PROGRESS II QT3 FY15 Report (April to June 2015)

The project's main objective is to enhance the family planning (FP) monitoring and evaluation (M&E) capacity of the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) in Ethiopia. The project focuses on six key areas, including enhancing the monitoring component of the Centers of Excellence, expanding the geographical reach of the Centers of Excellence, and providing technical assistance to the FMOH. During Quarter 3 of the 2015 financial year (April to June 2015), FHI 360 conducted supportive supervision in Benishangul Gumuz Region and SNNP Region to enhance the monitoring component of the Centers of Excellence. The project also continued to provide technical assistance to the FMOH, including trainings, supportive supervision, and data quality assessments. FHI 360's PROGRESS project staff participated in the FP Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting and the RH TWG meetings, providing technical assistance to the FMOH to revise national documents. The project also supported the roll out and M&E implementation of lessons learned from the FP symposium. FHI 360 will provide need-based financial and technical support after the development of the FP costed implementation plan by Futures Group. Additionally, the project supported the M&E of the PMs Expansion, with Marie Stops International (MSI) conducting a comprehensive family planning training in Ambo, West Shoa Zone. FHI 360 also supported the implementation of the FMOH m-health initiative, although there were no requests from the FMOH during this quarter. The project maintained close partnership with the FMOH, working closely with the Policy Planning Directorate and the Maternal and Child Health Directorate to establish the Centers of Excellence and provide M&E training and FP training evaluations. FHI 360 participated in various technical working group meetings and attended international conferences, including the International Best Practices (IBP) in FP meeting. The project's geographic coverage of the Centers of Excellence increased during this quarter, with supportive supervision conducted in Benishangul Gumuz Region and SNNP Region. FHI 360 also assisted with the development of FP quality of care indicators and assessment tools, and distributed IT materials for data quality improvement. The project's technical assistance to the FMOH continued and improved, with FHI 360's PROGRESS project staff actively participating in FP TWG meetings and RH TWG meetings, providing technical assistance to the FMOH to revise national documents. Overall, the PROGRESS II project made significant progress during Quarter 3 of the 2015 financial year, enhancing the M&E capacity of the FMOH and supporting the implementation of various family planning initiatives in Ethiopia.