FHI - Service Delivery Tools

Guides and tools

Menu of Practices: Practical Guidance for Improving Reproductive Health and Family Planning Policy and Programming (2008). A large gap still exists between the spheres of research and practice, leading to delays of a decade or longer before widespread use of conclusive evidence. The "Menu of Practices" aims to bridge this gap by ensuring that policy-makers, health practitioners, and other decision-makers are able to quickly and efficiently access, understand, and implement recommendations stemming from new and under-used research findings in reproductive health and family planning. Each of the Menus in this package includes recommendations to improve reproductive health policies and practices, and includes suggested tools and resources to support implementation.

COC Strategy Guide (2008, PDF, 475 KB). This easy-to-use tool assists health workers of all levels in the implementation of four evidence-based strategies recommended by the World Health Organization to increase uptake and continuation of COCs. These strategies include:

Quick Start, when women take their first pill under observation during a clinic visit regardless of their menstrual cycle day
Advance provision of COCs
Providing multiple packs of COCs
Managing missed pills

Implementing these evidence-based strategies can improve quality of care and reduce medical barriers for those seeking oral contraception. On many occasions, menstruation requirements or a client's inability to visit health centers for refills restrict or deny access to COCs for eligible women who desire this method. In addition, complicated instructions on when to initiate use of hormonal contraceptives and how to manage missed pills can create unnecessary obstacles to contraceptive uptake and continuance. Using the COC strategy guide can reduce these barriers.

Training and Reference Guides for Family Planning Screening Checklists (2008). This series of four publications is designed for program managers, administrators, trainers, and service providers interested in learning how to use the checklists to screen women wishing to initiate use of family planning methods, including combined oral contraceptives (COCs), injectables (DMPA and NET-EN), the copper intrauterine device (IUD), and implants (available soon). A fifth checklist, entitled How to be Reasonable Sure a Client is not Pregnant, enables providers to rule out pregnancy among nonmenstruating women seeking to initiate the contraceptive method of their choice at the time of their visit.

Long-Acting and Permanent Methods (LAPMs): Addressing Unmet Need for Family Planning in Africa (2008). This package of eight briefs presents the benefits of LAPMs and the rationale for introducing or revitalizing them within national reproductive health and family planning programs. They are meant to inform policy-makers, program managers, and donors, as well as diverse stakeholders at the community level who wish to improve and expand LAPM provision within their communities.

Improving Access to Family Planning: Community-based Distribution of DMPA (2007). This kit provides information and tools with which decision-makers can advocate for and initiate community-based distribution (CBD) of the injectable contraceptive depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA or Depo-Provera).

DMPA Provision by Community-Based Reproductive Health Workers in Africa (2007, PDF, 695 KB). This manual provides information about Depo-Provera (DMPA) to community-based health workers so that they can offer safe, high-quality services to women who may not be able to reach a clinic.

Meeting the Needs of Young Clients: A Guide to Providing Reproductive Health Services to Adolescents (2000). This manual is meant to help service providers and health workers strengthen the reproductive health care and services offered to young women and men.

Evaluating Programs for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care in Developing Countries: A Handbook for Program Managers and Decision Makers: Chapter 3 (2001). Chapter 3 of this 276-page guide is about evaluating behavior change communication interventions.

Religious-Based Initiatives: HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Series (1997). This 69-page guide serves as a theoretical and practical reference for program managers, community and religious leaders and others planning, implementing or evaluating religious-based HIV/AIDS prevention efforts.

Evaluating Programs for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care in Developing Countries: Evaluating Voluntary HIV Counseling and Testing Programs (2001). See Chapter 6 of this 276-page guide, on evaluating voluntary HIV counseling and testing programs.

Behavior Change Communication Handbook: How to create an effective peer education project (PDF, 128 KB)

Job aids

FHI job aids include checklists, posters, information packets, visual aids, videos, slide presentations and activity kits.

Screening Checklists for Family Planning Services. Tools for Service Providers. Based on standard medical criteria developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), FHI's screening checklists are designed to assist health workers in their efforts to help family planning clients make informed choices about safe and effective use of contraception. These include:

FHI has also worked with Ministries of Health to adapt the provider checklists so that they align with national family planning guidelines and local language and style. For country-adapted checklists, please see:

Comparing Effectiveness of Family Planning Methods (chart, PDF, 219 KB). To make informed contraceptive choices, clients require an accurate understanding of pregnancy risks. As a result of an earlier USAID-supported study by FHI showing that a simplified counseling chart can improve women's understanding of contraceptive effectiveness better than more complex tools can, a panel composed of the World Health Organization (WHO), USAID, the INFO Project at JHU/CCP, EngenderHealth, FHI, and other experts drafted this chart, which presents contraceptive methods on a continuum of effectiveness. The chart is also available in French and Spanish.

IUCD Method Briefs: A New Look at IUDs. Summaries in this information packet describe the IUD's many benefits: Increasing access to and provision of the IUD is a way of expanding women's contraceptive choices. The device is safe, effective, and reversible. It is an extremely low-cost option. It is convenient for client and provider, and has minimal associated health risks. Finally, it may be a contraceptive option for HIV-positive clients.

Quick Reference Chart. Produced by FHI, this chart is based on the World Health Organization's Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use. It serves as an "at-a-glance" job aid for providers on whether clients with certain medical conditions may initiate or continue using combined oral contraceptives (COCs), Depo-Provera (DMPA), Noristerat (NET-EN), contraceptive implants, or the copper intrauterine device (Cu-IUD).