Mayer Hashi Family Planning Project in Bangladesh (MH-II) Quarterly Report

MH-II aims to advance the use of reproductive health (RH) and FP services with a focus on informed and voluntary use of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) and permanent methods (PMs). The project provides in-country capacity development to strengthen RH service delivery by supporting Bangladesh's National FP and Maternal Health (MH) program and other FP implementing partners in the country. A mid-term review was conducted between March 27, 2016, and May 3, 2016, covering the period from the project's inception in October 2013 to December 2015. The evaluation assessed the effectiveness of the project's approach to increasing the utilization of family planning (FP) services with a focus on LARC & PMs. According to the project evaluation report, MH-II has achieved considerable success in establishing a functional and effective network of NGOs' trained volunteers to disseminate information about LARCs, refer potential clients for services, and create appropriate venues for satisfied no-scalpel vasectomy (NSV) users to advocate for permanent methods in their communities. The evaluation team recommended that more attention be paid to ensuring the availability of Behavior Change Communication (BCC) materials in different facilities, and their content needs to be revised to address common misconceptions about LARC and PMs with emphasis on the health and social benefits of these methods. The team also found that MH-II has successfully collaborated with the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and that support for the FP interventions at the BGMEA was high. MH-II assisted BGMEA to establish linkages with the DGFP, which now provides condoms, pills, and injectables to the mini-clinics within the factories who are members of the Association. The BGMEA plans to scale up the MH-II piloted interventions to another 80 to 100 factories, including factories in Chittagong. This represents a small percentage of BGMEA's total 3,500 functional factories, which leaves a huge potential for the intervention to expand. This intervention has a promising potential for scaling up and replication in other locations. The MH-II team started in June to develop the work plan for PY 4 and addressed all the recommendations made by the mid-term review team. By the end of Q3, MH-II achieved 81% of the quarterly benchmark for indicator one (couple years of protection [CYP]), which is 58.6% of the annual CYP benchmark till quarter three (Q3) and 57.2% of the overall project benchmark up to quarter three (Q3) for this indicator. Performance against the project's remaining 13 indicators can be found in Appendix 1. Information on all 14 project indicators, including the two USAID standard indicators and 12 project-required indicators or custom indicators, can be found in Appendix 2. The project has successfully collaborated with various stakeholders, including the DGFP, BGMEA, and other FP implementing partners. The project has also established a functional and effective network of NGOs' trained volunteers to disseminate information about LARCs and refer potential clients for services. The project has achieved considerable success in increasing the utilization of family planning (FP) services with a focus on LARC & PMs. The project team has started developing the work plan for PY 4 and addressed all the recommendations made by the mid-term review team. The project has a promising potential for scaling up and replication in other locations. The project has achieved 81% of the quarterly benchmark for indicator one (couple years of protection [CYP]) by the end of Q3. Performance against the project's remaining 13 indicators can be found in Appendix 1. The project has established linkages with the DGFP, which now provides condoms, pills, and injectables to the mini-clinics within the factories who are members of the Association. The BGMEA plans to scale up the MH-II piloted interventions to another 80 to 100 factories, including factories in Chittagong. This represents a small percentage of BGMEA's total 3,500 functional factories, which leaves a huge potential for the intervention to expand.