District Action Plans

Private sector projects in a DAP district have the added advantage of the presence of a Project Management Unit (PMU) - a problem solving agency and the link between public and private sectors. PMUs are the field representatives of SIFPSA in each district, established to provide administrative support for the implementation of District Action Plans. Monthly meetings with Project Co-ordinators of NGO projects are organized by the PMU to share successful experiences and address problems. The CMO or Deputy CMO of the district attends these meetings to address co-ordination issues with government health institutions. The meetings also provide an opportunity for district officers to request the help of NGOs for activities like RCH camps & TT campaign. This results in a synchronized working between the two where efforts of demand generation and providing services complement each other. Evidence of this improved relationship is visible in evaluation reports of NGO projects in Varanasi district.

Four NGO projects in Varanasi district, ending in March 2000, were evaluated by an independent agency - Indian Institute of Health Management Research, Jaipur, in February 2000. The NGOs, Social Welfare Institute and Dr. Shambhu Nath Singh Research Foundation implemented projects in 210 villages of Pindra block and Human Welfare Association and Shushrusha Samiti worked in 132 villages of Chiraigaon block. Evaluation reports of all four NGOs showed some remarkable strengths especially the linkage with government health institutions. High risk pregnancies in these project areas were identified and referred to PHCs/hospitals in time. The number of family planning cases referred for IUD and sterilization were also very high.

Other achievements of the projects also point towards effective implementation monitoring and co-ordination with the Public Sector:

The Naun (barber's wife) and Chudiwali (bangle seller), who had easy access and regular contacts with young married women were identified as potential salespersons for contraceptive brands, after appropriate training. In one project, the staff kept track of marriages in the area and gifted Rs.101/- along with IEC material on family planning, some condoms and oral pills to the newly wed. Another project also included other development activities like tree plantation and establishment of cutting and stitching centres to enhance community involvement.

The positive impact of these projects has resulted in extension projects being sanctioned to all four NGOs. The project strategy in each has been modified based on lessons learned and feedback from the evaluation.