Community Based Health and First AID Program

Background

The CBHFA (CBHFA) program is a sub-program of the Primary Health Department and constitutes the PRCS community based work to spread health messages and promote healthier living.

The program uses the methodology developed by the International Federation of the Red Cross/Red Crescent. It works towards an outcome level result that “Vulnerable communities are adopting good health practices,” and contributes to an overall goal – together with other PRCS programs (i.e. for improved inclusion of people with disabilities) – that “Targeted communities have increased their resilience to disaster.” Ensuring the alignment and contribution to the strategy (to strengthen resilience) is important.

Purpose/objective

The objective of this review is not to evaluate the impact of the program, but rather to – through a SWOT analysis – give important input at a critical junction for the further development and amelioration of the program. This is a chance to contribute to the reorganization of the program with the aim to ensure its efficiency and effectiveness in supporting vulnerable Palestinian communities to adopt good health practices.

The review ought also to consider how the program fits into the PRCS Strategic Plan (2014-2018) and more specifically, how it contributes to communities being more resilient. The process to collect information ought to be participatory, involving HQ and field (including branch and clinic) staff, volunteers and beneficiaries through primarily focus groups complemented by key interviews.

Methodology

The review took the participatory approach in identifying key conclusions and lessons learnt, in which the review team, the program managerial team, PRCS branches, volunteers and local communities participated in feeding this review to give important feedback regarding the review objectives.

Qualitative and quantitative data were collected in the following forms:

1. Survey: carried out for fifty volunteers from sixteen communities. 
2. Focus group discussions: four focus groups completed with volunteers from sixteen CACs across WB and Gaza. Three with beneficiaries, and one focus group with school students’, one male and one female.
3. In-depth interviews: project managerial team, PRCS branch managers, mayors/community councilors.
4. Collective interview: carried out with PRCS relevant staff members working in the branches.
5.  Data analysis: the review team used the desk review and field work qualitative and quantitative data to come up with the result of this work.

Key findings

The CBHFA program has been contributing to improving health and well being in more than seventy Palestinian communities by adapting structured strategies that will promote the ability of these communities to absorb crises with minimum risks.

The program makes better use of the volunteers’time and efforts as it is available, and in promoting volunteer’s growth. The staff of PCRS branches play a big role in enhancing the work of the volunteers by supporting them with needed logistics and networking to facilitate the volunteer work. The program provided the staff with the needed leadership skills that enabled them to work in a team with the volunteers.

Recommendations

(A) Improve collaboration process:

1. Strengthen the cooperation with the branches.
2. Strengthen the cooperation with other PRCS departments. (3) Strengthen the cooperation with the local community.

B) Improve Capacity building structure:

1. Improve the structure of the first aid training course, improve the evaluation of the effects of the course.
2. YRHSE: improve the outcome of the YRHSE course
3. provide the volunteers with additional training on.
4. Intensify the activities that build and strengthen the social relation such as exchange visits and summer camps.
5. Develop disaster risk reduction plan to include: Identification of risks in the communities including social, political, health and infrastructure; map of resources in the communities in terms of human resources, places, societies, schools, shelters; Suggested activities for each risk; Identification of responsible persons or actors for each activity;

C) Improve Monitoring and evaluation process. 

D) Restructure managerial team, field coordinators, field structure.