1. Role of the Community-Directed Intervention (CDI) Focal Person
Module 4
Version 2

2. Learning objectives
By the end of this module, learners will be able to:
Define who may be a CDI focal person
Describe the roles of the CDI focal person
Explain how the health facility as a whole supports the CDI focal person and CDI activities

3. Why do we need a CDI focal person?
CDI happens when communities take charge of distributing health commodities themselves with guidance from the health service
A CDI focal person with supervisory responsibility must be present at the supervising health facility to guide the activities of the community health workers (CHWs)
The focal person must be trained in CDI activities and willing to work with community members and spend time in the community

4. Who can be a CDI focal person?
Selection criteria for CDI focal person:
Health care worker
Trained in intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy, supportive supervision, and effective training skills
Works in health facility near the community (preferably in the antenatal care clinic)
Interested in community-directed intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (c-IPTp)
Agrees to participate in CDI
Photo by Bright Orji, Jhpiego

5. What are the key duties of a CDI focal person?
Facilitate community mapping of pregnant women and selection of CHWs
Train CHWs selected by the community
Supervise trained CHWs in the community and at monthly meetings
Coordinate commodity supplies (order enough sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and coordinate distribution)
Coordinate partners working in the community, such as civil society organizations
Monitor and evaluate c-IPTp data (in the health facility and community)
Continually promote community involvement in the c-IPTp project

6. Mobilizing the community
The CDI focal person:
Carries out community mobilization
Holds a community entry meeting with community leaders to seek support and schedule the larger orientation and facilitation meeting
Facilitates the orientation and facilitation meeting to seek community representatives’ commitment to CDI
Takes part in meeting to obtain feedback from the community
Photo by Enobong Ndekhedehe, Jhpiego

7. Supervising CDI preparation
The CDI focal person:
Provides guidance to the community to conduct its census/mapping
Empowers the community to decide on CHW selection criteria
Shares information on upcoming training dates
Photo by Enobong Ndekhedehe, Jhpiego

8. Training CHWs The CDI focal person:
Trains CHWs using adult education and participatory approaches
Organizes refresher training as needed
Provides updates during supervision
Photo by Enobong Ndekhedehe, Jhpiego

9. Supervising CHWs The CDI focal person:
Provides supportive supervision to the CHWs in the community using the supportive supervision checklists (see Community Intermittent Preventive Treatment for Malaria in Pregnancy: Implementation Guide, Appendix A)
Participates in monthly supportive supervision meetings with the CHWs
Photo by Enobong Ndekhedehe, Jhpiego

10. Coordinating supplies
CDI supplies depend on the package of services to be provided
The CDI focal person:
Uses the village censuses to calculate and order adequate supplies
Supplies materials to the CHWs
Helps CHWs maintain and audit their stocks
Ensures that commodities are:
In stock at the facility at all times
Available when CHWs come to collect these supplies

11. Coordinating partners
Partners and stakeholders for c-IPTp include civil society organizations, such as:
Community-based organizations
Faith-based organizations
Nongovernmental organizations
Agencies operating at the community level
Local partners have important roles to play in:
Health education of villagers
Supporting the efforts of CHWs

12. Monitoring and evaluating
The CDI focal person:
Receives and audits the CHWs’ reports
Keeps the CHWs’ records at the facility level and summarizes the facility’s report for submission to the district level
Facilitates feedback to the community on the performance of the CHWs and the data collected from them as part of the community self-monitoring process
Photo by Bright Orji, Jhpiego

13. Continual community mobilization
Regular community meetings are needed
Together with CHWs, the focal person helps bring community members together to:
Seek their views on progress and problems
Help the community solve problems
Reinforce the community’s continued commitment to the c-IPTp program and support for their CHWs
Identify additional services that can be added to c-IPTp
Help the community replace any CHWs who may have moved or dropped out

14. Role of the health facility
All health center staff must support the CDI process
The focal person accomplishes this by working with:
The pharmacy to ensure adequate supplies of appropriate commodities
The records department to ensure CHW reports are integrated with health center data
Antenatal care and child health staff to ensure that patients referred by the CHW are welcomed

15. Summary questions Someone please tell us:
Who can be a CDI focal person?
What are the roles of the CDI focal person based at the frontline health facility?
How can the health facility support the CDI focal person?

16. Thank you!
Any questions or comments? 15