TCI-U 2021 Annual Survey Reveals High Engagement and Positive Experiences for Users

by | Dec 1, 2021

Contributor: Lauren Wolkoff

The Challenge Initiative (TCI) provides a unique platform which enables local governments to sustainably scale up evidence-based, high-impact family planning and adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health (AYSRH) interventions to improve family planning access and uptake among women and girls in poor urban areas. Developed according to adult learning principles, TCI University (TCI-U) is a capacity-strengthening tool that supports the ongoing transfer of knowledge and skills to local government implementers and managers, as well as continuous learning and exchange across all 11 countries where TCI works.

Since its launch in September 2017, TCI-U provides this support through a tailored combination of:

  • Online toolkits with how-to guidance and practical tools related to the high-impact interventions
  • Coaching support from TCI hub staff to help implement the interventions
  • A community of practice to support a culture of learning, exchange and continuous improvement among peers and experts working in urban family planning and AYSRH programming

To ensure TCI-U is responsive to the information and learning needs of its primary audiences, including TCI-trained coaches and local government partners, Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP) – which leads TCI’s knowledge management portfolio – conducts an annual online survey. The survey’s goal is to examine the reach, usability, usefulness and use of TCI-U and its resources. It also seeks to uncover insights about the effectiveness of TCI’s coaching support and collect suggestions for improving TCI-U.

This year’s fourth annual survey generated more responses than ever – 2.5 times more than in 2020. As illustrated in the infographic below, the 2021 survey reaffirms insights from last year’s survey that users have an overwhelmingly positive experience with TCI-U and are engaging with it to build their own skills, pass their knowledge on to others, and implement high-impact family planning and AYSRH interventions in their communities.

The survey also underscored the effectiveness of TCI’s aim to share best practices in a way that can be shared with others, creating a chain of mentorship and expertise that spreads within local governments and communities and helps generate even more far-reaching positive change.

“I have been able to coach a pool of coaches who have subsequently applied this knowledge to solve pressing FP [family planning] problems,” said one coach from Nigeria.

As positive as the response to TCI-U has been, there is always room for improvement. The survey surfaced valuable feedback for TCI to improve the experience for users, including:

  • Increasing engagement through the Community of Practice: Findings suggest a need to create additional learning and transfer opportunities, more regular posting and engagement efforts by the platform administrator and additional networking opportunities.
  • Facilitating access to client-facing materials: Respondents have expressed a desire for easy access to relevant information, education and communication materials. TCI will explore integration with other relevant family planning and AYSRH website clearinghouses.
  • Including other related technical areas: TCI should consider expanding into technical areas that can be easily integrated into or linked with family planning and AYSRH, such as maternal and child health services, immunization and nutrition.
  • Making updates more visible: Respondents suggested making new resources and updated content more prominent with more frequent notifications.

Explore the survey findings in the following infographic:

 

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