Philippine National Population and Family Planning Outreach Project (NPFPOP)

Face-to-face capacity building - with an emphasis on local participation, and an undercurrent of the awards/recognition approach - figured prominently in this initiative. Population officers, who were hired by the LGUs on a contractual basis, eventually became regular LGU officers in areas where they decided to establish a "Permanent Population Office" from whence to spearhead the FP programme.

Specifically, the Deputy Manager for Operations of this project (who is, as of 2009, affiliated with the Forum for Family Planning and Development, or FFPD) explains that "what was key to program implementation was the role volunteer workers played in the program. These workers were in charge of a geographical area and had personal contacts with all the families. They conducted spot-mapping for FP use (and for other economic and social data), motivated married couples to use and/or maintain the use of a method, supply/resupply condoms and pills, link the families not only with health facilities but also other appropriate government agencies to address their needs, and served as community advisers for varied concerns. The volunteer workers were called the Barangay Service Point Officers (BSPOs) and were given basic motivation training for FP. They were identified and recruited by the Population officers. These volunteer workers did not receive any compensation. They received T-shirts, umbrellas, and caps with the BSPO and FP logos, and, in some areas, transportation money. Short refresher courses were also conducted for them by local Population officers. There was also the annual selection and awarding of Outstanding BSPOs (together with other Population officers) during the celebration of the Population Week. Aside from these 'incentives' there were no other material resources poured into the program for them."

Family Planning, Population.

The Deputy Manager for Operations asserts that "what was amazing was that these BSPOs stayed in the program and performed outstandingly. Studies tend to show that these breed of workers were highly motivated and that they chose to perform the role as community catalysts for development because of the intangible benefits they give to the community and they get from the community. For them, being part of the program was a badge of honor. Indeed, there were manifestations that they acquired a level of status where they became gatekeepers of the community. There are documented reports that some of the BSPOs became barangay officials (elected into office), promoted to Population officers, and even elected into higher positions such as councilor, mayor, and even district representative (congressman). The contraceptive prevalence rates shot up from the inception of the NPFPOP until the time that the structure was dismantled in the late 1980's. I have information that there are still BSPOs in the field (after 30 years)....I can attribute this experience to the training that the Population officers and the BSPOs got in the program that was heavy on group dynamics and motivation processes more than the technical aspects of the program, the selection process conducted by the Population officers, and the intangible 'rewards' the BSPOs and the Population officers got from the community. Other programs where there are heavy "material" inputs (e.g., salaries, supplies, training), the desire to stay dwindles when these inputs are removed."