2. United States Agency for International Development Bureau for Global Health Office of Population and Reproductive Health Policy Update

3. Organization of Session Use of Population Funds Voluntarism and family planning Abortion-related restrictions Gender-related policy developments

4. Use of Population Funds Rationale Guiding Principles – Direct impact – Optimal use – Operational synergy Co-funding requirements

5. Use of Population Funds: Principal Categories Support family planning activities Strengthen health systems that provide family planning services Family planning enhancement – Related reproductive health activities – Other health and non-health activities

6. Use of Population Funds Matrix

10. Voluntarism and Family Planning: Agency Policy USAID supports the freedom of individuals to choose voluntarily the number and spacing of their children. Guiding principles for assistance : – Voluntary decisions based on free choice and not obtained by any special inducements or forms of coercion – Informed choice including effective access to information on family planning choices

11. Voluntarism and Sterilization: Agency Policy Permanent nature of sterilization has required safeguards to protect against potential abuse Agency policy requirements: – Informed consent must be given prior to procedure – Informed consent must be specifically documented by the client

12. Voluntarism and Family Planning: Legal Requirements Statutes and Agency policy are generally mutually reinforcing Statutory protections against coercion – Kemp-Kasten – Tiahrt Informed choice requirements

13. Tiahrt Amendment Requirements (1) No quotas or targets (2) No incentives or financial awards (3) No denial of rights or benefits (4) Provide comprehensible information on health benefits and risks, inadvisable conditions and adverse side effects (5) Experimental contraceptive methods

14. Key Abortion-related Restrictions Prohibition of the use of foreign operations funding to pay for performance of abortion or to motivate or coerce any person to practice abortion [Helms] Family planning assistance restricted to FNGOs that certify they do not perform or promote abortion [Mexico City]

15. Implementation of Requirements Agreements with contractors and recipients set forth requirements protecting informed choice and voluntarism Routine monitoring of compliance with requirements by cooperating agency and USAID staff: – field visits, audits, evaluations Programmatic initiatives to encourage voluntarism and informed choice Mechanisms for registering and responding to feedback

16. Gender Integration in the ADS 200 & 300 Series Strengthened USAID Commitment to Gender as a Key Development Issue Increased Capacity to Address Gender in All Programs Improved Monitoring and Evaluation of Program Impact on Women and Men

17. ADS Guidance on Gender Integration Technical Analyses and Strategic Planning (201.3.4.11) Performance Monitoring Systems for Strategic Objectives and Intermediate Results (ADS 201.3.4.13) Activity Design (201.3.6.2) Activity Approval Documents (201.3.6.3) Issuing Requests for Proposals (302.5.14) and Requests for Applications (303.5.5b)

18. Technical Analysis for Strategic Plans ADS 201.3.4.11) Gender analysis is a required component of technical analyses conducted for strategic planning and development of results frameworks. How will gender relations affect the achievement of sustainable results? How will proposed results affect the relative status of women?

19. Planning for Performance Monitoring (ADS 201.3.4.13) The context, activity or its anticipated results will involve or affect women and men differently and/or This difference is potentially significant for managing towards sustainable program impact. The ADS requires that indicators and evaluations reflect gender considerations when technical analyses performed as part of the strategic planning process demonstrate that:

20. When designing activities, technical analyses may be necessary to determine the most desirable outputs. Each type of analysis should specifically and appropriately address relevant gender issues. Activity Design (ADS 201.3.6.2)

21. Competitive Solicitations (ADS 302. 5.14) Contracting Officers must ensure that SO Teams: Incorporate into the RFP a statement outlining gender issues or confirm that the SO/Results Package Team completed the rationale for not specifying gender issues as part of the activity approval; and Include in the RFP an appropriately weighted technical evaluation criterion addressing the gender considerations specified in the statement, if applicable.

22. Grants and Cooperative Agreements (ADS 303.5.5b) EVALUATION CRITERIA USAID policy requires that gender issues be addressed as appropriate in all USAID-funded activities, for example: A statement outlining gender issues or a rationale for not including such a statement must be included in the competitive RFA or APS Whenever gender issues are to be incorporated into the activity, the RFA or APS announcement must state the requirement.

23. Thank You