The Challenge Initiative’s (TCI’s) Nigeria team published a field action report in Global Health: Science and Practice on June 7,2023, that explores how the responsive feedback tool known as Pause & Reflect (P&R) helped them identify what has worked in family planning programming, so implementers can adapt strategies where needed and document lessons learned.
TCI’s “learning by doing approach” includes regularly scheduled P&R sessions along with other approaches to monitor and provide insights into TCI’s impact across 176 cities in 13 countries. Using responsive feedback tools and incorporating continuous learning throughout the program cycle is essential because relying only on outcome measures (i.e., health management information systems data) after management decisions have already been made may miss key information that would allow implementers time to course correct. The article found that approaches like P&R result in actionable feedback by ensuring intentional reflection points during the program life cycle and collecting insights from multiple stakeholders.
According to the article, TCI’s Nigeria team held four quarterly P&R sessions to identify promising practices, learn from mistakes and avoid future pitfalls as they provide coaching to local governments in implementing high-impact family planning practices and other interventions (HIPs & HIIs). The sessions were led by TCI Nigeria’s Knowledge Management Officer (or sometimes an external facilitator) and included TCI staff along with other program and operations staff. After the sessions, recommendations and corrective actions were discussed with state government team members and TCI provided support to the government to lead corrective actions.
Among the lessons learned listed by the article were that leadership should mandate P&R sessions that are aligned with quarterly reporting, solicit staff input on topics for reflection, and produce a report on recommendations and actions to be implemented. The article noted that since P&R sessions can lead to more effective and efficient programs, implementing organizations, government officials and community stakeholders should institute such responsive feedback mechanisms on a regular basis.
The article said the P&R sessions contributed to improved learning and adaptive management of the TCI program in Nigeria. Challenges remaining to be addressed include making time and space for regular P&R sessions. The authors concluded by saying:
TCI Nigeria is exploring how to introduce and institutionalize using P&R periodically by government managers within state-level coordinating bodies, so that they can adapt P&R sessions to strengthen their own programming.”
How The Challenge Initiative Adapted and Used Pause and Reflect Responsive Feedback Sessions for Adaptive Management in Nigeria was written by Nneoma Anieto, Lekan Ajijola, Victor Igharo, Sarah Jane Holcombe and Lisa Mwaikambo
