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 Introduction

The Strategic Pathway to Reproductive Health Commodity Security: A Tool for Assessment, Planning, and Implementation (the SPARHCS Tool) has been used extensively to help improve Reproductive Health Commodity Security (RHCS). RHCS is defined as a situation in which women and men can choose, obtain, and use quality reproductive health (RH) commodities when and where they need them. The “SPARHCS process” attempts to measurably strengthen RHCS through attention to each phase of the cycle of RHCS activities — from awareness raising to monitoring the effectiveness of a funded and implemented strategic plan for RHCS. Typically, the tool is used to frame activities at each phase and to guide strategic planning. In most instances, stakeholders have used the tool to carry out RHCS assessments of family planning or broader RH supply programs. An RHCS assessment (or joint diagnosis), which is a collaborative and multi-sectoral effort to assess the RHCS situation, has often served to catalyze a comprehensive approach to improve RHCS.

The SPARHCS Tool has been used in more than fifty countries (Appendix A). This experience demonstrates that the tool can be adapted for the objectives, resources, and constraints of any country or program. A number of different methods have been used to assess RHCS, determine priorities, and use findings from the assessment to develop and implement strategic plans. However, limited published documentation exists that examines how these different SPARHCS-based methodologies or processes were used to meet stakeholder objectives or how the SPARHCS Tool has been successfully adapted to a range of different country environments.

This Guide aims to fill that information gap. It draws from experiences at the country and regional levels to show how the SPARHCS Tool and approach can be used to:

• Establish, maintain, and increase RHCS awareness

• Carry out regional, national, or local RHCS assessments (joint diagnoses)

• Establish consensus on RHCS priorities

• Develop a multi-partner RHCS strategic plan

• Support RHCS strategic plan implementation and related monitoring and evaluation

Not all of the components in the SPARHCS process are addressed equally here. The Guide emphasizes RHCS assessment and strategic planning – the two components where guidance has been most requested, and where the field experience is most extensive.

This Guide is intended for use by program managers, consultants, and technical assistance providers to assist them in carrying out the SPARHCS process. The Guide can also be used by donors and policy makers to plan the kinds of activities that they can support to strengthen RHCS. This Guide should be used as a companion to the SPARHCS Tool. An examination of the tool and a careful review of this Guide will help users understand why RHCS is important and how to set in motion a process to improve it.

Achieving RHCS is a complex and resource-intensive process requiring multi-sectoral collaboration and coordination at many levels. This Guide reflects that complexity by providing extensive guidance and numerous practical examples. Audiences are encouraged to routinely consult the Guide as a reference when implementing the SPARHCS process.

This Guide is organized into nine sections:

• Section 2 describes implementation of the SPARHCS process throughout the Program Cycle and suggests that a comprehensive approach should be used to ensure funded implementation of an RHCS strategic plan.

• Section 3 provides a pre-process checklist of essential considerations. It encourages users to identify the main obstacles in their program, achieve consensus on priority RH products, set expectations, and secure financing before beginning the process.

• Section 4 describes important points to keep in mind for successful RHCS awareness raising, including options to build commitment and ways to integrate RHCS into existing programs.

• Section 5 details the essential elements of an RHCS joint diagnosis, provides ideas for data collection, and shows how the SPARHCS Tool can be adapted to reach consensus on priorities.

• Section 6 defines the multi-partner strategic planning process. It details why planning is important and how to achieve consensus on priorities, and provides step by step guidance on developing RHCS strategic plans.

• Section 7 identifies success factors associated with funded implementation of a strategic plan – one of the most difficult challenges facing programs today. These factors include: political will, financial commitment, monitoring and evaluation, and integrating RHCS into existing health programming.

• Section 8 describes three model SPARHCS processes. The models show how RH programs might tailor the SPARHCS process to available resources and objectives.

• Conclusions are offered in Section 9.