Alternative Business Models for Family Planning

Funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, this four-year project evaluates the impact of four different social business models to promote family planning in 3 countries: Ethiopia, Pakistan, and India. There is increased interest in family planning and reproductive health programs that utilize business-oriented strategies; however, only a few comprehensive evaluations have been undertaken to document their performance. The number of different programs utilizing these social business models has grown and involves different ownership arrangements and different types of providers. Little is known though about which program components make for more or less successful initiatives in different contexts. This project has carried out two rounds of health facility, provider and client surveys to conduct a comparative assessment of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of four different social business models with the goal of documenting and disseminating "best practices".