USAID/DFID NGO Health Service Delivery Project Quarterly Performance Report

The project, which began on December 10, 2012, and is set to conclude on December 9, 2017, has a total contract amount of $82,746,498. As of the end of the second quarter of Year 2, the project has obligated $24,698,755, with an estimated expenditure of $4,053,923 during this period. The project is implemented by Pathfinder International in partnership with several local NGOs, including the Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs, CARE Bangladesh, Nari Uddug Kendra, and Social Marketing Company. The project's main objective is to support local NGOs in delivering an essential services package (ESP) in an integrated manner, enhancing efficiencies and expanding reach, particularly for the poor and underserved. One of the significant highlights of the second quarter of Year 2 was the modification of the NHSDP contract to include funding and support from DfId, which increased the total contract amount by $28 million and extended the project implementation period to five years. This amendment aligns with USAID's commitment to the Paris Declaration to work in donor harmony to support the host country government in achieving its health sector development program objectives. The project has made significant progress in achieving its intermediate results (IRs), particularly in the areas of client-based expansion, optimal healthy behavior promotion, and local ownership of service delivery enhancement. Under IR 1, the project has expanded its services to reach more clients, particularly the poor and underserved. Under IR 2, ongoing trainings have been conducted on interpersonal communications and counseling to enhance the behavior change communication capacity building of SH service providers. The project has also strengthened its collaboration with the Government of Bangladesh in the area of nutrition, resulting in the allocation of 16,000 Growth Monitoring & Promotion (GMP) cards and 1,000 posters to 17 SH clinics. The project's first NGOs Performance Review Workshop was held during this quarter, which served as a platform to showcase each organization's progress and achievements, including their innovations, initiatives, and results under each of the IRs. The project has prioritized gender in its approach and implementation of all activities, conducting a social mapping on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) to mobilize the community and identify key stakeholders in the prevention of GBV and establishment of referral linkages for GBV survivors to SH clinics. Strategies on mainstreaming gender, preventing GBV, sensitizing SH network clinic staff and NGO executive board members on gender equality and gender-related issues and rights, and institutionalization of girl and women-friendly services in the SH network will serve as central to advocacy and service delivery activities in the coming quarters. The project's revitalization of the SH Community Support Group (SHCSG) is well underway, with orientations given to all NGOs and select clinic staff. The project will continue to support local NGOs in delivering ESP in an integrated manner, enhancing efficiencies, expanding reach, particularly for the poor and underserved, and achieving the mandate of reaching the poor and financial sustainability by SH NGOs.