Preparing for Community Monitoring

The section provides concrete examples and practices to the conceptual issues discussed in the earlier section. It elaborates skills and tasks that are necessary to undertake community monitoring. The focus of this section is on the following building blocks:

Building Block One: Policy review for Identifying Health Entitlements and Gaps
The bedrock of community monitoring are the health related entitlements that citizens have. Unfortunately not many among the marginalized are aware of these entitlements. In many cases they are not even aware of the procedures that are necessary to access public services, eg. immunization services, maternal health services etc. Entitlement awareness is the process which is expected to familiarize the marginalised communities to the policy provisions as well as the programmatic procedures which will enable them to access health care services. The process of policy review will help to come up with entitlement related information which can then be converted into written material, become part of the mobilization package tools, and form the basis for community monitoring. The policy review is an essential component of the training curriculum for community mobilisers.
To read more click here

Building Block Two: Community Mobilization and Health Entitlement Awareness
Community mobilization and participation is a key component of community monitoring. While mobilization of disadvantaged communities provides them with increased capacity to bargain and negotiate, it also provides a platform for increased entitlement awareness, sharing of local resources, and collective planning and working together for change. Together these activities bring about a greater sense of ownership in the community about the public facility or service they are engaged in monitoring. The village or urban neighbourhood is the main focus for the community monitoring activities and mobilisation of the residents of the village or neighbourhood is an important part of the community monitoring process. 
To read more click here

Building Block Three: Understanding Community Realities- Developing the Village/ Neighbourhood Health Profile 
The Village/ Neighbourhood Health Profile can be an important building block in the process of conducting Community Monitoring. It is a summary of the key health related information of the village. It is generated through meetings with community, discussions with some of persons who have specific health problems and also by conducting a walk through the village. his profile should be used by the facilitators and the community team members to familiarise themselves before they start with the monitoring process. The village health profile will also help in comparing the changes that will be brought about after the community monitoring process.
To read more click here

Building Block Four: Developing relationships with Health Functionaries and Public Officials      
Once the community leadership is aware of the different aspects of the health services that they need and what is available to them today it is important for them to discuss these with their health providers. It may be necessary to build relationship with the local Multipurpose Health Worker as well as the Medical Officer of the local PHC for this purpose. The community leadership can approach the MO or the CMO and share their problems. this will enable the service providers to acknowledge the communities' concerns make it easier to proceed to the stage of Interface.
To read more click here

Building Block Five: Developing a Skilled Team
Ensuring community accountability is a complex process. The essential components of community monitoring like community mobilization, documentation, campaign, monitoring, preparation of score cards etc. require special sets of skills and functioning. The mapping of skills and role will be helpful to decide what type of trainings and inputs the team will require over a period of time. The clear list of skills and role/ responsibility will be helpful to draw a road map for the team and required input needed from their end. The list of roles and skills/ responsibility will help to ensure timely expected outcome of the project.
To read more click here