level. Individual block level processes would then culminate at the district level convention the out come would then be shared at the State level to formalization and finalization of the common minimum package for project Sure Start.

A District resource team (DRT) which would be used in programme implementation plan as well as developing the district level common minimum package. PSA findings will be used in initiating PPCM process. Community facilitators will be engaged to facilitate PPCM process at the block level which then culminate into the district level plan. The participatory planning will help to design the implementation plan for next four years. While conducting the participatory planning process, community will be involved to identity problems and solution on issues related to MNH. Data from the PSA and the health situation analysis will be used for participatory process of visioning, strategy development and planning for the village cluster- merging into block level planning thus finally converging into the district plan. The plan would take into account both the common minimum package, and the district-specific NRHM / RCH II process. UP State RCH - II Strategy focuses on Statewide interventions for select services for Antenatal, intranatal & postnatal care to all pregnant women, Newborn care & child health, Immunisation, Family planning services, Adolescent health services, RTI/STI & AIDS - counselling for prevention & referral. Focused attention on targeted population through Emergency Obstetric Care has been contemplated at Tehsil Level.