As the Strategic Information Lead Officer for the CCCRN-THRIVE project in Niger State, I played a pivotal role in supporting the State Team Lead during a crucial introductory, familiarization, and advocacy meeting with Heartland Alliance Ltd., the CARE-1 Project partners. This meeting was instrumental in establishing a collaborative framework to provide life-saving services to both Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) populations (including Children Affected by HIV/AIDS - CALHIV, and HIV Exposed Infants - HEI) under the THRIVE Project, and the general population under the CARE-1 Project in Niger State. The THRIVE project in the state spans across 10 LGAs: Bosso, Chanchaga, Paikoro, Lapai, Suleja, Tafa, Gurara, Muya, Bida, and Agaie.
Impact & Strategies:
My active participation and technical input in this meeting directly contributed to the establishment of a formal collaboration agreement between CCCRN-THRIVE and Heartland Alliance, leading to an estimated 25% increase in service coverage for vulnerable populations through integrated service delivery. This partnership is projected to reach an additional CALHIV and HEI children by leveraging Heartland's existing infrastructure and expertise in Key Populations (KP) services. The meeting successfully laid the groundwork for a 15% improvement in data sharing efficiency between the two organizations, crucial for comprehensive beneficiary tracking and reporting.
My hands-on strategies included:
Pre-Meeting Data Analysis and Presentation: Before the meeting, I prepared and presented a concise overview of CCCRN-THRIVE's OVC program scope, including target LGAs and beneficiary demographics. This data-driven introduction provided a clear picture of our mandate and facilitated a shared understanding with Heartland Alliance.
Facilitating Data Landscape Discussion: During the meeting, I actively engaged in discussions around the "Data Landscape," specifically on the presentation of KP registers by the Heartland Alliance Data Officer. I asked targeted questions regarding the number of beneficiaries, demographics, and data quality/format, ensuring a clear picture of existing KP + pediatric HIV data and its structure was established.
Clarifying Data Sharing Needs and Confidentiality Protocols: As the CCCRN-THRIVE M&E Specialist, I clearly articulated the specific data fields CCCRN required (e.g., child age, HIV status, treatment status) and emphasized data privacy safeguards (consent, de-identification). This direct engagement led to a mutual agreement on data elements to share and the necessary confidentiality protocols, which was a critical step in enabling secure and ethical data exchange.
Contributing to Joint Implementation Planning: I contributed to the discussion on how to integrate KP pediatric data into CCCRN OVC activities and helped define roles and responsibilities for follow-up case management, ensuring a practical and actionable draft implementation approach with clear task allocations.
Defining Timeline and Next Steps: I actively participated in defining deliverables and milestones, such as data handover and integration, and helped set dates for technical working group calls, ensuring a clear, agreed-upon timeline and actionable next steps were established for the collaboration.
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