Strategic Planning and Multi-Sectorial Approaches

Multi-sectoral involvement in the response to HIV/AIDS brings together a range of resources, skills and know-how. At a local level it enables better coordination of service delivery. This is illustrated through the experiences of Bokeo AIDS Committee in Lao, where 12 provincial departments are involved in coordinating a number of large services and projects. Coordination also requires careful management. In a school based peer education program in the Philippines, the model of a lead agency was described as a way for more effective coordination of a number of organisations that where implementing the program. Some of the factors described that contribute to the success of multi-sectoral approaches are: partnerships and sharing of skills and knowledge between public and private organisations; development of common goals; clear roles and responsibilities for partners; feedback mechanisms between partners; and, schemes to highlight and promote achievements. Some of the outcomes described include resource sharing, more effective networking and cooperation, better planning and increased capacity to undertake programs. The activity of planning, monitoring, evaluation, designing programs etc are capacity building processes where they are inclusive and involve broad stakeholder groups.

The Pacific Islands Strategic Planning Project is an example of how whole countries developed the capacity to plan together and how the individuals involved were able to take back the skills learnt in this process to their organisations. Similarly with evaluation, participatory processes can strengthen an organisation's capacity for design and implementation of programs through development of skills for regular review and evaluation. Planning processes can also increase community awareness and skills to develop their own initiatives. The broad involvement and participation of communities in strategy development has not only demonstrated the importance of this process in mobilising and strengthening community efforts but also to make strategies more relevant. The recent strategic planning process in Malawi illustrates that starting with local communities and developing their capacity to discuss HIV/AIDS issues among themselves and identify areas of concerns is a necessary process to getting cooperation and involvement in developing solutions that can then become strategies.