Perspectives on funding family planning programs at scale

Any effective practice ready for implementation at scale faces a number of obstacles in the path to adequate funding. There may be no obvious source of funds or poor coordination of existing resources. There may be a variety of potential sources of funding, each with its own set of mandates and priorities. Previous investments in similar program areas may affect current willingness to invest. The question of sustainability at scale may not have been thoroughly considered in proof of concept testing. This presentation will focus on the funding of innovative family planning programs at scale from a donor's perspective. It will consider how various types of donors (large/small, public/private, US/non-US, etc.) might think about scale-up and how a donor's perception of its role can affect portfolio decisions. Donors balance a range of factors; for example, the evidence base for an effective practice vs. willingness to invest or the need for continuity of funding for an effective practice vs. the desire to innovate. In many cases, funding is available for initial research and funds exist for routine service delivery but the notion of funding adaptation as a separate yet critical phase of scale up remains underdeveloped. To conclude, this presentation will articulate options for moving forward including various forms of coordination among donors, between donors and governments, and between policy makers and program implementers.