Communication for Better Coordination of Family Planning Programs: The Rivers Experience

Creating an enabling policy environment is critical to the success of any health program, including family planning programming. Strengthening communication and coordination platforms among key stakeholders and policy makers is key to creating an enabling policy environment in which government can effectively lead and manage the diverse partners that contribute to the health program. With its “business unusual” approach to the scale-up of proven-to-work family planning interventions, the Challenge Initiative (TCI) commenced program implementation in Rivers State in July 2018, first supporting the State to identify and address program implementation bottlenecks, mobilize resources and facilitate investments in family planning. This case study highlights how findings from the net-map exercise conducted by TCI in Rivers State helped to improve State communication and coordination, ultimately leading to the development of a State-wide family planning workplan.