Costed Implementation Plans for Family Planning: 10 Steps to Developing Actionable Strategies

Publication date: 2014

HEALTH POL ICY P R O J E C T Costed Implementation Plans for Family Planning: 10 Steps to Developing Actionable Strategies HEALTH POL ICY P R O J E C T The Health Policy Project is a five-year cooperative agreement funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development under Agreement No. AID-OAA-A-10-00067, beginning September 30, 2010. It is implemented by Futures Group, in collaboration with Plan International USA, Futures Institute, Partners in Population and Development, Africa Regional Office (PPD ARO), Population Reference Bureau (PRB), RTI International, and the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood (WRA). The information provided in this document is not official U.S. Government information and does not necessarily represent the views or positions of the U.S. Agency for International Development. Presented by Nichole Zlatunich, Ph.D., Modibo Maiga Health Policy Project,Futures Group 2014 Global Symposium on Health Systems Research September 30–October 3, 2014, Cape Town, South Africa CONTACT US Health Policy Project 1331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Suite 600 Washington, DC 20005 www.healthpolicyproject.com email: policyinfo@futuresgroup.com Tel: +1.202.775.9680 Fax: +1.202.775.9684 What is a Costed Implementation Plan? A Costed Implementation Plan (CIP) is a tool that helps countries develop concrete, detailed plans for achieving specific goals over a set number of years. A CIP details the necessary program activities and costs associated with achieving these goals, providing clear program- level information on the resources a country must raise domestically and from partners. CIPs give critical direction to programs, ensuring that all components of a successful program are addressed and budgeted for. CIPs can outline the roles and responsibilities of all relevant stakeholders, helping to ensure accountability. The USAID-funded Health Policy Project (HPP) has supported the development of CIPs for family planning in more than 10 countries. Who can use these tools? The methodology for developing costed implementation plans can be used by people from different sectors and in different topic areas. It was created for the purposes of planning national FP programs, but its tools and processes could be applied when developing plans to achieve the goals of any health sector program. CIP Lessons Learned ■ Country ownership must be a priority from the beginning of the process. ■ Intensive and sustained stakeholder involvement is critical to achieving consensus and both government and nongovernment country ownership. ■ Ministries find activity- and ingredients-based costing more useful than costing by broad categories for developing annual and quarterly workplans and budgets, so the costing methodology should be selected with end-users’ needs in mind. What makes a CIP useful? Costed implementation plans are useful for turning plans for progress into concrete action. Below are some examples of how this might work for a family planning program, though it can be used in many different fields. ■ Clarifying country strategies: The CIP articulates a country’s consensus-driven priorities for family planning through a consultative process that becomes a social contract for donors and implementing partners. CIPs help ensure that all family planning activities are aligned with the country’s needs, prevent fragmentation of efforts, and guide current and new partners in their family planning investments and programs. ■ Detailing activities and an implementation road map: The CIP ensures that all necessary activities are included with defined targets and are appropriately sequenced in a road map to deliver the outcomes needed to reach the country’s publically committed family planning goals within the proper timeframe. ■ Determining impact: The CIP includes estimates of the demographic impacts, health impacts, and economic impacts of the family planning program. ■ Defining a budget: The CIP determines detailed costs associated with the entire family planning program (including commodity costs and program activities). ■ Securing commitment: The CIP process determines and secures current donor and national government commitments, identifies funding gaps, and develops an advocacy plan to ensure adequate funding is raised. ■ Monitoring progress: The CIP’s performance management mechanisms measure the extent of activity implementation and help ensure that the country’s family planning program is meeting its objectives, ensuring coordination, and guiding any necessary course corrections. STEP 1 Gain Government and Key Stakeholder Buy-in STEP 2 Detail Road Map and Secure Resources for CIP Development STEP 3 Conduct a Family Planning Situational Analysis STEP 4 Detail and Describe a Technical Strategy with Sub-activities and Timeline STEP 5 Estimate Resources and Costs STEP 6 Identify Financing Gaps STEP 7 Obtain Final Approval and Plan Launch STEP 8 Set Up and Manage Institutional Arrangements for Implementation STEP 9 Design and Implement Performance Monitoring Mechanisms STEP 10 Develop and Implement a Resource Mobilization Plan Stakeholder Engagement Capacity Development Advocacy 10-Step Costed Implementation Plan Process

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