Final progress report : family planning operations research in Asia

Achievements in each of the four project areas exceeded expectations. (1) Ten technical workshops were conducted, including six OR proposal development workshops (for 86 participants vs. 72 planned) and four technical support workshops, in Thailand, the Philippines, Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka. In addition, a proposal development workshop was conducted with non-OR contract funds in Thailand. (2) Research TA was provided on request to A.I.D. Missions in Thailand, Nepal, India, the Philippines, and Bangladesh. TA activities included: evaluating service delivery projects; setting contraceptive method targets; design and/or reviewing research proposals; analyzing research data; and reviewing FP program objectives. TA was also provided to national FP organizations, NGO"s, and PVO"s in the above countries and in Sri Lanka and Indonesia, focusing on proposal development, study implementation, data tabulation and computer programming, data analysis, report writing, information dissemination, and research topic priority setting. (3) A total of 14 subprojects were funded under the project in lieu of the planned 10. Another 12 study proposals were funded through Mission bilateral funds or other sources. (4) A wide range of information dissemination activities were implemented - including publication of 18 full OR reports, 4 regional papers, and 8 articles in professional journals. Seven papers were presented at scientific conferences and 7,500 copies of a handbook on OR design were printed, and over 5,000 distributed. Nonproject funds financed the publication of 1,000 French-language and 2,000 Spanish-language copies of the handbook. In addition, seminars were held for 9 of the 14 studies conducted on the OR subprojects and executive summaries for all of the Philippine studies were published. Included are summaries of the 14 OR subprojects.