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Send to friendWe offer technical assistance in a range of areas to support our Member Associations in our mission to provide health services, particularly for the poor and underserved.
We provide our Member Associations with a framework to strengthen their capacity to offer quality, sustainable programs managed by committed and qualified professionals. Building the capacity of our institutions in these technical areas ensures access to health care for poor and marginalized populations, supporting a broader goal of reducing poverty and providing a better life for future generations.
Monitoring and Evaluation
We foster an organizational culture that integrates monitoring and evaluation into all of our programs and projects. Careful monitoring allows program managers to make appropriate decisions on a day-to-day basis and adapt approaches based on changing needs. Evaluation of our work enables us to understand and demonstrate results and determine the best strategies for achieving our goals. These practices inspire self-reflection, making the improvement of our programs a continuous process. IPPF/WHR facilitates this process through technical assistance to Member Associations in development and implementation of monitoring and evaluation plans, through creation of monitoring and evaluation tools, and through analyzing data to assess trends at the Member Associations.
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Quality of Care
Our Quality of Care initiative defines the highest standards to which our Member Associations aspire. These standards are structured around respecting clients’ rights, including the right to information, choice, privacy, and dignity. They also ensure that providers’ needs are met, including the needs for proper infrastructure, training, and guidance. These rights and needs are pursued through quality improvement tools and an organizational culture that values change. IPPF/WHR has been translating concepts of quality of care into practice by updating standards for care, increasing the availability of medical information, improving training guides, and supporting mutual technical assistance among our Member Associations in the region.
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Sustainability
Ensuring the sustainability of programs and financial systems at our Member Associations is a key component of our mission to reach poor and vulnerable people. Sustainable financial systems prepare our Member Associations to appropriately receive and distribute funding, and guarantee these services for future generations. Approaches to strengthening sustainability include implementing strategic planning processes, diversifying the types of health services offered at clinics, and supporting technical assistance and exchanges among Member Associations. The Endowment Fund for Sustainability also offers Member Associations low-interest loans to invest in assets like medical equipment and new clinics.
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Governance
As part of a federation made up of independent organizations, IPPF/WHR Member Associations are each governed by a Board of Directors. Our governance initiative seeks to support the work of these Boards in promoting our values and mission. We offer workshops and technical assistance to encourage diversity and youth participation in governing bodies, and to inform their work on fundraising, advocacy, and collaboration with the Executive Directors of the organizations. Our investment in governance helps to create Boards that provide leadership and vision from outstanding individuals representing a diverse range of ages, genders, sexual orientations, and professions.
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Accreditation
To qualify for and maintain membership status in IPPF, our Member Associations must adhere to programmatic, management, constitutional, and medical service standards. Accreditation is a formal process whereby the associations are assessed in 65 standards addressing quality, effectiveness, and accountability. The process also serves as an opportunity for the organizations to adapt and reflect on their strategies, management, and performance. Accreditation is managed at the global level in five-year cycles. All of IPPF/WHR’s Member Associations have passed through the accreditation process and will complete it again in 2009.
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Ensuring Contraceptive Availability
We work closely with our Member Associations to ensure that the appropriate health equipment and supplies are in place to meet the needs of communities throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Through IPPF’s contraceptive procurement company, our Member Associations help to fill a gap in access to family planning services with high-quality, low-cost products. To ensure access to a range of contraceptive products, IPPF/WHR also builds the capacity of our members to improve warehousing conditions and manage inventory control. Additionally, we assist with the commercialization of contraceptives at pharmacies and clinics as a way of generating income to subsidize programs. Our work in logistics also provides for equipment such as ultrasound machines and HIV and pregnancy tests.
