The Ministry of Family and Social Affairs (MFAS) is responsible for coordinating services for orphans and

vulnerable children (OVC) through its National OVC Program (PNOEV) in cooperation with the national

think tank on OVC (CEROS-EV). In the past three years, the PNOEV has developed, disseminated, and

begun to implement a sector strategy that operationalizes the national priority of supporting OVC within

families and communities. PEPFAR funds have contributed to this effort by strengthening the PNOEV's

ability to develop monitoring and evaluation indicators and to coordinate multiple partners who are building

the capacity of local organizations to identify, assess, and meet the needs of OVC. The PNOEV has worked

with PEFPAR support and technical assistance from FHI to improve systems for tracking progress at the

local, district, and national levels and to provide a forum for partners to discuss community mobilization,

capacity building, identification tools, and referral processes for comprehensive care. The PNOEV has

piloted a "platform" model for collaborative coordination of comprehensive OVC care built around a social

center in seven cities.

In FY2007, the PNOEV is providing leadership and coordination for implementing organizations serving

34,000 OVC across the country (24,234 as of March 31). The ministry is supporting 12 collaborating

platforms (PEPFAR is involved in strengthening seven in 2006-07), three of which are in underserved areas

of central, northern, and western regions (Bouaké, Man, Korhogo). This allows the PNOEV and partners to

supervise and support the activities of 150 NGOs and associations that intervene in OVC care and

treatment. The platforms have become centers to exchange challenges and experiences, coordinate

referrals, and receive training, and it is projected that they will become more formal data-collection points for

coherent reporting to the PNOEV. Thirty-six larger partners have attended monthly meetings at PNOEV-

supported social centers, which have social workers and operational units from the MFAS.

Also in FY07, the PNOEV is providing leadership in beginning to address gaps in service coverage and in

the 6+1 areas of PEPFAR OVC programming. In addition, with FHI and JHPIEGO technical assistance, the

PNOEV ensured that OVC care and treatment modules were integrated in the curricula for national social

worker pre-service and in-service training. In partnership with UNICEF and others, the PNOEV completed a

training strategy for community and social workers already in service, which will strengthen the support

available to local implementers via the OVC platform sites. The PNOEV also collaborated with the Ministry

of Education (MEN) to share resources and coordinate services provided by social workers and other staff

for in-school OVC. Advocacy activities helped ensure that no-fee documents are available for OVC to

facilitate access to education and other services. Legal units have been set up with UNICEF support, and

unit staff were trained in legal advocacy for OVC rights in care and treatment. Through the platforms and in

coordination with the MEN, the PNOEV led efforts to negotiate lower school fees in private schools (the only

schools available in some areas) to expand the reach of scholarship programs for OVC. In FY07, 420

service providers and community leaders at six platform sites are being trained regarding challenges facing

OVC and the need for comprehensive services. An additional 1,151 actors are being trained in OVC care

and treatment modules and in linking with palliative care services. Based on the results of a pilot OVC

database management site at the Yopougon social center, 20 new focal points are being trained in M&E at

12 other social center OVC platforms, to be followed by installation of database entry points at the 12

centers to contribute to a national OVC database system.

Following a plan for extending social center OVC collaborating platforms, a decentralized and integrated

coordination model (IRIS) has been promoted in San Pedro with technical support from FHI and established

in Abengourou and Yamoussoukro.

In FY08, the PNOEV will use PEPFAR and other support to continue strengthening systems of

identification, needs assessment, tracking, evaluation, and referral networks. More specifically:

• The PNOEV will focus on enabling OVC platforms to be formal centers of capacity building for local

organizations implementing OVC care activities. This requires leveraging work with larger partners in the

national OVC technical working group to harmonize OVC identification, assessment, and reporting tools so

consistent training content can take place across regions. The program will also disseminate documents

already produced for OVC care and treatment.

• To ensure that OVC participate in formal education, the PNOEV will address barriers to effective

identification of OVC (capacity building to make N/F/CBOs more effective, adapting tools such as the CSI,

mobilizing new groups and local government agencies to become active, strengthening referral systems

through PMTCT, CT, and TB services) and will collaborate with the MEN to ensure free schooling OVC

ages 6-15. The PNOEV will assist implementing organizations working with the MEN to address educational

needs of older OVC (ages 16-18) and promote stronger collaboration with ministries responsible for

vocational and technical training and sports and youth development to develop a strategy and identify

implementing gaps for older OVC who need a transition to the world of work and livelihood security.

• To improve OVC care and treatment quality, the PNOEV will continue to work with FHI and JHPIEGO to

establish a pool of master trainers who can conduct ongoing capacity building with local organizations

through the OVC platforms. Twenty trainers will be trained in OVC needs assessment and care and in

broader palliative care approaches (in partnership with the National HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment Program

(PNPEC)). Training will be extended to rural coordinators, health officers, and Institute of Training and

Education for Girls and Women (IFEF) personnel. The program will also ensure that PNOEV implementing

partners are familiar with developed modules on OVC care and treatment. At least 1,500 service providers

will be trained in 2008.

• To reinforce OVC policy advocacy and reduce stigma, the PNOEV will work with JHU/CCP to ensure that

appropriate new messages and communication supports are produced and disseminated. To build

sustainability in locally relevant BCC materials development, 500 partners and social-service providers will

be trained in social mobilization and communications strategic planning.

• The PNOEV will follow up with OVC legal-rights units established in 2007 and support their advocacy and

effectiveness at the platform level. To strengthen referral systems, the PNOEV will develop and disseminate

a list of service providers and organizations involved in OVC care and treatment across the platforms and

districts.

• With PEPFAR support, a full-time staff member with program management and leadership skills will be

hired within the ministry to help actualize plans and implement national OVC care implementation,

coordination, and capacity-building strategies. A contracted consultant will review the status of current

efforts, map service gaps and opportunities, and help the PNOEV develop concrete steps and benchmarks

for scaling up recommendations for long-term decentralized OVC care and referral networks based on the

local OVC coordination committees, social center OVC platforms, and district coordination mechanisms

Activity Narrative: (IRIS). Extensive work by the PNOEV has produced several promising models, and a coherent map for the

future is now needed to maximize the impact of future support. With this input, the PNOEV will be better

able to support country-wide implementation of coordinated care, with validation for strategic decisions

addressed to MFAS technical departments. A TBD new partner is expected to provide immediate action

implementing the recommendations of the consultant for regional and technical coverage.

• To improve national M&E, the PNOEV will work with other ministries and departments responsible for data

collection and analysis (bureau of statistics and demographic surveys) and with other PEPFAR partners to

finalize a national database for tracking OVC-related activities and children served. The PNOEV will work to

set up a reliable system of data collection, analysis, and processing and will strengthen the system of

tracking quality OVC data at all social centers. This system can be made available to CT and PMTCT

centers, clinics serving OVC, and implementing partners to strengthen referral systems from community

through district to national levels. To help mobilize local organizations to enter data in the system and track

outcomes more effectively, the consultant's recommendations will include a strategy for non-monetary

incentives (training, access to computers, improved reporting for local groups to manage their own

programs, etc.) and directives (Hope Worldwide requires local partners to participate in a platform before

they receive assistance).

• With its partners, the PNOEV will develop an integrated strategy of empowering women and addressing

other gender issues (including the vulnerability of adolescent female OVC), since women have the primary

responsibility for care and well-being of children in Cote d'Ivoire. This will involve the MFAS' Institute of

Training and Education for Girls and Women (IFEF) and AB and Other prevention partners in activities to

promote income and career training for female OVC.