Building Good Practices
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ICOMP’s innovative programme management initiatives are carried out through provision of technical assistance and action research/pilot or demonstration projects for RH programme development.


In an environment of resource constraints and difficult policy and socio-cultural settings, innovations can be the key to addressing RH concerns. ICOMP has sought to identify management issues through developing and pilot-testing innovative programmes in the following RH areas:

(a) Gender sensitivity and empowerment of women:
In early 1990s, ICOMP responded to gender concerns through developing women leaders and managers (see section on Leadership and Management Development). These activities were then mainstreamed. Subsequently, actions were tested to make RH programmes more gender-responsive as well as
women-empowering, including addressing violence against women through South-South-North collaboration.

Other activities have included the use of WHO Strategic Approach for improving quality of care (QOC) in RH programmes in various countries in Asia. Quality of Care came into focus in the 1990s and ICOMP began with projects in action research on cost-effective approaches in Vietnam, Sri Lanka and India (1995-1998). A significant ongoing project is combining monitoring and evaluation elements into ensuring QOC in in Family Planning (China) (2001-2005).

(b) Adolescent/youth RH:
Over a decade, ICOMP has documented innovative programmes, organised seminars, trained youth leaders and programme managers and carried out policy dialogues. More recently, it is assisting implementation of demonstration project on adolescent/youth RH programme.

(c) RH programmes in urban slums:
Despite accessibility, urban slum residents have considerable unmet needs for RH services. ICOMP tested innovative programmes at a site each in urban slums in two countries in Asia and two countries in Africa.

(d) Achieving ICPD+5 operational benchmarks:
To accelerate progress towards implementing the ICPD POA, ICOMP executed a project through strengthening NGO capacities to achieve selected benchmarks in three Asian countries.

(e) Icomp Experiences on Linked Response to RH and HIV/AIDS
As an outcome of ICOMP’s 2003 HIV/AIDS seminar in Uganda, this project aims to increase institutional capacity of selected NGOs in four Eastern African countries to address RH and HIV/ AIDS concerns in a linked manner.