The Policy Implementation Barriers Analysis (PIBA) activity was designed to pilot a methodology and set of tools to identify key barriers to implementing programs under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The project integrated gender into the PIBA activity to help underscore the various needs of women and men within the context of barriers to implementation. Health policies affect women and men differently, as do policies that influence service delivery systems, available resources, patient treatment options, medical costs, and other aspects of healthcare services.
The USAID | Health Policy Initiative assembled a gender team to pilot the methodology, adapting it to the country context and completing the following activities and deliverables: input to overall PIBA survey questionnaires, preparation of a briefing note for the Haiti team, gender training for the Haiti and Vietnam PIBA teams, two field visits to provide technical assistance to the Vietnam PIBA team, input to topic-specific questionnaires in Vietnam, and a report on the approach to integrate gender into PIBA work.
By mid-2007, several PEPFAR and non-PEPFAR countries had initiated some element of the PIBA, including China, Haiti, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Based on the pilot process, the gender team recommended that each country complete the following methodology in sequence: desk review and analysis, briefing note, gender training, review of questionnaires, survey, analysis, and report writing.
Country-specific deliverables included the production of three deliverables: a briefing note on gender issues related to the chosen topic, a gender training, and a country-specific report. The country-specific report should highlight the most important gender-related constraints and opportunities relevant to the implementation barriers being investigated through the survey. The report can be included as an annex to the overall PIBA report.
To complete these activities successfully, program planners should ensure that there is sufficient flexibility in the time allowed in order to accommodate the process to local conditions. Also, there should be sufficient resources to carry out the gender-integrated approach. The gender team recommends that planners budget for 40-50 days level of effort and travel for a gender expert (local or international) to assist a local gender consultant and work with PIBA team and an additional 40 days level of effort for a local gender consultant to undertake gender activities in-country with the PIBA team.
The PIBA activity focused on identifying barriers to reaching a targeted goal for one or more of the PEPFAR indicators. The project integrated gender into the PIBA activity to help underscore the various needs of women and men within the context of barriers to implementation. The USAID | Health Policy Initiative assembled a gender team to pilot the methodology, adapting it to the country context and completing the following activities and deliverables.
The USAID | Health Policy Initiative assembled a gender team to pilot the methodology, adapting it to the country context and completing the following activities and deliverables. The gender team recommended that each country complete the following methodology in sequence: desk review and analysis, briefing note, gender training, review of questionnaires, survey, analysis, and report writing. Country-specific deliverables included the production of three deliverables: a briefing note on gender issues related to the chosen topic, a gender training, and a country-specific report.