Proceedings of the operations research training workshop: Mainstreaming NFP in the public sector, August 15-18, 1996

This report summarizes the proceedings of the “Operations Research Training Workshop: Mainstreaming Natural Family Planning in the Public Sector,” held August 15-18, 1996, in Boracay, Aklan, Philippines. The workshop was sponsored by the Philippine Federation for Natural Family Planning (NFP), the Family Planning Service of the Department of Health, and the Family Planning Operations Research and Training (FPORT) Program of the Population Council, Manila. Program managers and health officials were trained in operations research (OR) to enhance their understanding and appreciation of OR and its role in integrating NFP technology in the public health sector. Results of several diagnostic and intervention studies were presented by resource persons from university-based research institutions and the Population Council. Participants also reviewed the fundamentals of research methodology. The NFP technology was presented by the PFNFP staff. A process for identifying a particular NFP service delivery model for integrating within the public health sector was facilitated by the staff of PFNFP. The workshop included a discussion on planning the dissemination strategy and utilization of OR study findings. The final activity was identifying issues that OR can address in mainstreaming NFP in the public health system