Strengthening Community Structures to Deliver Coordinated Quality Care to Highly Vulnerable Children

1. Strengthening Community Structures to
Deliver Coordinated Quality Care to
Highly Vulnerable Children
Efrem, H. and Radeny, S.
March 18, 2013

2. Presentation Outline
Background and Context
Evidence based support – applying Community
Capacity Assessment Barometer (CCB)
Practical experience, key achievements and
lessons learned
4/4/2013 2

3. Background and Context
• Pact/Program for Highly Vulnerable Children is a $
92 million five year program funded by USAID
• Goal is to reduce child and family vulnerability by
strengthening systems and structures at all levels
• Target is 500,000 Highly Vulnerable Children
annually over five year period
• Partners include 2 INGOs, 40 local CSOs, relevant
Government partners and over 1,200 community
committees
4/4/2013 3

4. Formation and Membership of CCs
 CCs are established and/or strengthened in 240
woredas (districts) across the nation
 CCs are formed by Pact’s IPs in collaboration with
the GoE’s BoWCYA and other stakeholders
 CC membership:
– Offices of Women Children and Youth
Affairs, Education, Health, and Micro and Small Enterprises;
– CBOs, FBOs, Child representative; and
– Influential individuals in the community
4/4/2013 4

5. Why Community Structures need CCB?
 Local community structures are the vehicle for
sustaining care and support for HVC and families
 Most tools such as OCAT, are complex and focus on
organizational capacity
 CCB provides a simplified approach for community
groups to identify strengths, address gaps and build
capacity for effective coordination of care
 The focus on Coordination of Care allows CCs to use
CCB to prioritize access to services for HVC –
something most CB tools don’t offer
4/4/2013 5

6. What is Community Capacity Barometer -
Domains
Resource
Leadership Participation
Mobilization
Project
Networking & Coordination
Monitoring &
Partnership of Care
Reporting
4/4/2013 6

7. How CCB Works and Capacity Assessment
Process
The CCB assessment process follows three interlinked
steps…
Pre-Assessment During Assessment Post Assessment
•Notify CC for the •Data collection through •Prepare Capacity
assessment interactive Strengthening Plan
•Agree on time & place discussion, document
for the assessment review, etc... •Targeted Capacity
•Identify facilitator Strengthening
•Form assessment team •Data analysis, prepare intervention
report
•Review of decisions
and results
4/4/2013 7

8. Program Interventions
Conducted training in CCB use to more than 260
community facilitators of the 40 CSOs
Based on findings of CCB:
Training e.g. CSI, Coordinated Care, Better
Parenting,...
Coaching; and
Materials provision
4/4/2013 8

9. Key Achievements
CCs have begun to: Bank A/C opened by one CC
Mobilize resources such as
land for IG, money, from the
local sources;
Coordinate provision of care
services to HVC through
referral from various service
providers e.g.
Education, Health, Shelter
and food
Actively participate in HVC
identification and approving
care plans
Monitor and support
volunteers
4/4/2013 9

10. Case example – CC in one community
• Resource mapping conducted and documented in their
office
• Mobilized local community to support HVC through
donations and sponsorships
• Since March 2012, collected $ 4161 from Idir/CBO
members & deposited in a bank A/C opened for this
purpose
• The CC honors contributors: A Honored
Ambassador, Mothers’ Ambassador and Fathers’
Ambassador
• The CC conducted regular meetings twice a month to
review progress and plan actions to address gaps
4/4/2013 10

11. Cont’d...case example
• Starting September 2011, school fee exemption
from a private school for 34 HVC
• Linked children with disabilities to service providers
• Rewarded 68 best performing HVC in the past year
• Supported 60 community volunteers: program
updates, guidance for referrals, orientation, etc.
• The CC has developed a vision statement describing
their intentions to support HVC using locally
mobilized efforts and resources
4/4/2013 11

12. Lessons learned
• Building community capacity requires a new
suite of tools beyond those used to assess and
strengthen organizations
• Proper use of CCB enhances coordination of
services and increases access to care for HVC
• To be effective tools like CCB should be
simple, focused and with clear indicators
4/4/2013 12

13. Next steps
 Further analysis of collected data, report a and
dissemination
 Repeat CCB assessment to determine the
change and address additional gaps;
 Identify progressive sites and use as model
communities for learning
4/4/2013 13

14. Acknowledgments
Authors are grateful for the generous support
of USAID to the Ethiopian community
We also thank:
• Pact and Yekokeb Berhan staff
• IP staff
• Community Committees working with this
program
• 5 Community Committees from Kore CFDA
4/4/2013 14

15. Thank you!!
4/4/2013 15