4. In which ways is the initiative creative and innovative?
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The initiative promotes the following innovation and creativity:
a.The initiative paved way for the formulation of the First 1,000 Days of Life Manual of Procedures as guidelines as the first comprehensive maternal and child care program in the Philippines produced by a local government unit.
b.MAMA Book and Baby Book were published to provide all information, measures and guidelines necessary to learn and observe during a child’s journey in his/her first 1,000 days.
c.Under the social care aspect of the Q1K, the program involves the active role of the father/partner in taking care of the baby commencing from the time of conception.
d.The program not only concentrates on the nutritional aspect of both mother and her baby, but also the ill-effects of poor environmental sanitation, poor personal hygiene and community’s awareness in providing a conducive environment (noise-free, smoke-free)
e.Inclusion of food security ensures that the family has ample source of daily sustenance and possible source of income through the home gardens.
f.The program also addresses the behaviour of the parents in child-rearing through attendance in the parent effectiveness sessions once a month for 10 months.
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5. Who implemented the initiative and what is the size of the population affected by this initiative?
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With the issuance of Executive Order No. 17 series of 2015 of the Provincial Government of Quezon, the Q1K Council and the Q1K Technical Working Group (TWG) were created to act as the implementing arm of the program. The TWG formulated the guidelines and came up with a Manual of Procedures that served as the bible for its thorough implementation from day 1 up to 1,000. The Local Government Units which comprise of the local chief executives, key department heads, barangay captains and councilors served as our partners and vital links in securing all necessary interventions are delivered at the municipal and barangay level.
Although the program was limited to 1000 beneficiaries, the 12 towns were briefed into giving the same interventions to all the pregnant mothers in their town. For purposes of the study, the 1000 beneficiaries were monitored and reported using monitoring and reporting tools designed for the program and encoded in our website.
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6. How was the strategy implemented and what resources were mobilized?
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The initiative took a scholarly approach in implementing the health interventions to to maternal and childcare during the first 1,000 days of life. Through a two-day workshop of intensive orientation and consultation to maternal and child care experts, medical practitioners and health care providers, the council was able to point out all the issues and gaps in the first 1,000 days of life of a child. Taking into consideration all necessary initiatives and interventions in the aspect of maternal and childcare, the Q1K Council and TWG was able to draft the framework for the manual of procedures of the first 1,000 days.
After the formulation of the manual of procedures and the criteria for determining the beneficiaries based on the data collated by the province, the council and TWG began to establish the necessary links for the delivery of the program to its beneficiaries through partnership with Local Chief Executives of 12 municipalities. The action plan included the signing of pledge of commitment from the stakeholders of the program, followed by the intensive program briefing and orientation to the different municipalities and stakeholders involved. The orientation involved the participation of Municipal Health Officers, Barangay Captains, barangay health workers, barangay nutrition scholars, barangay health station midwives, social workers and Q1K coordinators.
The Provincial Government of Quezon allocated an amount from the General Fund for the implementation of Q1K. The selection of the 1,000 beneficiaries were conducted by the Q1K TWG based on the determined criteria from the data collated by the province. The Quezon Provincial Government hired a third party evaluator, the Southern Luzon State University, for the task of collating and evaluating all data of the beneficiaries while the Q1K TWG is assigned to the implemenation, monitorship and evaluation of the program activities and the program beneficiaries.
As a necessary unit of implementation, the Provincial Government established the Q1K Office that focuses on the information dissemination campaign, program implementaion and monitorship of the Q1K program.
The first province-wide Buntis Congress was conducted by the Provincial Government to the 1,000 beneficiares that improved the significance of first 1,000 days of life and empowered the strong partnership and involvement of both partners, mother and father, in caring for their unbirth child.
Set of activities were conducted to the 1,000 program beneficiaries during their 9 months of pregnancy that involved 8 visits to the heath stations or prenatal checkups and packages, and social care orientation. Another set of activities were conducted after successful births with postnatal packages and exclusive breastfeeding program, all monitored and recorded by Q1K coordinators.
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7. Who were the stakeholders involved in the design of the initiative and in its implementation?
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The conceptualization and formulation of the manual of procedures for Q1K program involved the Provincial Government of Quezon, the participation, learning experience and advise of renowned maternal and child care experts in the Philippines, a consultant from Unicef, chief of hospitals from the province, barangay health worker representatives including midwives and nutrition scholars, and the Southern Luzon State University. On the side of program implementation, the Q1K established a network of collaborative stakeholders such as the local chief executives, municipal health officers, provincial, community and district hospitals, rural health stations, social workers, and volunteers such as barangay health workers, nutrition scholars, day care workers, and local barangay officials.
The Provincial Government also sought for complimentary programs from national agencies that can partner with the supplementary needs of the Q1K program such as the departments of health and agriculture, as well as partnership with the national government insurance (Phil Health) for enrollment to the maternal package of beneficiaries.
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8. What were the most successful outputs and why was the initiative effective?
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There are notable outputs of the initiative, to wit:
1.Stronger partnership of parents was established during seminars on early stages of parenthood and child care that breaks the traditional Filipino culture of leaving general childcare to the pregnant women.
2.Health-seeking behavior of pregnant women has evidently improved, with more than 4 prenatal visits during their pregnancy stage.
3. Early detection and interventions for high risk pregnancies were address due to effective monitorship of Q1K coordinators.
4.A record of improved adherence to the intake of vitamins, eating of healthy food, clean environment were accessed by the beneficiaries because of the interventions provided by the initiative.
5.Through the efforts of Q1K Office, Provincial Information Office, Quezon Provincial Government Radio and Television program, and Q1K website, a massive information campaign was launched for the awareness of the importance of first 1,000 days of life in a child’s life which intensified the support of the general public and collaboration of other LGUs in the program.
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9. What were the main obstacles encountered and how were they overcome?
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Initially, the acceptance and coordination of the local chief executives and their municipal/ city department heads vary from one aspect to another. Some town officials did not fully support the program and not all beneficiaries easily accepted the benefits of adhering to the guidelines. Some believe that the activities strongly oppose their culture and traditional beliefs.
Since the reluctance in participation of these stakeholders are due to their prioritization of other local government programs, said reluctance was addressed through the efforts of the Provincial Government to continually campaign for the rationale behind the significant project during provincial development council meetings and regular municipal visits of the province for other programs being implemented in their respective municipalities. In addition to that, the province devised an incentive program in a form of provincial government projects for Q1K municipal and barangay champions. Eventually, these hesitations were changed to excitements as they participate in the new challenge.
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