Santé Familiale et Prévention du Sida (SFPS): Gold Circle

• Overview
• Partners
• Target Audience
• Objectives
• Activities
• Outputs
• Impact
• Future Plans

Overview

GO award ceremony, Burkina Faso

The Gold Circle is a quality of care improvement and accreditation strategy developed and implemented by the BCC component of the SFPS project in collaboration with the service delivery component. It focuses concurrently on improvements to the quality of services (supply side) and increased use of services (demand side) through promotion of the improved services. The project's goal is to increase consistent use of modern FP methods (higher CPR-contraceptive prevalence rate and CYP-couple year protection) by improving and maintaining the quality of FP services throughout the region. Of the 206 participating SFPS clinics in the project countries, 120 clinics have been awarded the Gold Circle.

Started in December 1998, the Gold Circle strategy was developed based on formative research that captured clients' perception of quality services: the ideal provider is warm, smiling, competent, and punctual. The ideal FP clinic is clean, with short waiting time, well-equipped, and with contraceptives available.

Partners

• CAFS, Togo
• Mwangaza, Burkina Faso
• CHP, Cameroon
• IRESCO, Cameroon
• National and local radio stations
• National TV

Target Audience

FP clinics

Objectives

• Raise the quality of FP services to meet established quality standards.
• Reward improved and sustained quality by awarding the Gold Circle quality seal to select clinics.
• Promote Gold Circle clinics through mass-media and intensive community mobilization activities around the clinics.
• Ensure sustainability of Gold Circle sites by promoting close collaboration between service providers and community members.

Communication Objectives

• Increase the knowledge of modern FP methods and the benefit of their use.
• Increase use of FP services
• Increase use of modern FP methods.
• Improve the quality of FP information provided to clients by FP service providers.

Activities

Project activities are based on a 2-pronged strategy:

1. Improve supply (Training of providers + availability of commodities);
2. Increase demand by promoting quality services and mobilizing the community around the Gold Circle sites.

For support, ownership, and sustainability of the strategy, site-based Quality Teams (QT) were put together as linking bodies between community and services. The QT is made up of 12 members representatives of community organizations, community leaders, service providers. The roles of the QT include quality assurance at Gold Circle sites by identifying and resolving problems, organization of community mobilization activities at the clinic and community levels, and mobilization of local resources.

Activities include:

• Formative research with clients and FP providers on their perceptions of "what makes quality FP services."
• Development of messages and materials on modern FP methods and to promote Gold Circle sites.
• Formation of Gold Circle Quality Teams consisting of providers and community members to plan Gold Circle launches and activities and do joint problem-solving for continued clinic improvement.
• Training of Gold Circle Quality Teams in FP/HIV/STI BCC, quality assurance, dual protection, and youth friendly services promotion.
• Training of select service providers in youth friendly IPC/C.
• Annual launches of new (and anniversaries of established) Gold Circle sites.
• Mass-media (radio, TV) campaign and community mobilization events to promote FP providers, modern
• FP methods, and Gold Circle sites.
• Periodic campaign evaluation to measure exposure to and impact of Gold Circle activities.
• Gold Circle national champions award to reward active community (public and private sector) support to the Gold Circle initiative.
• Service provider radio programs.

Outputs

• Gold Circle advocacy brochure.
• Periodic Gold Circle update distributed in all three countries of the project to give Gold Circle actors and partners status updates of project activities.
• Gold Circle community mobilization implementation guide.
• Gold Circle Communication Impact (CCP publication).
• Gold Circle radio and TV spots
• Four Gold Circle radio and TV FP infomercials, giving details on the pill, injectables, the condom, and an overview of all FP methods together. This series is entitled "Tantie Fatou" (in English, "Auntie Fatou," who is an experienced FP provider well-liked in her community and who provides advice on modern FP methods).
• Print materials, including posters encouraging couple decision making and pamphlets on FP methods, STIs, and HIV/AIDS prevention.
• Promotional materials, including calendars, pen holders, and purses.
• 290 trained in interpersonal communication and counseling (IPC/C).
• 20 Gold Circle service providers trained in youth-friendly IPC/C.
• More than 1,000 people, including Quality Team members and various level service providers, trained in FP/STI/HIV/BCC.
• One IPC/C curriculum for FP service providers.
• One integrated FP/STI/HIV/AIDS curriculum for FP providers.
• One youth-friendly IPC/C curriculum for FP service providers.
• 98 Gold Circle sites with quality FP services.

Impact

In general, the campaign has:

• Improved FP services
• Increased use of FP services
• Increased use of modern FP methods

Client Exit Interviews conducted in three countries showed that 98% of clients reported being happy with services at Gold Circle sites.

Cameroon Panel Study: Increased used of modern FP methods among previous non-users: 23% among those exposed compared with 8% among non-exposed.

Togo Panel Study: 51% of those exposed (vs 27 non- exposed) encouraged someone to practice FP.

Burkina Panel Study: Campaign associated with higher contraceptive usage: 35% of those exposed vs 9% of those not exposed.

Future Plans

In February/March 2002, a new round of Gold Circle sites was launched; established sites that have retained their status celebrated their anniversary. Launches will be followed with the implementation of 3- to 5-month community action plans designed by the Quality Teams. Members of the Quality Teams will also be trained in quality assurance, youth-friendly services, and dual protection promotion.

Previous | Next
Table of Contents