Strategic Partnerships Framework and Toolkit for Innovative Immunization Partnerships

"Key insights from immunization stakeholders at global, national, and district levels show a need for an innovative immunization partnerships framework."

The Strategic Partnerships Framework and Toolkit have been developed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)'s MOMENTUM Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity to support the establishment of innovative immunisation partnerships to address immunisation gaps and challenges. In particular, the Strategic Partnerships Framework is designed to aid national and subnational immunisation programme stakeholders with an increased ability to broker and strengthen effective strategic partnerships with new organisations in an effort to create novel pathways and relationships for better immunisation outcomes. The toolkit complements this framework and provides practical tools to help navigate activities throughout the partnership lifecycle.

As explained in the framework document, "Despite significant progress, global and county-level immunization rates remain below where they should be, and too many children remain un- or under-immunized. Accessing the hardest to reach requires effective coordination and creative solutions. Strategic partnerships can help build health worker capacity, extend distribution reach, drive immunization demand, access new technologies, and unlock additional resources. Based on learnings from research and expert interviews, the success of immunization programs requires not just technical assistance but also engagement from non-immunization stakeholders in sectors such as education, government administration, community leadership, telecommunications, and more to coordinate and fill resource and capability gaps at country, subnational, district, and community levels."

According to MOMENTUM, "Innovative partnerships occur between immunization and non-immunization actors who share mutually agreed-upon objectives and work together to achieve a common goal. Innovative partners can use their unique strengths to improve access to immunization for priority populations by overcoming immunization gaps (such as demand generation, stigma and distrust, supply chain issues, lack of funding, lack of resources to reach populations, and more)."

The Strategic Partnerships Framework
The framework provides a structure, suggested processes, and historical examples for how to strategically engage with innovative and strategic partners to tackle immunisation obstacles. It is intended for national and subnational immunisation programme decision-makers, and those working in support of their agenda, including MOMENTUM Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity Country Teams, civil society, and others interested in innovative partnership support.

The framework document consists of the following sections:

1. Purpose and Role of Innovative Partners: This section looks at why innovative partnerships matter, what innovative partnerships can do, and what is needed to make partnerships successful.
2. Partnerships Lifecycle
   • Strategy and Design: This section looks at the immunisation challenges that can be addressed through the engagement of partners, the advantages different partners can bring to address the challenge (e.g., expertise, resources, etc.), and how an immunisation programme can define a partnership vision. It includes a case study: District-Level Bottom-Up Microplanning in Ethiopia - Defining the partnership vision of local champions to strengthen routine immunisation through community engagement.
   • Launch and Management: This section looks at how an immunisation programme can plan for, launch, and manage a partnership, as well as how it can engage with the right partners. It includes a case study: Engaging Traditional Leaders for Immunisation Tracking - Launching a partnership with traditional leaders to generate immunisation demand and improve reach in Northern Nigeria.
   • Improvement and Learning: This section looks at how an immunisation programme can know if a partnership is working and how it can monitor and improve the partnership. It includes a case study: CORE Group Polio Project (CGPP) in India - Monitoring and sustaining community impact through community action groups.
3. Case Study Library: This section highlights further case studies from across the globe of past innovative immunisation partnerships and examples of how non-immunisation partners came together to achieve impact in immunisation access.
4. Complementary Resources: This section offers insights and key takeaways for engaging specific non-traditional partners, as well links to the toolkit and templates that form part of this package.

The Toolkit for Innovative Immunization Partnerships
This document provides practical tools to help navigate activities throughout the partnership lifecycle. The tools include conversation starters, opportunity prioritisation matrixes, workshop agendas, questionnaires, templates, and inspiration cards. Each tool or asset includes instructions for how it should be used and how it should be used in conjunction with other tools. 

The toolkit is intended for national and sub-national immunisation programme decision makers, and those working in support of their agenda, including MOMENTUM Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity Country Teams, other MOMENTUM Technical Teams, and others (e.g., implementing partners) exploring innovative immunisation partnership support.

The toolkit sections are as follows:
 

1. Partnership Opportunity Definition and Prioritisation: This section offers tools to help partners tackle immunisation gaps that National Immunisation Programmes/Expanded Immunization Programmes (NIPs/EPIs) are facing and tools to identify potential partnership opportunities to tackle immunisation gaps. 
2. Resources to Introduce and Inspire: This section offers tools that will help NIPs/EPIs inspire partners to engage in immunisation, and well as tools to inform potential partners about the benefits and impact of engaging in innovative immunisation partnerships. 
3. Partner Identification and Selection: This section offers tools that will help with identifying and selecting potential partners to further engage in overcoming immunisation gaps.
4. Templates for Partnership Focus and Design: This section offers tools that will help NIPs/EPIs to define the partnership focus and design the partnership, as well as tools to develop a mutual understanding of how the partnership might function and what role each partner might play.
5. Resources to Launch and Manage Partnership Activities: This section offers tools that will help NIPs/EPIs facilitate the launch and ongoing meetings, as well as tools to develop an action plan for activities.
6. Partnership Questionnaire and Retrospective Template: This section offers tools to help NIPs/EPIs assess whether the partnership is working well and what they can do to improve it.