Design of community participation policies and strategies A policy or guidance document that outlines principles of community engagement assists in budgeting for community participation and enhancing accountability. Such a policy should be developed with the involvement of government, NGOs, and society actors, as establishing buy-in and managing expectations at the national, district, and local levels are essential. and faith-based organizations often have a longstanding role in designing, implementing, and evaluating CHW and community participation programs which, together with other evidence bases, is advantageous for policy and strategy development. An abundance of vertical programs, however, should be avoided, as different CHW training, supervision, incentives, and monitoring systems can undermine a national CHW or community participation strategy. The role of community management structures Community management structures, such as village health committees, provide support for CHWs by assisting in community mobilization and communication between the health sector and local administration. The performance of these committees depends, like that of CHWs, on the method of selecting volunteers, role definition, training, supervision, program performance evaluation, and incentives. In addition, contextual factors, such as the extent of decentralization of the health system and power and trust relationships within institutions and among people in the society at large, influence strategies for community management structures. In conclusion, the authors of this chapter state that community participation is of critical importance for well-performing CHW programs. As every community is different and dynamic, there is no one-size-fits-all approach in designing, implementing, and evaluating community participation and elements of programs. In every context, partnerships, trust, and respect between actors at all levels in the health system are essential to enhance positive and sustainable contributions to community health. originally written by LeBan, MS, Henry Perry, MD, Lauren Crigler, MA, and Chris Colvin, MA, PhD Chapter Fourteen: Scaling Up and Maintaining Effective Community Health Worker Programs Summarized by Emma Sacks, PhD
Design of community participation policies and strategies A policy or guidance document that outlines principles of community engagement assists in budgeting for community participation and enhancing accountability. Such a policy should be developed with the involvement of government, NGOs, and society actors, as establishing buy-in and managing expectations at the national, district, and local levels are essential. and faith-based organizations often have a longstanding role in designing, implementing, and evaluating CHW and community participation programs which, together with other evidence bases, is advantageous for policy and strategy development. An abundance of vertical programs, however, should be avoided, as different CHW training, supervision, incentives, and monitoring systems can undermine a national CHW or community participation strategy. The role of community management structures Community management structures, such as village health committees, provide support for CHWs by assisting in community mobilization and communication between the health sector and local administration. The performance of these committees depends, like that of CHWs, on the method of selecting volunteers, role definition, training, supervision, program performance evaluation, and incentives. In addition, contextual factors, such as the extent of decentralization of the health system and power and trust relationships within institutions and among people in the society at large, influence strategies for community management structures. In conclusion, the authors of this chapter state that community participation is of critical importance for well-performing CHW programs. As every community is different and dynamic, there is no one-size-fits-all approach in designing, implementing, and evaluating community participation and elements of programs. In every context, partnerships, trust, and respect between actors at all levels in the health system are essential to enhance positive and sustainable contributions to community health. originally written by LeBan, MS, Henry Perry, MD, Lauren Crigler, MA, and Chris Colvin, MA, PhD Chapter Fourteen: Scaling Up and Maintaining Effective Community Health Worker Programs Summarized by Emma Sacks, PhD
CHW%20Reference%20Guide%20Summary.docx