HIP Partners Meeting Report 2021

The partnership has grown significantly since its inception, with over 65 partners from 20 countries participating in the HIP Partners Meeting in April 2021. This meeting aimed to facilitate networking, knowledge sharing, and collaboration among partners. The meeting began with an orientation to the HIP Partnership, which provided an overview of the principles that guide the HIPs, including the development of HIP briefs, planning guides, and other HIP products. The Product & Dissemination (P&D) Team presented the process of bringing products from ideas to completion, including dissemination, HIP measurement and implementation, and HIP Resources. HIP Resources is a new feature on the HIP website that includes checklists for HIP implementation and the WHO/HIP Matrix Tool, among others. Partner networking was a key component of the meeting, with time set aside for partners to meet in small groups before the main session began. This allowed new partners to meet one another and establish connections with existing partners. Maria Carrasco of USAID provided welcoming remarks on behalf of the HIP Co-Sponsors, highlighting the progress of HIP products to date, including upcoming publications of new and updated HIP briefs or strategic planning guides (SPGs). The HIP Development session of the meeting featured a panel discussion with experts from various organizations, including Population Services International (PSI), Population Council, and Jhpiego. The panelists shared their experiences with developing HIP briefs and strategic planning guides, highlighting the value of collaboration and feedback in the development process. They also discussed the importance of adapting HIPs to different regional contexts and tailoring them to meet the specific needs of implementers. The HIP Implementation session featured a presentation by Nandita Thatte of the WHO/IBP Network, who highlighted three recent IBP activities and resulting products that integrate HIPs. These included the IBP 2020 Survey on Dissemination and Use of WHO Guidelines and HIPs, the Linkages between HIPs and WHO Guidelines, and the WHO/HIP Matrix Tool. The session also featured the IBP Implementation Stories series, which shares stories from 15 different countries who are implementing and scaling up HIPs and WHO guidelines. The Partner Dissemination Opportunities session was led by Elizabeth Tully and Natalie Apcar of the Knowledge SUCCESS project at the Johns Hopkins Center for Communications Programs (CCP). They outlined the various ways that HIP partners can contribute to dissemination efforts, including developing and disseminating monthly social media guides focused on specific HIP products and opportunities. The HIP Partnership has made significant progress in recent years, with a growing number of partners and a increasing visibility and outreach to global audiences. The partnership continues to evolve and adapt to meet the changing needs of implementers and stakeholders, with a focus on collaboration, knowledge sharing, and best practices in family planning and reproductive health.