Sponsored Agency: National Health Mission GoMP
Project Area: District Shahdol of Madhya Pradesh
Target Group: All Community Health focus & Reduce IMR & MMR

Objectives of Project: Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) is a participatory method, in which group members are able to improve their problem-solving skills for better health outcomes. Evidence suggests that such community mobilization process acts as a sustained capacity building tool for communities and can lead to improvements in health outcomes. The PLA method facilitates utilization of existing health services by the community. It also directly addresses issue of women empowerment, which is an important underlying determinant for health and nutrition outcomes.

Programme Activity and outcome:
SVSS implement PLA programme in 3 blocks of shahdol district in which we covered total 202 number of panchayats with total 415 villages. We organize 18 batches of training with 447 participants (Sehat Sakhi’s) & further total 384 number of village community meetings organized by Sehat sakhi with ASHA & ASHA Facilitator.

Phases of Participatory Learning and Action (PLA)

The PLA meeting cycle has four phases as shown in the figure. Each of these phases comprises of
several meetings.

In the first phase, participants of the meeting (community members) prioritize their problems using
picture cards. In the second phase they discuss about possible solutions and come up with strategies
to address the problems. At the end of the second phase, group members call a larger meeting
with the community (village level meeting) to share the identified problems and strategies.
After completion of the first two phases, the prioritized and feasible strategies are implemented in
the third phase. In the fourth phase the participants evaluate what they have done well and try to
assess what they could have done better.

Principles oF PLa Meetings

1-Venue of the meeting should be identified such that Z
2-It is convenient for maximum people to attend the meeting specifically members from marginalized communities (e.g. distant hamlets).
3-Venue of the meetings can be changed to cover the entire population as per group’s consensus.
4-Location should preferably be in an open space where people can join in freely (e.g. under
a tree or a ground).
5-Participation of community members to be non-incentivised.z
6-Duration of meetings to last between one to two hours.z
7-PLA meetings should be open to all members of the communityz
8-Method of discussion should be facilitation, not didactic or teaching.

At the start oF each Meeting:Informally chat with the participants and other members of the community.
1-Encourage the participants to sit together in a circle.
2-Welcome the participants and thank them for coming.
3-Explain the purpose of meeting.
at the end oF each Meeting
4-Summarize the learning from meeting.
5-Ask the group members about what they liked or disliked about the meeting and what they
learnt.
6-Confirm the date, time and meeting place for the next meeting.
7-Inform the group about the content of the next meeting.
8-Informally chat with the participants and other members of the community.
9-Thank the participants for attending the meeting.
10-Make sure all necessary information is noted down.