CCPP, together with its parent organization Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs has been engaged in developing a Global Interpersonal Communication for Immunization (IPC/I) package for UNICEF to be used by frontline workers (FLWs). The purpose of the package is to help improve the (FLWs to effectively use interpersonal (IPC) communication strategies to address barriers to immunization uptake and completion. This will ultimately help increase routine immunization coverage and support adherence to the WHO-recommended immunization schedule. The IPC/I package includes various tools and resources to support the IPC aspects of FLWs’ immunization work. The tools are designed to address FLWs IPC/I skills and improve the ability of supervisors and mentors to more effectively support FLWs in providing high quality IPC/I. The package is comprised of a set of live action videos, audio job aids, Frequently Asked Questions, a facilitator’s manual, a supportive supervision manual and a participant’s manual. As the last leg of this exercise, Center pretested these components with FLWs and supervisors in Pakistan.
To pretest the six components of the toolkit (video and audio guides, frequently asked questions [FAQs] and 3 manuals), the Center organized a series of focus group discussions with front line workers (FLWs), trainers and supervisors of the Pakistan Extended Program of Immunization along with Lady Health Workers of the Health Department, in May 2018.
The aim of these discussions was to pretest the various tools, to get feedback on understanding of the contents, their effectiveness in improving the IPC skills of FLWs, and cultural relevance for Pakistan. Given the varied nature of the tool kit components, different strategies were employed to share the contents with the participants, to ensure that they understand the material well, before providing feedback. Hence, for the textual materials the contents of the supervisor and Participant manual were shared in presentation format (in Urdu) while the contents of the facilitator guide and FAQs were shared in hard copies (after translation in Urdu). Each of the audiovisual materials were presented before a brief discussion about it. Feedback and suggestions that were collected from the frontline workers, supervisors and trainers will be used to finalize and produce the most relevant and useful materials.