USAID ASSISTED INNOVATIONS IN FAMILY
PLANNING SERVICES PROJECT
IN UTTAR PRADESH

The Innovations in Family Planning Services (IFPS) Project is a major initiative taken for reorienting and revitalizing the family planning services in Uttar Pradesh. The project is the result of an agreement signed between the Government of India and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on 30.9.92. Under the agreement, USAID is to provide total assistance of US$ 325 million, out of which $225 million is to be spent in Uttar Pradesh for specific activities and $100 millions to be spent in dollars on equipment, services and training for the project. Its objectives are as follows:

1. To bring down the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) from 5.4 (5.2 as per SRS 1993) to 4 at the end of project period of 10 years.
2. To increase the Couple Protection Rate (CPR) from 35% to 50% at the end of project period of 10 years. (CPR was 40.7% as of March, 1996)
3. To increase percent of births receiving ANC from 30% to 40%.
4. To increase percentage of deliveries assisted by a doctor or nurse/mid wives from 17% to 30%.

The objectives are sought to be achieved through

• Increasing access of family planning services by expanding service delivery in the public sector and in the non-governmental sector
• Improving the quality of family planning services by expanding the choice of contraceptive methods and improving the technical competence of personnel
• Promoting family planning by broadening support among leadership groups and increasing public understanding of the benefits of family planning.

The project is to be implemented by an autonomous society at the State level. The society is named the 'State Innovations in Family Planning Services Project Agency (SIFPSA)'. The Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh heads the Governing Body of SIFPSA. The Executive Director is the Chief Executive Officer of SIFPSA. SIFPSA has a nominee of the Department of Family Welfare on the Governing Body.At the Central level, a Central Steering Committee headed by Secretary (FW) has been constituted for formulating policies and reviewing implementation of the project. The Chief Secretary and the Health Secretary, Uttar Pradesh, are members of the Central Steering Committee. The entire project period has been divided into 3 phases. Innovations adopting different strategies and approaches are to be planned and tested in various areas of Uttar Pradesh during the first five years of the project period. Successful models are to be replicated in wider areas during the sixth to eighth year and in the last two years of the project, the impact of these activities is to be assessed and evaluated.The components of the project are Public Sector, Private Sector, Contraceptive Social Marketing, Research and Evaluation.