Structured Dialogue Seminar

1. Structured Dialogue Seminar Working Group 2: Complementarity and coherence within the Accra Agenda for Action 10-11 November 2010 New Delhi Case Study: MAMTA Health Institute for Mother &Child New Delhi, INDIA

2. The SACH Experience SACH-Scheme for Adolescent Counselling for Health

3. Contents • Background • Background • The journey • Where did we reach? • The challenge • The lesson • The lesson contd. • Donor Coordination (key experiences) • Donor Coordination (key experiences) • Finally….

4. Background

5. Background • MAMTA has been working with youth on sexual reproductive health rights (SRHR) for over a decade • Linkages of Sexual Reproductive Health (with sexuality) with systems (including services) has posed enough challenges • Clarity of SRH for its connectivity to Maternal Child Health is at the most nascent. • Sexual and Reproductive Rights – as a rights based approach needs much more affirmative actions.

6. The journey… • MAMTA submitted a concept note in 2008 for SACH in 18 districts in Uttar Pradesh • ARSH got a push with resources (funds) being allocated for SACH in two districts (Allahabad & Meerut)

7. Where did we reach? • Finally after two years SACH is to be scaled up in six districts ( to complement the menstrual hygiene management programme being rolled out by the government)

8. The challenge… • ARSH required a multi stakeholder partnership in order to roll out the benefits to the young • Getting the various stakeholders on board was facilitated by the Mission Director (NRHM) • SACH was rolled out in Uttar Pradesh in 2008 by the Health Minister of the state

9. The lesson… • Experience and evidence were instrumental in MAMTA positioning itself as an institution identified as working with young people on SRHR • Advocacy becomes easier when supported by existing policy and programmes • Decisions are person dependent many a times and thus may not be sustainable

10. The lesson contd.… • Attempt should be made to ensure that decisions are taken at a larger systemic level • Strong leadership within the government system is extremely useful in effective roll out of policies and programmes for the people whom it is intended for

11. Donor Coordination(Some key experiences) • Presently most donor coordination happens at the government level • Most of the coordination is as per government guidelines and need • Within the UN system there is a coordination of resources and issues but with a big challenge of individual power

12. Donor Coordination(Some key experiences) • Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) is one place where donor coordination is along with civil societies, but with a very feeble voice… • Strongly propose increased civil society participation in donor coordination…need platforms for the same • Donor needs to invest much more in building capacities to put together community experiences into a language that is understood by functionaries at different levels

13. Finally…. •  MAMTA has engaged in policy dialogue and influenced health policies and programmes  • MAMTA is a part of different committees at the National, State and District level which provides us an opportunity to put across the voices from the field and inform the decision making process • We feel that the civil society needs a stronger representation and appropriate platforms for the same and at the same time the capacities of the NGOs need to built around being able put a language to their experience that is understood by all