Strengthening health systems and services in the developing world
Strengthening health systems and services in the developing world
Initiatives Inc. is dedicated to improving the health of individuals in the developing world. Our work is aimed at strengthening health systems, improving quality health care, and reinforcing NGO and community organizations. Through our technical assistance to governments, NGOs and intergovernmental organizations, we offer practical approaches to improving primary health care systems, scaling-up HIV/AIDS initiatives, building better reproductive health and family planning programs, initiating innovative safer motherhood programs, and strengthening child health initiatives. Our technical expertise also contributes to improving management, training and human resources systems across the globe.
Spotlight on Organizational Capacity Building (OCA)Initiatives Inc. is working to strengthen the organizational capabilities of district HIV/AIDS coordinating bodies, NGOs, and line ministries in Zambia through the use of an organizational capacity assessment (OCA) process. The OCA process developed by Initiatives under the SHARe project is built around the understanding that organizational development takes time, careful monitoring and clearly targeted actions. Yet the urgency of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the need for rapid scale-up require that the SHARe OCA process be simple, flexible and quick.
Through guided self-administration of the OCA process, organizations rate their governance, administrative, financial management, program management and sustainability capabilities. The OCA framework outlines four levels of organizational capacity for a number of key areas, enabling organizations to see their strengths and weaknesses, establish a baseline, and measure improvement over time. Microsoft Excel spreadsheets also assist parent organizations to monitor the development of the organizations they support.
The documentation for the Organizational Capacity Assessment – including the framework, the spreadsheet, and implementation guidance – will be available on this website soon. In the meantime, please contact Steve Mwanza, SHARe’s Deputy Chief of Party, for further information and documents, or click here to download an informational brochure.
The Guyana Safer Injection Project (2004–2009), funded by the US Agency for International Development, is part of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. It aims to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS through accidental needlestick injuries by reducing the number of unnecessary and inappropriate medical injections.
As part of the SHARe project (Support to HIV/AIDS Response in Zambia) (2004–2010), Initiatives provides leadership and technical expertise in strengthening the capacity of public service agencies, regional and district HIV/AIDS task forces, and local NGOs to respond to community HIV/AIDS needs.
Initiatives conducted the final evaluation of the Benin HIV/AIDS Prevention Project (BHAPP), a USAID-funded program implemented by Africare in collaboration with JHPIEGO. The report focused on lessons learned from BHAPP so that the proposed follow-on projects, Integrated Family Health Program and the Integrated Social Marketing and HIV/AIDS Program, can be designed to capitalize on its strengths.