About Strengthening Systems | The Foundation for Professional Development

FPD does not follow the narrower definition of community engagement that is solely focused on the role of students in the community. We believe that as an institution that attracts highly skilled social entrepreneurs, we are in a position to effect positive transformation in society. The work we do around system strengthening such as: supporting NGOs, working with the public sector on health and education systems strengthening, gender-based violence and learnerships speaks to this commitment.

FPD is based on a virtual business model that places a high premium on strategic alliances with national and international organisations to increase the scope and reach of our programmes.

Strategic Information Department

TASI provides technical support and expertise to District Health Information Management and other programmes to strengthen collection, collation, reporting and use of data from routine health information systems and other relevant sources. The aim is to foster a culture of evidence-based decision making from the facility to district management team level.

Community Based Counselling and Testing Department

FPD implements implements community-based HIV prevention, counselling and testing programmes for reduced HIV incidence in high incidence communities in South Africa. The CBCT project has been implemented under the KFW funding through the National Department of Health as a consortium of five partners with three implementing partners, namely KI, HPPSA and FPD) the other two partners namely SEAD and CCI provided technical assistance on quality assurance and BCC respectively. Through this project the department tested a total of 1,079,267 clients in 3 years. The project was implemented using five modalities namely homebased (705 041), index (101 217), mobile (217,938), workplace (38,963) and twilight (16,108).

Additionally, CBCT department has produced counsellor toolkit which contains all the necessary job-aids and tools. The department has trained and mentored over 30 community based organisations (CBO's) on implementing high quality HIV prevention programs including screening for noncommunicable diseases.

Technical Assitance

HSS provides facility-level training, coaching, mentorship, quality improvement, and where applicable, direct services support through a roving mentor team and programme champion model. The aim is to ensure improved service delivery and quality of care with key focus on: identifying HIV positive patients and initiating them on ARTs, retention, and ongoing care for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV); TB/HIV/STI integration; provider-initiated counselling and testing (PICT); maternal and child health and reproductive health; ensuring community linkages and establishing “ideal clinics”. Additionally, HSS provides technical, clinical and programmatic expertise to the above priority health programmes through programme champions with the aim of promoting a cycle of total quality management and inculcation of best practice.

Compass Project

Compass Project is an FPD initiative that makes use of geo-spatial technologies (GIS) to assist communities and programmes to respond effectively and efficiently. Products include off-line and on-line mapping capabilities, service directories and spatially enabled apps. The Compass projects works across several health-related spheres as well as education and community programmes. Compass Project promotes the philosophy that in order to have an effective response, a coordinated mobilization of resources is required.

CHW Project

FPD, in collaboration with I-TECH funded through the CDC, will train an estimated 7000 Community Health Workers (CHWs) and 700 Outreach Team Leaders (OTLs) in two provinces namely Eastern Cape and Free State in several priority districts. In this skills development initiative to ensure that CHWs are trained and able to manage common conditions while surveying households, relevant and accessible knowledge and skills is a core requirement. The curriculum will cover the primary health care package, i.e. the basics of HIV and HIV prevention and treatment, Prevention of Mother-to-Child transmission (PMTCT), tuberculosis, adherence to treatment, antenatal care, pregnancy, the essence of child health, hypertension and diabetes.

CDC Projects

During 2021 (COP20) FPD received funding via CDC for continued implementation of Advanced Clinical Care support to national department of health, People Who inject Drugs program (PWID) in Gauteng and Mpumalanga (Tshwane and Ehlanzeni districts respectively), High Transmission Area program review and above site PrEP support to DOH and district support partners. This also marked the second year of Key Population Investment Fund support for PWID and Men who have sex with men (MSM) programs. The STIR MSM program was a combination of direct service delivery through community service organizations, social media marketing and e-pharmacy.

In addition to continued programs listed above, FPD was additionally requested to re-activate the Zenzele Adherence communication program and add U=U material in support of the anticipated NDOH U=U campaign to be announced. FPD also generously supported CDC funded DSPs to procure much needed personal protective equipment, and supported NDOH with printing and distribution of IEC materials. Through CDC funding, FPD was able to fund the National TB Think Tank as well as National HIV Think Tank to complete their activities after previous funding streams ended.

MMC Sustain Project

The Foundation for Professional Development and Genesis Analytics consortium have been contracted by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support the National Department of Health to scale-up Medical Male Circumcision (MMC) and to ensure that the programme is sustainable. This work has been carried out through the MMC SUSTAIN (Medical Male Circumcision Scale Up and Sustainability to Avert New HIV Infections) programme from October 2018 and will end in May 2023. MMC SUSTAIN support national provincial and district department of health and have seconded three technical support staff based in FPD headquarters and eight staff based in the MMC SUSTAIN supported districts (Ekurhuleni, City of Johannesburg, eThekwini, iLembe, Amajuba, Gert Sibande, uMgungundlovu, and West Rand). This technical support is provided collaboratively with the national VMMC and district HAST prevention teams and implementing partners with the goal of aligning stakeholders, identifying, and documenting best practices for VMMC implementation in each district, and providing a costed plan for achieving project HIV prevention objectives and the sustainability of the VMMC program. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic the MMC SUSTAIN is optimistically contributing to the following:

· Improved performance against negotiated MMC targets. · Increased capacity of systems users at all levels to plan, manage and execute MMC services efficiently, effectively and at scale. · Better planned, resourced, integrated and locally tailored MMC programmes. · Strengthened oversight and coordination of the MMC programme in line with the NSP, APPs, DHPs and DIPs. · Strengthened ownership, coordination, and communication between the three health system layers and with other key in support of an integrated MMC response. · Strengthened domestic resource planning and absorption capacity, including enhanced RT35 contracting models. · Improved quality of MMC service delivery and more efficient compliance monitoring structures. · Strengthened MMC information management, M&E, analytics and data use.

Increased documentation and dissemination of good practices, lessons learnt and recommendations for the South African MMC program.

National Cancer Screening Campaign Project

FPD has been contracted by Astra Zeneca to support the NDoH to launch a National Cancer Campaign (NCC) aimed at creating greater awareness about cancer and strengthen pathways of care.