Effective Strategic Planning in Nigeria’s Cross River State

SEPTEMBER 2008 — Nigeria's Cross River State Agency for Prevention and Control of AIDS (SAPCA) is implementing a state strategic plan that effectively coordinates the state's response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Cross River was the first state in Nigeria to complete such a plan.

The strategic plan coordinates the involvement and activities of all stakeholders—including line ministries, the private sector, networks, and community- and faith-based organizations—and has led to increased levels of HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and support activities statewide. This effective coordination has created an enabling environment for bilateral and multilateral partners to establish and scale up activities.

SAPCA's effort was supported by the Strengthening Nigeria's Response to HIV/AIDS (SNR), a five-year Department for International Development (DFID)-funded program managed by Family Health International (FHI).

Factors Contributing to the Success

Joint planning: In Cross River State, SNR supported joint planning meetings between SAPCA and other partners and stakeholders. The meetings helped achieve consensus on the need for a state strategic plan to serve as a common reference to coordinate HIV/AIDS intervention efforts statewide. The meetings also enabled partners to jointly mobilize the needed resources. Once consensus was achieved, SNR ensured that representatives of stakeholders were included in the plan's development and facilitated institutional and human capacity development which SAPCA needed to properly coordinate the state-level response. The joint planning meetings were boosted by a series of advocacy visits made to many partners and stakeholders.

Targeted technical assistance: SNR provided technical assistance to SAPCA to convene the stakeholders' meeting. The meeting strengthened the consensus to develop the plan and determine which thematic areas the document would cover. Technical working groups were constituted in a broad-based manner, and these ensured that the voices of relevant stakeholders were heard. SNR also engaged consultants, who provided support during all phases of the plan's development, from planning to drafting to finalization and review to the launch. The consultants and SNR staff reviewed materials and methodologies to be used by the various working groups.

Rosemary Ogon-Onah, Ministry of Justice, Cross River State, attests to the effectiveness of SNR's highly targeted capacity building efforts. "SNR's trainings facilitated the participation of many government establishments in HIV/AIDS activities, which influenced our involvement in drafting a bill to transform SAPCA into an agency."

Leveraged financial assistance: SNR contributed funds to help cover some of the expenses incurred in developing the plan, including travel and lodging, document preparation and production, and facilitation. With the example of its support, SNR was able to leverage other contributions of resources from other partners.

Deep stakeholder involvement: Another SNR strategy was to support SAPCA to create platforms to engage a broad array of civil society organizations and networks of people living with HIV or AIDS (PLHA) in planning and review of the State led response to HIV/AIDS. SNR also conducted a series of capacity building exercises for stakeholders such as the line ministries, local area coordinators, civil society organizations, and PLHA networks. Service delivery points were engaged through an inventory and mapping exercise  to identify point of HIV/AIDS services and programs and other activities. While ensuring that key personnel and stakeholders were trained on the national health management information system and its application to their programs, SNR also made inroads on HIV/AIDS interventions to local communities through identification of local "drivers of change" (people with potential to influence positive behavior).

Mentoring role: According to the project manager for the World Bank HIV project in SAPCA, Gabriel Undelikwo, "The relationship with SNR was one of mentoring, sharing, and coaching. This rapidly moved the state toward the 'three ones' position." Undelikwo added that, with SNR's assistance, SAPCA has fully trained its personnel in the use of the National Response Information Management System, preventing duplication and wastage in its programming.

Planning for sustaining momentum: Undelikwo said the Cross River SAPCA believes that once it establishes a permanent secretariat, ensures regular funding of for the local coordinating agencies, and resolves wage disparities, "we will achieve a lot in moving the state's response to an enviable position."

Sequenced activities: Rather than carrying out all planned activities at once, SNR did so in careful sequence. This created opportunities to monitor the responses and successes, time to reflect on the challenges, and flexibility to make adjustments. Because of SNR's methodical approach, Cross River State was the first to successfully draft and implement a state strategic plan, and the five other states in the SNR focus areas that followed were able to benefit from the lessons learned.

Planning for sustainability: SNR is conducting a midterm assessment of the strategic planning work in all the states. Have the states moved up and improved? What is working and what is not? States will use the information from this review to monitor their progress and revise their plans when they lapse. The information will also be useful as states draft yearly work plans. In 2010, Cross River State partners will together develop another five-year plan so that everyone continues to be clear about where the state wants to go.

PHOTO: Rosemary Ogon-Onah works for the Ministry of Justice in Cross River State and Gabriel Undelikwo is the project manager for the World Bank HIV project in SAPCA.  (FHI/Nigeria)