audioListen to a recording of the welcome, keynote and sixty-second science session.

WELCOME

Welcome
Judy Lewis, Chair, CORE Group Board of Directors

Presentation of 2016 Dory Storms Child Survival Recognition Award to Karen LeBan
Judy Lewis, Chair, CORE Group Board of Directors

KEYNOTE

Introduction of Keynote
Lisa M. Hilmi, Executive Director, CORE Group
Adapting to a World in Transition
Emanuele Capobianco, Deputy Executive Director, Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH)

PRESENTATION_CAPOBIANCO

SIXTY-SECOND SCIENCE

short-form research presentations with Q&A

Maternal, Newborn and Child Health

  • Faith Leaders Advocate for Improved Spacing of Pregnancy/Family Planning and Stronger Maternal and Child Health Outcomes, Susan Otchere, World Vision
  • Armenia “Go Baby Go:” A Quasi-experimental Intervention-Control Study, Rhonda Holloway, World Vision
  • Recogniton of and Care-seeking for Newborn Complications in Jayawijaya District, Papua Province, Indonesia: A Qualitative Study, Rhonda Holloway, World Vision
  • Acceptability, Feasibility, and Impact of Adherence Partners to Support Prenatal Micronutrient Supplementation, Stephanie Martin, Cornell University
  • Initiative to Halve Post-partum Hemmorhage (PPH) mortality, Anders Seim, Health & Development International (HDI)

Nutrition

  • CRS Assessments on the Role of Indigenous African Plant Foods in Resiliency and Dietary Diversity in Malawi, Uganda, and Zambia, Alexandra M. Towns, Catholic Relief Services
  • Barrier Analyses on Maternal Health and Nutrition Behaviors in the Syrian Refugee Crisis: Findings from Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey, Shiromi Perera, International Medical Corps
  • Cost of the Diet Assessment in Azraq Refugee Camp: Opportunities and Challenges in Adapting and Utilizing this Tool for a Closed Refugee Camp Setting, Suzanne Brinkmann, International Medical Corps
  • Assessment of Adolescent Girl Nutrition, Dietary Practices, and Roles in Zimbabwe, Amelia Reese Masterson, International Medical Corps
  • The Nutrition Transition in Nicaragua, Dan Fenyvesi, Fulbright Scholar Program

Community Health Approaches, Vector-borne illness and Violence Prevention

  • Dashboards for Performance Management of Community Health Workers (CHWs), Jill Shah, Medic Mobile
  • Zika Virus Knowledge Among the Population of Four Municipalities in Honduras: A Cross-sectional Survey in Honduras, Alfonso Rosales, World Vision
  • CHW Health Service Delivery in Rural Zimbabwe: Client Perspectives about CHWs and Implications for Programs, Rukundo Kambarami, Cornell University
  • Reducing Violence Against Women, Jhumka Gupta, George Mason University
  • Health Infrastructure: The Science Behind Staff, Stuff, Space and Systems, Pierre Paul, Partners in Health

SIXTY-SECOND SCIENCE PRESENTATION

CONCURRENT SESSIONS

Global Health Youth Policy
Cate Lane, Bureau for Global Health, USAID; Mike McCabe, USAID; Regina Benevides, Pathfinder
This session provided CORE Group members with an opportunity to explore adolescent health priorities through a development framework. As we transition from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we are also transitioning to a broader vision of adolescent health and well-being. This session presented examples of multi-sectoral approaches that include positive youth development and economic empowerment for youth. Special considerations for first time parents were also be addressed. Participants in this session reviewed and discussed effective interventions at the community and national levels that will promote health transitions for adolescents and youth.
By the end of this session, participants had:
  • Applied the principles of positive youth development to sustainable adolescent health programming.
  • Learned to explain the relationship of youth economic empowerment and the achievement of SDG goals and targets, as it relates to healthy transitions for adolescents.
  • Identified at least two socio-cultural interventions that can support healthy transitions for young, first-time parents.

Transitions in Monitoring and Evaluation of Social and Behavior Change (SBC): Measuring the Hard-to-Measure with Complexity Awareness
Grace Awantang, Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs; Lenette Golding, Alive & Thrive, FHI 360; Joseph Petraglia, Pathfinder; Laurie Krieger, Manoff Group; Susan Igas, Institute for Reproductive Health, Georgetown University; Stephen Rahaim, Palladium (Moderator)

The use of inappropriate research approaches has left many unanswered questions such as, “What makes SBC interventions work?” “For whom?” “Why?” and “For how long? In what context?” Fortunately, there are many approaches that can provide a fuller and more realistic picture of the SBC process, shed light on different issues, and increase the strength and rigor of evaluation findings. This session described and demonstrated how different approaches should and should not be used in practice according to the level of complexity.

By the end of this session, participants had:
  • Described experimental, quasi-experimental, qualitative, mixed-methods, complexity-aware approaches.
  • Developed research questions and matched these questions with appropriate research approaches and methods, based on a provided scenario.
  • Discussed how and when various approaches and methods are appropriate to use according to the level of complexity.
New Tools to Support Advocacy for Investing in Nutrition as the Foundation for Development
Kavita Sethurama, FANTA, FHI 360; Jack Clift, Results for Development; Mary D’Alimonte, Results for Development; Jennifer Nielsen, Helen Keller International (Moderator)
Mounting research shows the enormous economic, health, and welfare returns to investments in nutrition, yet global and country investments are still far lower than they should be. Analysts from the World Bank and Results for Development (R4D) have costed out donor and country contributions to scale up proven interventions and presented them in a clear, actionable format. In addition, FANTA has developed the PROFILES tool, which consists of a set of computer-based models that calculate consequences if malnutrition does not improve over a defined time period (e.g., 10 years) and the benefits of improved nutrition over the same time period. The two newest PROFILES models estimate the number of children’s lives that could be saved and the number of children prevented from becoming overweight/obese related to improved breastfeeding practices. Presenters described these important tools and how they can be applied.
By the end of this session, participants had:
  • Understood the key messages of Investing in Nutrition-The Foundation for Development report and discussed how the framework is linked to the global Scaling Up Nutrition movement, the REACH initiative, and other ongoing works.
  • Learned about (1) Scaling Up Nutrition cost estimate methodologies (Common Results Framework or CRF Planning tool), (2) resources available through the SUN website, and (3) FANTA’s nutrition advocacy process using the newlyrevised PROFILES tool.
  • Discussed how key tools and approaches presented can be applied in nutritional advocacy efforts at country, regional, and global levels.
From A to Zika: Services and Support for Women in the Face of Zika
Mark Hathaway, USAID’s Maternal and Child Survival Program, Jhpiego; Alfonso Rosales, World Vision; Corinne Mazzeo, USAID’s Maternal and Child Survival Program, Save the Children (Moderator)
The ongoing Zika virus outbreak poses significant risks for pregnant women and their unborn children, and challenges for health systems as they work to respond to the outbreak and provide women, their partners, and affected families the services and support they need. This session discussed the latest information about Zika as it relates to reproductive, maternal, newborn, and adolescent health (RMNAH), with a particular focus on the situation in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region. The session also explored challenges and opportunities in integrating Zika response activities into existing RMNAH and community health platforms.
By the end of this session, participants had:
  • Gained an understanding of the latest information on the Zika outbreak, the implications for women’s and children’s health, and key prevention options.
  • Considered gaps and opportunities related to knowledge and behaviors among populations vulnerable to Zika, and how this information can inform program design.
  • Discuss challenges and opportunities related to integrating Zika response efforts into existing RMNAH platforms.
Mental Health and Humanitarian Response
Ashley Leichner, International Medical Corps; Robin Contino, Catholic Relief Services; Dennis Cherian, World Vision
This session considered the critical components of mental health and psychosocial support programming within humanitarian response. The session began with an overview of the Mental Health and Psycho Social Support (MHPSS) needs in emergencies and discuss the basic principles and guidelines, which support the initial response for MHPSS (e.g. IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings). Next, the participants broke into groups and discussed common challenges and opportunities for applying MHPSS approaches within general humanitarian response, including links with a variety of sectors (e.g. WASH, Shelter, Health). Our panelists shared case examples of recent emergency MHPSS programs in Uganda, Kenya, the Middle East, and more!
By the end of the session, participants had:
  • Discussed key guidelines that are used in the field (such as IASC Guidelines on MHPSS in Emergency Settings) to guide MHPSS considerations, interventions, and activities.
  • Identified ways that MHPSS guidelines can be incorporated into routine humanitarian responses.
  • Learned from panelists about their experience in supporting programs, conducting assessments, coordinating with other actors, and preparing for recovery and development programming.

LUNCHTIME SESSIONS

 

Lunch Table: CORE Group 20th Anniversary Planning Meeting
Michelle Shapiro and Erin Murray, CORE Group
June 2017 marks 20 years since CORE Group began! CORE Group plans to celebrate throughout the year, and received feedback as they continue the planning process.

Lunch Table: CORE Group Young Professionals Network
Pauline Lee, Chemonics; Denise Phelps, Independent; Adrienne Todela, CORE Group

Find out more about CORE Group’s new Young Professionals Network, geared toward global health professionals 21 to 35 years old. The co-chairs discussed upcoming events and opportunities, and how to get more involved.

Design for Adaptive Practice: A Community of Practice (CoP) Approach
Luis Ortiz Echevarría, Management Sciences for Health; Kirsten Bording Collins, AdaptivePurpose, LLC
Recognizing the need and interest in adaptive approaches to planning and evaluation, a group of diverse practitioners from different organizations formed a CoP in early 2016. The purpose of the CoP is to share knowledge and experience with complexity-aware, adaptive approaches across diverse disciplines. Using a CoP as the platform for planning, learning, and sharing, a community meeting was held in June 2016, where stakeholders were invited to participate in a quasi-mapping activity on the landscape of adaptive practice. Over 30 individuals came together to discuss how various actors are connected to each other—through shared theoretical foundations or through active collaboration—in regard to adaptive practice. This lunch session described the community meeting mapping exercise and discussion. What was discussed? What went well? What could be improved? The presenters showed a short time-lapsed video of the mapping exercise followed by a few takeaways from our interpretation of the exercise and maps. Given that the CoP is new, this lunch session was both an opportunity to learn from what has worked well in initiating a CoP on this topic and also brainstorm ways to further nurture discussion in a trending topic such as adaptive practice.
By the end of this session, participants had:
  • Described an experience using a CoP approach in cultivating discussions about adaptive practice in development programs.
  • Discussed how to nurture, grow, and sustain a CoP on adaptive practice with stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines

Strengthening Anemia Programming: A Hands-on Introduction to the Landscape Analysis Guidance and the District Assessment Tool
Teemar Fisseha, SPRING, JSI; Jennifer Burns, Catholic Relief Services

The USAID-funded SPRING project has developed two new anemia-related resources: Landscape Analysis Guidance that provides detailed information to policy makers and program implementers on how to gather, understand, and use anemiarelated data; and a District Assessment Tool for Anemia (DATA) that assists program managers in strengthening anemia programming at the district level. During this lunchtime session, SPRING introduced the Landscape Analysis Guidance and DATA to participants, highlighting their role in promoting multi-sectoral and data-driven efforts to improve anemia programming.

By the end of this session, participants had:

  • Learned about two new powerful anemia-related resources (Landscape Analysis Guidance and DATA).
  • Discussed SPRING’s work in promoting partnerships and data-driven decision making related to anemia programming.
Life Saving Reproductive Health Services in Humanitarian Settings: Family Planning and Post Abortion Care
Janet Meyers, Save the Children
Sixty percent of preventable maternal deaths and 53% of newborn and under-five deaths now take place in zones of conflict and displacement. The Minimum Initial Service Package for RH in emergencies (MISP) is an interagency accepted lifesaving set of priority actions. Save the Children talked about its approach to increase access to quality family planning, particularly long-acting methods, and post abortion care services in a number of conflict affected countries.

WORKING GROUP SESSIONS: PLANNING AND INNOVATIONS FOR FY2017

 

Community-Centered Health Systems Strengthening
Co-Chairs: Alfonso Rosales, World Vision; Megan Christensen, Concern Worldwide

Alfonso Rosales and Megan Christensen led the Community Centered Health System Working Group in a review of the annual workplan—developed following the Spring CORE meeting; and facilitated a discussion on the progress achieved to date as well as make amendments to the workplan, including prioritization of activities. The working group also planned to engage colleagues from MCSP to provide updates on the status of the MCSP-WHO Community Implementation Principles paper as well as share new guides on community health programming and social accountability. Finally, they reviewed thematic areas for which members have local success stories, learning and evidence that can be pitched at international conferences and other forums to increase visibility and advocacy for community health systems.

Social and Behavior Change
Co-Chairs: Lenette Golding, Alive & Thrive, FHI 360; Joseph Petraglia, Pathfinder International; Debora B. Freitas López, Chemonics International

The Social and Behavior Change Working Group explored a variety of technical topics and discuss current priorities and strategic directions for the working group.

Nutrition
Co-Chairs: Jen Burns, Catholic Relief Services; Justine Kavle, USAID’s Maternal and Child Survival Program, PATH

The Nutrition Working Group reviewed its annual work plan and discussed how to move forward with initiatives focused on the triple burden of malnutrition; integration of Community Case Management and Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition; nutrition-sensitive integration; anemia; Essential Nutrition Actions; and technical webinars. In addition, on behalf of the TOPS/Food Security and Nutrition Network, Joan Jennings presented an integrated agriculture and nutrition tool and facilitate a discussion on using it in programming. Lastly, the session had updates on new co-chairs.

Monitoring & Evaluation
Co-Chairs: Claire Boswell, The TOPS Program, Food for the Hungry; Dora Curry, CARE

The CORE Group Monitoring and Evaluation Working group worked on three major projects during its working time at this year’s Fall Conference: 1) Determining a “right-sized” list of key field-level M&E competencies as a first step in developing a resource for M&E capacity building for frontline/community health workers; 2) Reviewing, revising, and preparing to repilot CORE’s qualitative data use manual; and 3) roll-out of new modules of the RHFA.

Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, & Adolescent Health
Co-Chairs: Regina Benevides, Pathfinder International; Mychelle Farmer, Jhpiego; Corinne Mazzeo, USAID’s Maternal and Child Survival Program, Save the Children; Cindy Uttley, Samaritan’s Purse

The Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Adolescent Health Working Group focused on the following during our Fall 2016 meeting time:

  • Revisit the 2016-2017 workplan, including:
    • Review progress made since the Spring Conference and the “relaunch” of the RMNAH working group.
    • Discuss any modifications to the workplan that may be needed (removing or adding activities based on needs identified by the group), including initial plans for the Spring 2017 Conference.
    • Identify group members to lead/collaborate on key activities.
    • Discuss timelines for key activities.
  • Discuss working group “operations,” including frequency of calls and other communication, to ensure we are meeting members’ needs and expectations.

PLENARY

audioListen to a recording of the plenary session.

The Humanitarian-Development Nexus: The Role of Community Health in Building More Effective Responses
Áine Fay, Concern Worldwide U.S.; Aakanksha Pande, World Bank; Justin Pendarvis, OFDA, USAID; Leisel Talley, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Alfonso Rosales, World Vision (Moderator)

It has become increasingly challenging to fulfill needs of communities in fragile states using traditional strategies that focus on either humanitarian or development programs. There is a lack of harmonized approaches to bridge humanitarian and development responses, thereby limiting and preventing agencies from effectively meeting the needs of vulnerable people. The World Humanitarian Summit, held in Istanbul in May 2016, started to address these key challenges. This plenary session aimed at continuing that discussion among a community of health practitioners to identify deliberate and focused actions for more effective and coordinated responses that build community resiliency, create an environment which catalyzes more fluid transitions, and promote mixed-method responses to rapidly evolving operating climates.

By the end of this session, participants had:
  • Engaged in a dialogue with humanitarian/emergency response stakeholders as well as development actors in order to promote and build a more harmonized community of practice.
  • Discussed what needs exist from the humanitarian/emergency response and development perspectives and identified gaps that exist in current programming.
  • Considered a hybrid model that responds to needs of populations living in fragile states, with a specific focus on resiliency and community health.
  • Identified next steps by translating dialogue to modes of action that will lead to more responsive funding and synergetic approaches between the humanitarian /emergency and development sectors.

 

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