FRONTIERS Projects | Improving Financial Sustainability in Three Health Services Organizations

FRONTIERS PROJECT
Improving Financial Sustainability in Three Health Services Organizations

Many nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that provide reproductive health services are facing reduced donor contributions that require them to generate more of their own resources. FRONTIERS worked with three Bolivian NGOs (PROSALUD; the Center for Research, Education and Services or CIES; and the Association of Rural Health Programs or APSAR) to improve their ability to conduct research on market analysis and cost recovery. Following a one-week workshop on conducting cost studies, staff from the three NGOs designed operations research studies to help with decisions on planning and cost recovery. Study findings showed that cost recovery varied from high (PROSALUD, 83%–109%) to low (CIES, 38%–46%) and very low (APSAR, 10%–25%), depending on the service. Findings from the three NGOs’ projects revealed the utility of cost studies for strategic development. All three studies showed that clients would not or could not pay higher fees and suggested potential options including developing new services or market approaches (PROSALUD), controlling costs (CIES), and continued donor support (APSAR). All three NGOs are using the findings to conduct strategic planning, and PROSALUD plans further operations research to test new sources of revenue.

Location

Bolivia

Duration

January 2004–March 2005

Population Council researchers

Patricia Riveros, John Bratt

Non-Council collaborators

Asociación de Programas de Salud del area Rural (APSAR)

Center for Research, Education and Services (CIES)

PROSALUD

Donor

US Agency for International Development

Publications/Resources
Council researchers' names appear in boldface type.

2007
"Bolivia: Marketing and economic analyses help NGOs develop strategies for sustainability," FRONTIERS OR Summary no. 61. Washington, DC: Population Council. (full text)

2006
Merida, Martha, Javier Arce, Douglas Moscoso, Carlo Ramirez, Patricia Riveros, and John Bratt. "Operations research to improve financial sustainability in three Bolivian NGOs," FRONTIERS Final Report. Washington, DC: Population Council. (PDF, 177 KB)