Phaseout of donated contraceptives : lessons learned from the case of CEPEO [Commodities Procurement Organization]

Because phasing out often means an end to donated contraceptives, donors need to be concerned with minimizing the negative impact of withdrawing support and ensuring a sustainable source of affordable contraceptives for the poor families they have served. USAID found itself in such a situation in Brazil. Because of declining USAID funding in general and Brazil's advance in contraceptive prevalence, in 1991 USAID resolved to phase out its population program in the country by 2000. This paper describes how that phaseout was determined, how the Commodities Procurement Organization (CEPEO) -- the for-profit company that was selected to implement the phaseout strategy -- was created; and how CEPEO was implemented and operated. Finally, to assist others in phaseouts of international family planning programs, the paper outlines the essential lessons learned as USAID launched, implemented, and completed the phase-out process. (Author abstract)