Global AIDS - India
A New & Vital book - October, 2003
Strategic & Planning Concepts for India's Response to HIV/AIDS -
By Rajendra Jani
This book presents application of management science principles &
techniques in developing appropriate HIV response in India. It is based
on Indian experience though most of the concepts are considerably broad
based enough to be applied elsewhere too.
The book aims to enhance the overall effectiveness of HIV response
in India through a systemic application of strategic & planning
concepts. Significant numbers of the concepts/strategies/frameworks
articulated in the book have been applied wherever opportunities have
existed & the environment has been conducive. Some like strategic
planning framework are yet to be applied.
The book will be relevant & useful to all those interested in joining
the battle against HIV/AIDS. Policy influencers, decision makers &
project managers all will find something relevant in the book with direct
applicability. Thus, the book is targeted at donors, State AIDS control
societies, NGOs & all other stakeholders participating in India's
response to HIV.
HIV has now been acknowledged as a multi dimensional issue of the society
now, but application of management sciences principles has remained
less than desired. The book is a modest aim at filling this gap.
HIV was articulated as one of the four major challenges facing India
currently in a recent India Conclave meet. With an estimate of four
million cases, HIV is unfolding as a complex socio-econo-legal-ethical-management-medical
phenomenon in India. India with its vast population, wide canvas of
differing cultures & languages, social norms & taboos surrounding
sexual health, make HIV a unique challenge requiring holistic &
multifaceted response.
There have been many advances and improvements in HIV prevention efforts
in India over the last decade. Many donors are participating in a nation
wide programme of AIDS Control (NACP-2), NACO has decentralized the
programme to various State & city AIDS Control Societies. And yet,
much more remains to be done.
"Targeted Interventions" is a major component for HIV prevention
consuming about 25-30% of the total budget for HIV prevention. It is
now very much recognized that NGOs & CBOs are an effective &
necessary interface between the Governments & target groups. At
present there are about 730 targeted interventions in India.
The book is divided in to three sections of concepts relevant at national,
state & project levels. In reality, some of this overlap and the
classification in to the three sections is mainly for ease of presentation.
Section-A
Deals with concepts & frameworks useful & relevant for national
level planning & strategizing. There are two chapters here.
Chapter-1 provides a conceptual framework for developing a holistic
& multi faceted HIV response & pegs current efforts of India.
It argues for broadening current response spectrum of India.
Chapter-2 develops a strategic planning framework for planning,
priorating, mainstreaming & targeting optimal HIV response at national
level.
Section-B
Deals with concepts relevant at State level & comprises of four
chapters.
Chapter-3 presents an argument for broad mind intervention designs
for HIV/AIDS & presents several innovative design philosophies.
The suggested supplementary design methods facilitate mainstreaming,
sustainability & stigma reduction enabling rapid scale up of the
HIV response. Some of these methods suggested introduce elements of
sector level of planning.
Chpater-4 on operational planning of Targeted Intervention (TI)
at the State level presents a holistic framework. It introduces an under
emphasized dimension of programme level planning & introduces some
interesting concepts like sectoral analysis, project mix, cumulative
planning, planning for the entire programme horizon, etc. It argues
that such planning paradigm should replace current yearly budgeting
& allocation exercises at the State level. One important highlight
of the framework currently is conscious reorganization of programmatic
strategies, which has not been emphasized adequately currently.
Chapter-5 presents a conceptual framework for rapid learning
& capacity building at all levels. It is well known that one of
the key bottlenecks in India for rapid scale up is lack of existing
capacities at all levels. It argues that average retention & application
in traditionally designed training programmes is very restricted. A
conceptual framework for design, development & production of training
programmes is evolved based on concepts of
adult learning, programme learning and experiential learning. One of
the focuses of the framework is on learning in "emersion as well
as in situ".
Chpater-6 identifies very many forms of partnerships for deepening
HIV response. It argues that we need to strengthen 3C (including concepts,
capacities & contacts) through multi- tier, multi faceted &
multi - dimensional partnerships. It argues for broad basing the existing
concept of project level partnerships.
Section-C
Deals with concepts relevant at micro/project level.
Chapter-7 on TI project planning framework presents a concept
of project life cycle. It articulates that deepening of HIV response
will not be doing more of the same year after year but changes in strategies,
approaches & applications. It argues that single concept of life
cycle is a qualitative cum quantitative tool for planning TI, monitoring,
evaluation & documenting TI efforts. It argues for developing such
a paradigm for seeing at targeted intervention projects.
Chapter-8 develops several generic strategies for project level
scale up. It argues that a project poses several scale-up opportunities
& careful & proactive planning of the same is essential. The
framework is of immediate relevance to the State attempting rapid scale
up.
Most of the concepts/framework evolved are readily applicable with
moderate fine-tuning.
My efforts will be worthwhile if the policy influencers, decision makers
& implementers find these concepts meaningful and take it further.
The book is not meant to be prescriptive but aims at creating a debate
& beyond.
Obviously, a book of this nature can only provide a starting point
& not complete treatment of management science to HIV programmes.
I further would like to work on concepts of micro planning, project
management frameworks, various technical strategies, management information
system, knowledge management & governance in HIV, peer system &
learning etc. based on the response to this book & time permitting.
To that effect, this book is a means & not an end in itself.
I dedicate this book to the people & institutions who have joined
the fight against HIV/AIDS in this country.
I will appreciate your feedback & thoughts.
Rajendra Jani
E-mail: rjani@rcel.org
[For a copy of the manuscript please log on to the following url: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AIDS-INDIA/files/
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