Domestic Resource Mobilization is broadly defined by USAID as the process through which countries raise and spend their own funds to provide for their people. Within the Learning Circles context, we approached the topic through a localized lens to explore what was working well and what needed improving in how organizations raised funds and obtained other resources (human, material) in order to implement their FP/RH programs in a more sustainable manner. Looking beyond traditional government and donor funding, discussions focused on diversification of funding bases which included public – private partnerships, corporate  sponsorships, charitable contributions and others. With many organizations highlighting challenges in obtaining funding for their projects and governmental delays for FP commodities, Local Resource Mobilization presents an opportunity for stability and sustainability of FP/RH programs.

Ilmu itu BERJAYA Bulatan Pembelajaran offer global health professionals an interactive peer learning platform for discussing and sharing effective program implementation approaches. This innovative online series is designed to address the challenges of remote work and lack of in-person interactions. Through small group-based sessions, program managers and technical advisors collaborate in supportive discussions to uncover practical insights and solutions for FP/RH program improvement. Learning Circles emphasizes practical experience and daily implementation and the participants themselves are the topic experts.

The cohort was co-facilitated by Sanjeeta Agnihotri and Ankita Kumari of Center for Communication and Change India (CCC-I) together with Meena Arivananthan from the Knowledge SUCCESS Asia Team.

The Learning Circles enabled immersive peer-to-peer learning through four structured live sessions on Zoom, along with off-session virtual engagement through WhatsApp, weekly reflection exercises and insights gleaned from a collaborative collection of curated resources on  FP insight. Using creative KM tools and approaches, cohort members were given  the opportunity to get to know each other in small groups, and discuss program experiences and shared challenges related to domestic resource mobilization in Asia.

Meet the Cohort

Twenty participants were actively engaged in the cohort representing 8 countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Fiji, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Philippines. 50% self-identified as women, 45% as men and the remainder preferred not to disclose their gender. Participants worked in resource mobilization, program management and policy engagement, among other areas.

The first session sought to bring together these geographically dispersed people from various organizations and areas of expertise. Using icebreakers and activities, participants were encouraged to get to know each other, as they discussed their resource mobilization challenges and shared their expectations of the LC sessions.

They described some of the challenges they encountered in having to depend on their respective governments for FP commodities, and how supply chain and logistics issues with FP commodities disrupted their projects. It was noted that centralized procurement systems and budget cuts largely affected marginalized populations, even more than mainstream communities. They echoed the need to explore other more sustainable approaches to bridge this gap.

Key expectations from participants:

• To learn from one another about domestic resource mobilization for family planning, understanding both effective strategies and those that may not yield desired outcomes.
• To forge new connections with like-minded professionals working in similar capacities and spaces.
• To gain insights into the diverse approaches employed by other organizations, broadening their perspectives.

Participants were introduced to a framework on resource mobilization for family planning in Asia which they found practical, novel and interesting. Adapted from the Hambrick and Fredrickson model for strategy, the framework was used by the cohort to discuss their experiences in gaining access to funding not only from the government for FP, but also from private sector, foundations and non-traditional funding sources.

 “It [the resource mobilization framework] will support me in replicating domestic resource mobilization efforts in other countries.” – Participant, Asia LC Cohort

What’s Working

In the second session, KM techniques such as Appreciative Inquiry and 1-4-SEMUA were used to encourage participants to reflect on and share successful practices from their past or ongoing experiences that significantly contributed to resource mobilization for their family planning projects and programs. Through individual introspection, collaborative group exercises, and plenary discussions, a set of recurring themes emerged as to why their endeavors were successful:

• Widen stakeholder pool – Participants attributed their success in resource mobilization by stepping out of their comfort zones and seeking support from a wider pool of people:
  • ○ The involvement of diverse stakeholders, including those who did not work in FP/RH
  • ○ Engaging staff who were not directly involved in a project to bring fresh perspectives to their on-going activities
  • ○ Focusing on community ownership through capacity strengthening and sensitization to change community behavior
• SMART Advocacy – Strategic advocacy using an inclusive approach that ensures the collective success of stakeholders, rather than focusing solely on obtaining financial contributions:
  • ○ Strengthening government services (e.g., India: Bridging capacity gap among health workers)
  • ○ National policy support (e.g., Philippines: Integration of FP into primary healthcare package)
• Leverage available resources – Out-of-box thinking that led to success with participants sharing how they were able to implement their projects without raising additional funds:
  • ○ Piggy-back on-going activities to reduce overhead costs
  • ○ Look for national policies that support your ask

“I really liked the self-reflections and the group work, listening to others’ success stories” – Participant, Asia LC Cohort

 

“(I would like to) implement Appreciative Inquiry method for my work/team because we are often too critical to our program”– Participant, Asia LC Cohort

What Could be Improved

Having discussed the general challenges participants encountered during Session 1, participants now had the opportunity to articulate them more closely and obtain useful feedback. In Session 3, participants used Perundingan Troika, a peer-to-peer KM approach, to unearth solutions from others that could be applied for local resource mobilization. Participants were organized into groups of three or four. They took turns describing a current challenge within their respective projects and programs, and  received insights and advice from their fellow group members.

Below is an overview of the challenges that participants delved into and the valuable advice they received from their peers in the cohort.

• Disruption of supply chain from shortage of FP commodities
  • Engage the local government to ensure that allocation of funds for FP commodities are calculated in a timely and targeted manner
  • Advocate for more choices in contraceptives with the government
  • Identify donors who are willing to supplement with add-on funds
• Private sector advocacy and engagement
  • Seek collaboration with the private sector to improve the supply chain for commodities, especially through Corporate Social Responsibility programs
  • Appeal to private sector clinics that are resistant to embark on FP due to lack of profits. Encourage them to engage with youth meaningfully. Remind them that “Today’s youth is tomorrow’s adult.”
  • Look for opportunities for public-private partnerships that engage both government and private sector especially with contraceptive use
• FP is not prioritized by the government
  • Change the narrative – position family planning as a lifestyle choice
  • Evidence-based advocacy is important, e.g., be data-specific in describing the marginalized populations that need attention
  • Multi-pronged advocacy with repeated sensitization of government and elected members, as well as different technical bodies, with evidence of FP-related indicators and why FP is still important.
  • Consider cross-collaboration with other issues prevalent in the community
• Lack of funds to train FP providers
  • Availability of online/ hybrid training options that can successfully reduce costs
  • Encourage Peer-to-Peer learning to train other providers; Create a pool of Master trainers from nursing background
  • Reduce costs for Face-to-Face training by lobbying for use of government facilities that are under-utilized as training venues
  • Encourage people to use self-learning tools; Digital courses can be developed using AI tools.

Action Planning

For the final session, participants focused on distilling the practical application of lessons gleaned from earlier discussions. They reviewed key success factors and reflected on the stakeholders they needed to approach in order to mobilize funds for their own organizations.

In closing, participants formulated commitment statements that were within their sphere of influence. Here are some examples:

• I commit to ensure private sector partnership in the manner of engaging at least 90 pharmacies for the FP services, counseling and referral in 2 districts in my country in July 2024
• I commit to collaborate with in-country colleagues to document this domestic resource mobilization initiative for FP through a scientific publication to ensure lessons and insights can be gathered and revisited
• I commit to engaging with my State Government’s Tea Association to expand the learnings of the expanding basket of contraceptive choice project to other tea gardens in the State by next 3-4 months.
• I commit to conversing with at least 5 different individuals who work in resource mobilization on issues of SRHR to build expertise in the field and understand the history of fundraising
• I commit to ensure collaboration with 15 community radio for strengthening the FP services through phone in program with FP experts (leveraging on available resources and developing partnerships that can help reduce costs)

Ultimately, the LC initiative empowered these professionals by enhancing their understanding of domestic resource mobilization, connected them with peers confronting similar challenges, and helped introduce practical action steps for them to embark on localizing resource mobilization for their FP programs.

Additional Quotes from the Survey:

“The commitment statement will help me stay motivated to improve my work. “– Participant, Asia LC Cohort

“I am motivated to learn new insights from my colleagues. I liked the cross-learning and interaction with senior leaders from other countries. The facilitators helped us with a smile” – Participant, Asia LC Cohort