Micro planning in the implementation of community-based health programmes: lessons from vaccination services in Geita and Morogoro Tanzania

Abstract

Background: Micro planning is an important tool that health workers can use to ensure that immunization services reach every community. Through community participation, microplanning helped the health facility and communities to identify priority interventions, to address barriers, and to develop work plans with feasible solutions.  Since 2017, Tanzania has implemented micro planning projects in poorly performing districts as a comprehensive approach to address Equity in immunization

 Objective: The study explored the benefits and challenges of the implementation of microplanning in community-based health programs in vaccination services in Tanzania

 Methods: This study employed a qualitative case study. In-depth interviews were used to obtain information from 22 key actors in the micro planning process at the district, health facility and Community levels.

 Results: the study identified benefits of micro planning including engagement of stakeholders from the district to the community level and creation of a sense of ownership of the Reach Every Child strategy at the community level. The study also revealed barriers of microplanning including delayed disbursement of funds to the health facilities and critical shortage of human resources for health.

 Conclusion: the implementation of microplanning at the health facility level has shown evidence of the theory of change indicating the paradigm shift from district dominated planning process to the involvement of local actors.