Abstract

PIP: Since the beginning in 1971 of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America's international program, Family Planning International Assistance (FPIA), US$54 million has been contributed in direct financial support for the operation of over 300 family planning programs in 51 countries; over 3000 institutions in 115 countries have been supplied with family planning commodities, including over 600 million condoms, 120 cycles of oral contraceptives, and 4 million IUD; and about 1 million contraceptive clients were served by FPIA funded projects in 1982 aone. Since 1971, however, the world's population has increased from 3.7 billion to around 4.7 billion people. About 85 million people are added to the world each year. There is consensus that without organized family planning programs, today's world population would be even higher. FPIA measures its progress in terms of expanding the availability of contraceptive services in devloping countries. FPIA supported projects have helped make services available in areas previously lacking them, and has helped involve a wide variety of organizations, such as women's groups, youth organizations, and Red Cross Societies, in family planning services. A prime concern of FPIA, which has limited resources, is what happens to projects once FPIA support is terminated. FPIA has been paying attention to local income generation to help projects become more self-supporting and to increas staff members' management skills. The more successful income-generating schemes appear to be directly related to family planning, selling contraceptives and locally produced educational materials, and charging fees for family planning and related medical services and tuition for training courses. FPIA funded to projects use management by objectives (MBO) to help improve management skills. MBO helps grantees improve their ability to set objectives, plan, monitor, report, and do day-to-day project management.