Executive Summary of Evaluation Findings Recommendations in preview of NACPIII

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Executive Summary of Evaluation, Findings and Recommendations in

preview of NACP-III

The Haryana State AIDS Control Society had assigned Red Cross

Society, Indian Dance and Research Centre, Society for Women and

Children's Health and Haryana Nav Yuvak Kala Sangam the

responsibility of spreading the responsibility of spreading awareness

about HIV/AIDS in six districts of the state. They were given the

specific focus to concentrate on strengthening the Core Group.

Core Indicators of the Project it can be well-gauged that the Plan

accords top-primacy to what it calls a Prevention Package for High-

Risk/Vulnerable Population, constituting principally of what are

called " Targeted Interventions " (TIs). TIs are euphemistic shorthand

for the strategy of:

" Non-interfering, non-judgmental " identification, mobilisation and

association into organisations of " high-risk " persons to receive

selected services termed " comprehensive " seeded and nurtured through

NACP-I & II.

Aim of NACP-III is to cover one million " Commercial Sex-Workers "

(CSW) and their clients; contact 1.5 million " Men-Having-Sex-With-

Men " (MSM) and 0.19 million " Intravenous Drug-Users " (IDU). The

financial break-up of this TI approach further reveals that while

1260 TIs—to cover 0.60 million CSW, contact 0.90 million MSM and 0.14

million IDU—will be through Government Budgetary Support, another 840

TIs—to cover 0.40 million CSW and their clients, contact 0.60 million

MSM and 0.05 million IDU—are to be organised and implemented at

national level.

The projects took off well and the baseline surveys conducted by the

respective teams contain valuable information. The evaluation of the

project indicates that the project has properly organised various

activities. They have adequate infrastructure including the staff.

They executed the project with financial transparency and have

decentralised the supervision mechanism. The NGOs looked after their

assignment independently.

The gender sensibility with reference to HIV/AIDS however requires

special attention.

The District Red Cross Societies have also effectively utilised their

ongoing welfare activities across the state to spread awareness about

HIV/AIDS. They have also maintained contact with SACS and other

District Red Cross Societies of Haryana for sharing their experience

and knowledge for strengthening the project. Society for Women and

Children's Health and Haryana Nav Yuvak Kala Sangam are implementing

the project according to their experience and expertise.

The mainstreaming activity with Municipal Corporation, Panchyat,

Faith Building Organizations, Education Department, Police and

Judiciary was found to be good. But some improvement could have

strengthened the advisory and advocacy level for long term benefit of

the project.

The BCC requires proper documentation for administrative management.

The illiterate peer group in the Core Group was not able to document

various important details of the project. They may adopt coding

system or facilitation to maintain the record. They had however

gathered qualitative and quantitative data and analysed it with the

support from outside.

The activities undertaken in the period under report sensitize the

core group and help them to visit STD Clinic and ICTC. However, the

strongest part was Peer Educators and Clint Outreach workers

addressing CSWs and MSMs.

STD Management and Condom Promotion were found satisfactory.

Condom use by FSWs and MSMs was found to be consistence but regular

follow-ups are required to establish CBOs as per NACP-III.

Regular IEC activities are required and develop the need based local

IEC material. Visibilities of IEC in the offices are satisfactory but

wall writings, displays are it need more attention.

They have HR policy for regular employees but no such policy for

contractual project staff.

Few organizations are able to work for Rehabilitation of PLHIV and

Sustainability of the Project but needs technical support guidelines

from State.

During the evaluation, it is felt that the projects are implemented

in isolation. They should also reach the mainstream social set up.

As we are aware the Parliament Standing Committee examining

amendments to the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act (ITPA) had

categorically asked NACO to ensure the above in future plans, stating

that there was need for NACO " to broad-base its current approach to

include important aspects such as rescue, skill-building,

rehabilitation and reintegration of vulnerable populations " . It

called on NACO to " revisit the strategy and evolve suitable

methodologies " , including an " inbuilt component " for work with Women

and Child Development Ministry (WCD). Recent national study supported

by the GOI/WCD highlights a disproportionately high rise in

prostitution in the last 10 years, while, the WCD is on record

protesting the NACO programmes at cross-purposes with its anti-

trafficking work. Therefore we can build our capacity accordingly.

Many of the HRGs face legal and structural impediments to adopting

safe behaviours such as criminalization and violence. Unless these

constraints are removed at grassroot, State and national levels they

will find it difficult to adopt and sustain safe behaviours.

Strategies to change attitudes and behaviors and support to HRGs

facing legal and structural constraints have to be detailed out.

Members of the community and civil rights activists can contribute a

lot to the process.

" Cost Effective " Strategies is badly needed - Fortunately, at this

juncture we have the gift of hindsight. The Thai-experience

reveals " pragmatic " " cost-effective " " rapid-blanket-saturation-TI-

methodologies " are at very best a temporary reprieve carrying

expensive end-tags, most particularly for future generations. As with

environment-issues, tampered inner-environments—of which sexuality is

an intrinsic core-element—carry individual/social costs, most severe

to the poor, gender and inter-generational interests.

The project requires to strengthen the following areas for the

effective implementation of the programme:

1. Mainstreaming of Targeted Group for Holistic and Sustainable

Development (Community Development Approach)

2. IEC Activities according to needs of the community in local

language

3. Consistent and effective Condom promotion and development of

new reachable outlets for condom promotion/ intervention

4. Regular Support and Monitoring of all the components

5. Regular orientation and capacity building of the staff with

special reference to ITPA.

6. Legal literacy to HRGs and implementers

7. Developing SHGs of Vulnerable Sections for Sustainable

development for mainstreaming.

8. Development of IEC material of different State / Centre

Schemes concerning PLHA and Target Groups.

9. Advocacy of Publication and Action Research

10. Networking with different concerned institutions

11. Experience Sharing of gained knowledge and experiences of

all levels is required

12. Regular meeting and orientation of Programme Partners

13. Overcome Isolation in preview of Holistic development through

Social Work.

14. Linkages and capacity building of PLHAs require great

attention

Dr, Avnish Jolly

e-mail: <avnishjolly@...>