Recorded presentation

Pierre-Marie Metangmo, MD, MBA, MPH, Plan International, Senior CS Program Coordinator, 3260 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 21, Arlington, VA 22201, 703 807 0190, pierremarie.metangmo@plan-international.org and Dennis Thuralayil Cherian, MHA, Plan International, Child Survival Health Associate, 3260 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 21, Arlington, VA 20170.

An unusual strength of Plan International’s Burkina Faso Child Survival Project (CSP) implemented in Koupela district, benefiting 58,893 children under 5 and 71,500 WRA, was the synergy and collaboration between the CSP, the JHPIEGO MNH project, and Association Lagem Zoodo (ALZ), a respected indigenous organization, with no experience in sub-grant management. Complementing PLAN and ALZ’s community level presence, and reciprocating to suggestions of the US Ambassador to Burkina Faso, JHPIEGO chose Koupela as their intervention zone.

The collaborative strategy included: (a) Establishment of a MOU outlining roles and collaborative mechanisms; (b) Integration of the MNH staff into the CS project staff structure, and housing of the MNH project within the PLAN building; (c) Hiring community facilitators through PLAN and ALZ, for both MNH and CS projects; (d) Joint planning; and (e) Creation of a MOH managed District health coordinating committee.

Partnership benefits evaluated by qualitative research methods indicated:(1)Leveraging of technical assistance and avoiding duplication;(2)Increased communication and coordination between projects;(3)Cost sharing and complementary resource provision;(4)Joint use of data;(5) Harmonization of per diem structures for local counterparts;(6)simplification of interface with communities and MOH(e.g. partners working together on MOH staff job descriptions;(7)Increased creativity and synergy (e.g. collaborated to develop a successful prefinancing fund for referral/evacuation of maternal emergencies;(8)Institutional sharing of technical supervisory functions ensured closer ties between all organizations; an example of complementarities of skills and cross-institutional supervision.

Recommendation: Collaborative partnerships facilitate organizational development and efficient resource allocation.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.Identify strategies that facilitated collaborative partnerships between public health and community based development institutions
• 2.Discuss various organizational development and partnership benefits resulting from stratgeic collaboration

Keywords: International Public Health, Community-Based Partnership

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: A USAID funded Child Survival Project implemented by Plan international
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: USAID funded Koupela District Child Survival Project in Burkina Faso

Recorded presentation