Participants at TCI University’s Master Training of Trainers and Coaches in Dar es Salaam.

The Challenge Initiative launched TCI University (TCI-U) at a Master Training of Trainers and Coaches in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from Sept. 11 – 20. TCI-U allows for the cost-effective, rapid scale up of evidence-based interventions developed under the Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (URHI) by transferring key knowledge and skills built on past successes. It also was designed to cultivate a culture of learning, exchange and continuous improvement based on a foundation of high-impact family planning interventions.

More than 30 participants were guided through the process of learning how to use the TCI-U Global Toolkit to coach the Initiative’s urban areas when designing their family planning programs. This online toolkit is designed to enhance the functionality and agility of the Initiative’s implementing partners to respond to interested geographies and help them develop and implement program proposals successfully.

TCI-U is complemented by a Community of Practice (COP) for the global urban reproductive health community, which can connect via in-person and virtual training opportunities, or through coaching support.

TCI-U is a major innovation adapted from the private corporate sector. In addition to the Dar es Salaam workshop, a Francophone one is planned for early 2018. These workshops are designed to produce a cadre of master coaches and trainers expected to further extend the proven solutions and tools, coach urban areas during implementation and ensure continuous, dynamic learning across the Initiative’s implementation areas.

Regional Toolkits from each of the Initiative’s hubs – East Africa, Francophone West Africa, Nigeria and India – have also been migrated to its website so all regional toolkits can be accessed from a central location.

Approaches and tools from the hub Toolkits were curated and synthesized into the TCI-U Toolkit based on the following criteria:

  • Availability and scalability of tools for the specific approach (e.g., Integrated Outreach)
  • Approach was found effective by the Measurement, Learning & Evaluation project (MLE).
  • Approach was considered a high-impact practice by the global family planning community

TCI’s India team hard at work during the Dar es Salaam Master Training of Trainers and Coaches.

Approaches were designed and written with the end-user in mind, and specifically focus on providing practical guidance on how to design and implement a particular approach.

The TCI-U Toolkit is organized into three program areas: Services & Supply, Demand Generation and Advocacy.  Each program area contains several approaches (see table below) with each approach presented on a single webpage; all tools associated with the approach are also contained within that page. Content on all pages is arranged in the same way so needed information is easy to locate. All pages for the approaches contain: What the approach is, why the approach is valuable, how to conduct the approach, implementation tips based on URHI experiences, challenges and possible solutions for implementation, and evidence of the approach’s effectiveness. 

TCI-U Approaches by Program Area

Services & Supply Approaches Demand Generation Approaches Advocacy Approaches
1.    Skilled Providers

2.    On-the-job Training

3.    Family Planning Integration

4.    Facility Makeovers

5.    Health Facility Strengthening

6.    Whole-Site Orientation to FP

7.    Contraceptive Commodity Security

8.    Mobile Service Delivery

9.    Working with the Private Sector

1.     Scientific Approach to Behavior Change

2.     Community Health Workers

3.     Integrated Outreach

4.     Social Mobilization

5.     Mass Media

1.     Advocacy at the Sub-National Level

2.     Advocacy with Family Planning Champions

3.     Advocacy and the Media