Evaluation of the Latin American and Caribbean Maximizing Access and Quality Exchange

This report describes the outcomes of the first regional Maximizing Access and Quality (MAQ) Exchange, a five-day meeting held in April 2002 that provided information on evidence-based best practices in reproductive health and family planning (RH/FP) to representatives of Ministries of Health, USAID missions, cooperating agencies, and NGOs from the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Exchange participants were encouraged to develop action plans to implement ways to improve RH/FP practices in their home countries and could seek $15,000 in seed money from USAID to cover the costs of implementing those plans. In early 2004, USAID asked the Quality Assurance Project (QAP) to evaluate the results of the Exchange and the use of the seed funds in the five countries. The evaluation found mixed results: There was a clear consensus among the country participants about the high value of the themes and content of the Exchange, but not all action plans were successfully implemented. The report concludes with recommendations to strengthen future Exchanges in the areas of participant selection, technical content, selection of action plan topics, monitoring of action plan implementation, and management of funds.

Click on the icon to see the complete report.