Developing and Strengthening Community Health Worker Programs at Scale: A Reference Guide and Case Studies for Program Managers and Policymakers

Authors: Henry Perry, Lauren Crigler, Steve Hodgins

Welcome to Developing and Strengthening Community Health Worker Programs at Scale: A Reference Guide and Case Studies for Program Managers and Policymakers (the CHW Reference Guide). This guide is a long and detailed volume that is not intended to be read from cover to cover but rather to be used as a document that can be referred to as specific issues or questions arise. In this sense, you will find some repetition. We have also tried to refer the reader to other chapters where appropriate because many topics and issues are covered in various ways in different chapters.

For readers who want a quicker and perhaps easier-to-use reference, we encourage a look at the recently released Decision-Making Tool for CHW Programs (the CHW Decision Tool) developed by the Health Care Improvement Project, Applying Science to Strengthen and Improve Systems Project of the University Research Corporation (URC) , supported by USAID. This tool is designed to support national and local decision-makers through the design, planning, and scale- up of CHW programs.

The CHW Reference Guide is a more in-depth review of issues and questions that should be considered when addressing key issues relevant for large-scale CHW programs. Like the CHW Decision Tool, the CHW Reference Guide is designed for new CHW programs that are beginning the planning process as well as for existing programs that are being strengthened or scaled up. Like the CHW Decision Tool, the CHW Reference Guide is meant for in-country use by national- level policymakers and planners as well as program implementers. It has many practical examples from CHW programs around the world. Unlike the CHW Decision Tool, the CHW Reference Guide is meant to be a stand-alone document that is read essentially like a reference book. It provides an in-depth look at specific questions of central relevance to large-scale CHW programs. It also has appendixes with a summary of in-depth interviews with key informants who have had extensive experience in working with large-scale CHW programs; a series of in- depth and detailed case studies of CHW programs from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Rwanda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe; and a list of important resources for CHW program managers and policymakers.