K4Health Year 4 Annual Progress Report

The project's profile was raised significantly in Year 4, with new leadership, applications, product platforms, and documentation of results. K4Health continued to produce high-quality work, evolving further by spearheading innovative strategies for disseminating information and exchanging knowledge with target audiences. Key products and services were produced in response to audience demand and feedback. For example, 27 new toolkits and 4 new eLearning courses were developed, focusing primarily on knowledge management and family planning and reproductive health technical priority areas. The project broke ground in the field of programming and interactive communication with the launch of the Application for Contraceptive Eligibility (ACE), a mobile application for Android OS based on Family Planning: A Global Handbook for Providers. K4Health also published an upgraded multi-author blog featuring regular and guest commentators, finalized a guide for conducting health information needs assessments, and guest edited and produced a Special Issue of the Journal of Health Communication. The project launched its new website in April and the new Toolkit platform made its debut in June with the re-launch of the mHealth Toolkit. Improvements to the POPLINE website, the first major upgrade since 2003, were 90% complete by the end of Year 4. The K4Health project advanced its field-support effort on different fronts, including launching SHARE, starting the KM support project in Bangladesh, disseminating final needs assessment reports in Ethiopia, Peru, and Senegal, and participating in Africa-based mHealth events. The project team also finalized evaluation activities for the demonstration project in Malawi, which is now completely in the hands of the Malawian people. K4Health continued to respond to the health information needs of its key audiences through appropriate technology and delivery vehicles. Findings from needs assessments, routine monitoring, usability testing, and user surveys were incorporated into the work of the project to improve products and services. The project also conducted a user assessment at the global and country levels, which will inform future updates to products and services. Year 4 brought a unique opportunity to the K4Health Project to help lead the conceptualization, launch, and management of a new peer-reviewed journal on global health, Global Health: Science and Practice (GHSP). The journal will focus on the practical application and implementation of public health programs, complementing K4Health's mission to extend access to best practices and the latest research. Data collected for this Annual Report indicate that the K4Health team made excellent progress toward meeting annual targets, in some areas exceeding established goals. The review has been a valuable exercise for the K4Health team, and findings and lessons learned will inform the implementation of Year 5 activities. Looking ahead to Year 5, the K4Health team will embark on a series of cutting-edge knowledge management activities while maintaining and upgrading existing products and services and sharing lessons learned and best practices discovered over the course of this ground-breaking project. The K4Health Year 4 Annual Progress Report Process involved reviewing activities proposed for Project Year 4 during the course of the Year 4 work plan modification and the Year 5 work plan development processes. The purpose of the review was to assess progress made in implementing activities and achieving targets, as well as identify specific issues and findings that will inform Year 5 activities. In June 2012, K4Health unveiled the updated mHealth Toolkit, the pilot toolkit for the new Drupal 7 Toolkit Application. During Year 4, ePub and Kindle versions of Family Planning: A Global Handbook for Providers were developed in both English and French. These developments demonstrate the project's commitment to advancing the practice of family planning and reproductive health through knowledge management and exchange.