New Concept Information Systems (NCIS) was recently engaged by the Resource Group for Education and Advocacy for Community Health (REACH) to support the Accountability Leadership by Local Communities for Inclusive, Enabling Services (ALLIES) project. This initiative, focused on tuberculosis (TB) elimination, concluded in September 2024 after five years of implementation across 15 districts in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and at the national level.

NCIS developed a comprehensive suite of knowledge management products, capturing the ALLIES project’s impact, learnings, and results. Key outputs included four state impact reports and one national impact report, three knowledge products addressing TB in elderly populations, TB and disability, and a gender-responsive approach to TB management under the National TB Elimination Programme. Additionally, four advocacy brochures were created for TB survivor-led networks in the project’s focus states.

All products were translated into Hindi, Odia, and Tamil to ensure broader accessibility. NCIS prioritized a seamless integration of content development and design, producing engaging, reader-friendly materials enriched with infographics and photographs. By aligning design with content, NCIS ensured the materials were visually appealing without compromising quality or detail.

The project’s completion under tight deadlines for the National Dissemination Meeting exemplified NCIS's ability to deliver high-quality products on time. The collaborative approach with REACH fostered efficient feedback and quality control, ensuring accuracy and relevance in the final deliverables. This endeavour adds to NCIS’s extensive experience in documenting TB-focused projects and underscores its commitment to impactful knowledge dissemination.

New Concept had the privilege to work closely with IPE Global on the esteemed Vriddhi project, funded by USAID, aimed at scaling up interventions in RMNCH+A. The project, spanning four years from 2014 to 2018 in the first phase, focused on providing techno-managerial support to the Government of India at national and state levels for RMNCH+A interventions.

During the development of Vriddhi's knowledge products and advocacy materials, New Concept played a crucial role in documenting and disseminating the outcomes of the project. Through visits to Labour Rooms and interviews with health staff, New Concept captured key insights and program designs to assist in sharing valuable lessons learned and best practices with various stakeholders, including donors, governments, multilateral organizations, development practitioners, and health professionals. Particularly, the Care around Birth approach with high-impact technical interventions to improve the quality of care (QoC) being provided during the intrapartum and immediate postpartum periods in line with WHO’s QoC framework was explored.

With a focus on promoting evidence-based advocacy, New Concept crafted a range of print and display materials to highlight the impact of Vriddhi's interventions. The deliverables included technical briefs, state briefs, thematic brochures, technical flyers, a newsletter, a coffee table book, and an overarching project brochure. Additionally, New Concept developed an array of films showcasing different aspects of the project, including Care around Birth, capacity building, quality improvement, and knowledge management.

To complement these materials, New Concept also curated a collection of high-resolution photographs capturing interventions across the six project states of six focus states of Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Punjab and Uttarakhand. Furthermore, an online repository was established to house all existing and newly developed materials, providing a comprehensive platform for knowledge sharing and dissemination.

Through this collaboration, New Concept successfully contributed to advancing advocacy efforts and facilitating enhanced investments in social and health outcomes. The work done in partnership with IPE Global on the Vriddhi project stands as a testament to the commitment to promoting impactful initiatives and fostering positive change in healthcare delivery.

New Concept Information Systems conducted a rigorous study for Nutrition International and Food Fortification Initiative to explore into the acceptance of fortified wheat flour (FWF) among beneficiaries of the public distribution system in five districts of Haryana state, India. This initiative, aimed at combating anaemia, involved the distribution of FWF by the state government to eligible beneficiaries in Ambala, Hisar, Karnal, Rohtak, and Yamuna Nagar.

The study, which took place in 2021 after receiving ethical approval, employed a comprehensive mixed-method design to scrutinize the gaps, challenges, facilitators, and bottlenecks associated with the fortified wheat flour. A total of 695 beneficiaries and 642 fair price shop owners were interviewed in person by a dedicated field research team using semi-structured interviews, supplemented by qualitative interviews with select stakeholders conducted telephonically.

The results highlighted a high level of acceptability of FWF among beneficiaries, from the moment they received the flour to its preparation and consumption. The data indicated strong support for wheat flour fortification as an effective public health intervention. The program's success in achieving near-universal acceptability in the project districts suggests potential for broader implementation across the state's public distribution network.

While some challenges were reported, such as concerns about the product's appearance or insect contamination in the flour, overall feedback regarding the taste, look, and feel of the fortified wheat flour was positive across all districts. The study also emphasized the importance of addressing district-specific issues related to product quality and infrastructure to further enhance uptake.

In conclusion, the findings underscore the significance of adapting strategies to address district-specific challenges and enhance awareness to promote the uptake of fortified wheat flour. This study serves as a valuable asset in guiding future interventions and scaling up the fortified wheat flour program to benefit the broader population.

Child labour is a pressing issue in Rajasthan, particularly in sectors like mining, carpet weaving, and agriculture in rural areas. A 2021 study by Save the Children in districts like Jaipur, Dausa, Bikaner, Hanumangarh, Baran, Ganganagar, and Dholpur shed light on the prevalence of child labour in these sectors.

Given the insights from this previous study, New Concept was commissioned by SCF in 2022 to conduct a more extensive study on child labour rescue and rehabilitation in the state. This study aimed to evaluate how well the child protection system functions under the Child and Adolescent Labour Act (CALPRA) of 1986. It looked into the effectiveness of District level taskforce units in enforcing the law and observing child engagement in prohibited occupations.

Through a quantitative analysis, the study examined the number of FIRs and legal actions taken against law-breaking employers by the Department of Labour. It also explored the coordination between task force members, NGOs, and grassroots organizations in combating child trafficking. The establishment of the Child and Adolescent Labour Rehabilitation Fund at the district level, supported by fines from violators, was highlighted as a crucial initiative for the welfare and education of rescued children.

The study emphasized the significant role of these rehabilitation funds in integrating rescued children into society and ensuring their future security. It also assessed the effectiveness of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) developed by the Department of Labour in ensuring compliance with child labour laws and streamlining rescue efforts.

Stakeholder engagement played a key role in the study, involving collaborations with entities like the State Labour Department, State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR), and various civil society groups. This comprehensive approach aimed to understand challenges, gather learnings, and provide recommendations for the effective implementation of the Child and Adolescent Labour Act of 1986 in Rajasthan.

The research focused on implementing key provisions of the Child and Adolescent Labour Act 1986 in ten districts considered child labour hotspots in Rajasthan.

1. Channel/ product/services for market entry; 
2. Common needs among suppliers, potential partners and market so that GMC can align its education portfolio to market needs; 
3. Enhanced ecosystem map with high level possible partners/ firms in these three cities that GMC should consider for immediate market entry. 

BOSCO Delhi, in collaboration with Don Bosco Mondo, Germany, has been implementing a mobile medical programme since 2013 in Delhi slums in 20 centres. This feasibility study was aimed at informing expansion of the programme to 80 more centres while incorporating a holistic approach to health and bringing in aspects of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) among adolescents, focusing on women and children, and imbibing positive health-seeking behaviours among communities, especially in the post COVID-19 context.

The feasibility study was conducted to gauge the conditions, opportunities and risks related to scaling up the existing 20-centre medical project to 100 centres, and to ultimately finalise the project design. To do so, it was essential to assimilate the perspectives of stakeholders who will affect and be affected by the intervention and to critically understand the target groups and the push-pull factors around health in their daily lives. It also aimed at identifying non-performing/ineffective components of the existing intervention.

The analytical framework provided an overview of the linkages between the analyses. Four primary analytical dimensions were undertaken in this study:

1. Initial situation and problem analysis – To understand the local context, unmet needs, problems and their reasons in a broad sense
2. Partner analysis – To understand the relationship between BOSCO Delhi and Don Bosco Mondo, any conflict-of-interest issues, legitimacy of intervention for stakeholders, local stakeholders/partners with potential for collaboration
3. Target group and stakeholder analysis – To understand the socio-economic status of different stakeholders in slums and their linkages with issues of caste/gender/language/region, predominant health concerns among women/adolescents/children/elderly, existing local platforms/groups that can be leveraged; to map the project’s alignment with government priorities and identify opportunities for collaboration, existing partners and their roles, coordination with government
4. Ex-ante OECD-DAC evaluation – To evaluate the potential of the proposed project in terms of its relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, significance/developmental impact and sustainability.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee (OECD-DAC) evaluation was considered as the logical extension of the first three analyses and also provided insights for them. Thus, the overall analytical approach was symbiotic and multi-levelled.

The study employed 138 Key Informant Interviews at community level, and 18 FGDs spread over 15 slums across New Delhi.

Considering the need for a right balance between preventive and curative care and improvement in the overall health ecosystem in the slums, the study recommended that in addition to numbers and geographical reach some focused interventions (target group, geographical, preventive/curative, community structures/ownership, model centres, etc) in some pilot areas can be tried leading to a light-touch and heavy-touch approach. Some interventions would have a large light touch component and an additional focused intervention with an experimental approach. Such possibilities could be explored.

Figure 1FGD with women

Women segregating cloths to be sold. Particulate matter from the cloth can be felt while breathing the air.

Figure 2FGD with adolescents

In 2015, UK Aid formed a consortium named KalaCORE comprising 4 agencies—Mott MacDonald, Médecins Sans Frontières, the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine—to strengthen public health efforts toward the elimination of Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL-Kala-azar) in South Asia and Africa. 

Between February 2016 and December 2018, New Concept Information Systems, as a subcontractor to the consortium, implemented behavior change communication (BCC) activities to support the elimination of VL in 3 of the 4 endemic states in India. The year-long communication activities were focused on improving knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) related to VL and Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) among communities, frontline health workers, and opinion leaders. 

Key areas of focus for the BCC intervention were on improving KAPs of communities, frontline health workers, and opinion leaders about:

1. Causes, symptoms, and severity of VL

2. Diagnosis and treatment of VL and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL)—a complication of VL that is characterized by a rash in a patient who has recovered from VL

3. Prevention of VL through IRS

An implementation team of 216 professionals, comprising 168 BCC facilitators, 27 district project managers, 18 quality monitors, and 3 state program managers, based in the intervention states carried out the intervention. 

To study the impact, NCIS surveyed 5 households each in 10 intervention villages (N=700 intervention households in all 14 study districts) and 5 households each in 5 control villages (N=350 control households in all 14 study districts). 

The impact assessment revealed that households exposed to BCC activities had significantly better awareness and acceptance of IRS than households not exposed to BCC activities, and they were better able to identify suspected VL cases and to immediately seek diagnosis and treatment at PHCs. Thus, health communication that encourages community participation should continue to be an important component of India’s VL elimination strategy.

The  findings were published in a renowned international journal¹

In continuation of the earlier research, between April to November 2017, NCIS used a social mapping tool in 295 VL hotspot villages in Bihar and Jharkhand states of India to demonstrate effective use of social mapping in planning, implementation and monitoring of Behavior Change Communication (BCC) activities.

Maps were effectively used to record disease related indicators, mark habitations affected with VL cases, and plan, implement and monitor BCC activities to achieve elimination. 

Plotting of VL hotspot villages revealed a pattern of distribution.  Village Maps highlighted the fact that households in poor settlements are most affected with VL while at the same time remain marginalized in terms of knowledge and access to services. The exercise confirmed that mapping villages at the beginning of activity planning and use of maps for analyzing activity coverage and disease patterns will improve quality of BCC interventions thus improving program efficiency.

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¹Positive Influence of Behavior Change Communication on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices for Visceral Leishmaniasis/Kala-azar in India: Raghavan Srinivasan, Tanwir Ahmad, Vidya Raghavan, Manisha Kaushik and Ramakant Pathak, Global Health: Science and Practice January 2018, GHSP-D-17-00087; https://doi.org/10.9745/GHSP-D-17-00087
 

UNICEF had supported the implementation of the GARIMA Project in 1,974 villages of districts Sonbhadra, Jaunpur and Mirzapur since September 2013. Project GARIMA focused on bringing positive change and enabling adolescent girls (10‐19 years) who were at a critical juncture of their lives to recognise their potential and worth by opening up, upholding their confidence levels and restoring faith in their abilities.  

As the documentation agency, NCIS developed the following documents:

1. Best Practices document on GARIMA (ready-to-print form)

2. Case Story documentation of individual success stories of GARIMA (ready-to-print form)

3. A multi-media presentation on GARIMA

4. Five short films encapsulating stories of changePhotographic documentation of case stories and project activities

Interactions were conducted using qualitative methods, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. The case studies identified by partner NGOs/UNICEF were corroborated by verbal accounts of stakeholders met, and comprehensive qualitative data was collected. Consent was sought from all stakeholders. In the case of minors, consent was sought from guardians. Photography was also undertaken to record and document the selected cases.

The Best Practices document and Case Story document were written with the synthesised notes and once the shooting was finished for all the films, they were edited and finalised. A multi-media presentation was also developed using the footage and photographs. This presentation encapsulated the progress and achievements of the project. The Best Practices and the Case Story document were designed and laid out and print ready files were given to UNICEF.

International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Asia Regional Child Labour (ARC) project is being implemented across six South Asian countries i.e. Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Myanmar.

ILO commissioned New Concept Information Systems (NCIS) to develop the communication strategy for the ARC project. The comprehensive process for developing a customised strategy for the project being implemented across Asia included the following steps:

1. Consultation with key stakeholders from the six project countries

2. Development of a broad framework addressing the issue of child labour with focus areas for each of these countries 

3. Developing messages based on key audiences identified

4. Developing the communication and media mix for the six countries

5. Consultations with the six country teams to finalise the media mix

6. Listing of prototypes that could be adapted across the six countries and customising where needed

7. Developing a country-specific strategy with a pragmatic implementation plan, clearly detailing the steps required and the timeline.

Apart from developing the country-specific communication strategy that was implemented between December 2021 and June 2022, New Concept also developed a communication prototype in consultation with the country teams and provided handholding support to the teams in adapting and using the prototype kit to the specific situation prevailing in their countries.

The communication materials were developed focusing on a varied set of stakeholders including policy makers and Government bodies, employers, workers, influencers (media, religious leaders, CSOs, etc.), community, and parents and families. 

The materials developed included e-posters and animation clips for children, parents, community and employers, display boards, social media messages, presentation for policy makers and jingle/audio/radio spot lyrics for children, parents and community.

UNDP-supported Plastic Waste Management (PWM) project is paving the way for a socio-technical model that prioritises waste segregation, collection, and recycling. With a focus on compliance with regulations and improving resource utilisation, the project aligns with the Swachh Bharat Mission and Solid Waste Management Rules. By institutionalising waste collectors and improving their social conditions, the project aims to enhance PWM and boost the socio-economic wellbeing of Safai Sathis. It works on the principle that the key to efficient and effective waste management is waste segregation at source. 

UNDP assigned to New Concept Information Systems (NCIS) the task of conceptualising and implementing a pilot IEC initiative in select PWM project areas of Delhi-NCR.

The objective of the pilot initiative was to: 

1. Plan and implement an IEC and BCC outreach programme for people in Delhi/NCR (Dwarka and Greater NOIDA).

2. Sensitise executive members of CGHS and RWAs, management committee members of housing complexes, influential people of the society, functionaries in different institutions on domestic/institutional waste segregation.

3. Identify and create ambassadors of change from within the target groups who would take the key messages to the communities.  

The target population groups for the intervention included residents of Central Government Health Scheme, school children (classes 7 to 12), Safai Sathis and bulk waste generators. An interesting revelation was the consciousness of school children that plastic waste is extremely harmful to the environment. It has great potential to spur these children to become enthusiastic ambassadors of change. Another revelation was the enthusiasm of the safai sathis  for their task despite the many challenges they face in implementation.

UNICEF Ethiopia supports several programmes led by the Government of Ethiopia in the country, focusing on achieving results for women and children. Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) is one of their key intervention areas.

In order to foster a shared understanding of and technical guidance on the process, provision and implementation of SBC initiatives, UNICEF Ethiopia Country Office contracted New Concept Information Systems (NCIS) to develop a sector cross-cutting SBC training package. The package is aimed at functionaries at different levels as its target audience. It consists of a facilitator’s guide and a participant module in English and five regional languages and has been contextualised to serve across different programme sectors, and geographical and cultural contexts.

NCIS used its extensive experience in SBC to develop this package. A comprehensive desk review of the background information was undertaken before developing the package. Once developed, the package was pre-tested in the five regions of Ethiopia, designed and finalised in print ready format, and translated in five regional languages (Afari, Amharic, Oromifa, Somali and Tigrigna).

NCIS team from India consisting two senior SBC trainers made three visits to Addis Ababa to present the draft package, pre-test it and once finalised, conduct a face-to-face orientation of UNICEF Ethiopia team and other development partners.  New Concept collaborated with a local partner for the translations and pre-test.
 

The package was formally launched in November 2022. 

Life skills, also termed psycho-social competencies, are an essential set of skills that help develop abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour. These empower individuals to deal with the demands and challenges of life effectively.  There are key transition points in life when the human body develops rapidly, adolescence being one such period in an individual’s life. Adolescence (10-19 years) is a critical period of life with biological, psychological, social and cognitive maturity starting to set in. During this period, family and school environment are critical social contexts. Therefore, investments in life skills-based education from the early stages of adolescence are imperative as they have an enormous bearing on the physical and mental health of adolescents and, thus, the potential to alter their  ability to and engage with the society at this and later stages of their life.

Taking cognizance of the importance of life skills trainings for adolescents, UNICEF Bihar supported a five-day in-depth discussion and activity-based training of trainers in “Adolescent Life Skills Training” in Patna. The training was based on a Life Skills Module for adolescents aged 10-14 and 15-19 years. The modules are well-designed, thought provoking and learning based, and the life skills learnt through these modules are expected to make the adolescents responsible and confident individuals in the present and future. The participants  in the training were like-minded yet diverse individuals from the PCI team and state consultants from UNICEF Bihar. 

New Concept Centre for Development Communications (NCCDC) facilitated this training. The facilitators created a positive and enabling learning environment at the training. Ten core life skills including self-awareness, empathy, critical thinking, creative thinking, decision making, problem solving, interpersonal relationship, effective communication, coping with stress and coping with emotions were included across the 18 participatory sessions of the training workshop. 

The effective facilitation of the sessions reflected in the mood of the participants, who opened up about their own adolescence experiences and showed their enthusiasm through active involvement in the sessions and active discussions with the facilitators. They were also introduced to the life skills measurement tool by the facilitators, to ensure periodic assessment on life skills being taught to the adolescents.

The key takeaway from the training workshop was that life skills training for adolescents requires immense persistence and sensitivity.

Overall, the training was a great learning experience for both the facilitators and the participants. It was well appreciated by not just the participants but also the senior team members of PCI and UNICEF. 

he National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis Elimination (2017-2025) underscores a strategic four pillar approach for elimination of TB from the country. These four pillars are ‘Detect-Treat-Prevent-Build’ (DTPB). 

Successful implementation of these four pillars necessitates adequate capacity building of the workforce engaged in elimination of TB, especially the community-level workforce. A well conceptualised Learning Resource Package (LRP) is one of the key prerequisites for effective capacity building of the workforce engaged at the forefront of DTPB. 

New Concept was entrusted with the responsibility of developing this training curriculum by Jhpiego. A comprehensive training curriculum was developed in English and Hindi.  This curriculum comprises technical content for Community Health Officers (CHOs) who are service providers at the Health and Wellness Centres. 

SOS Children’s Village International is a global organisation working to protect and care for children who are orphaned, abandoned, neglected or victims of war. It is the world’s largest organization focused on ensuring that children and young people without parental care or at risk of losing it grow up with the care, relationships and support they need to become their strongest selves. 

SOS has been working with communities, states and partners to provide education, health and vocational training facilities through Hermann Gmeiner Schools (HGS), Medical Centres (MCs) and Vocational Training Centres (VTCs), respectively. In its intervention countries, SOS is running National Training Centres (NTCs) for training and capacity building of its own staff and employees. With improved investments by the governments and non-government actors in health and education in most of the Asian countries, SOS has realigned its health and education interventions through its Strategy 2030

Towards this end SOS conducted a health and education assessment in six of its intervention countries in Asia, namely, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.  The findings of the assessment informed SOS’s Framework of Action, and recommended the stakeholders best placed to deliver the services.  

Schools, VTCs and NTCs were assessed, and data was collected and analysed in the five countries where the assessment was undertaken, i.e. Nepal, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. 

New Concept conducted a multi-country assessment of health, education and training facilities for SOS, Asia. The assessment was based on secondary review of qualitative and quantitative data collected by research agencies in the 7 intervention countries (India, , Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Vietnam) . Key objectives of the assessment were to understand whether facilities covered in the assessment were aligned to SOS Strategy 2030 and catered to its core target group –the children without parental care. The report presents the findings of the multi-country analysis based on a set of key benchmarks including target group relevance, facility being best placed to provide services and sustainability. The report provides useful insights for development practitioners in formulating a framework to assess if projects are aligned to their core organisational objectives.

New Concept assisted PATHFINDER in documentation and development of a Coffee Table Book, an e-compendium, five short films and an overall film about the impact and achievements of the intervention in the two states of Bihar and Maharashtra. Link to videos developed: https://safalcouple.org/?page_id=5528 (New Concept made all videos available here, except for the theme song)

Collaboration, commitment and a well-rounded communication strategy when put into play, can lead to lasting changes. In 2021, this is exactly what World Vision India and UNICEF India successfully demonstrated! It was made possible, by jointly coming forward to contribute to the country's ambitious vaccination drive through the ‘Roll out of Community Engagement and COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Strategy’ across 126 districts in 24 states.

The project used World Vision’s well established community outreach model and local networks to ensure access to COVID vaccine. With the principle of leaving no one behind, the project covered all community members accessing urban, tribal and hard-to-reach areas.

Engagement with the community threw light on other evident and urgent needs apart from COVID vaccination. The project volunteers and frontline functionaries therefore assisted the community in accessing services to meet the identified needs.

Simultaneously, the Project provided support to pregnant women, lactating women and caregivers/parents of children below five years of age, reaching out to them with standardised key messages to promote Maternal and lnfant Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) in the context of COVID-19.

New Concept was approached by World Vision India to develop an audio-visual and a process document showcasing the impact of the project’s roll out of Community Engagement and COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Strategy developed by the Government of India.

In October 2020, New Concept was assigned by Jhpiego to develop a package for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Virtual Training of Health Care Providers on Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCPs) in Hindi and English.

The package consists of Facilitator’s Folder and handouts for the participants which contains relevant instructions and other documents that will help to conduct the training. Apart from this it contains Pre-recorded A/V sessions in MP4 format to be played during the training.

The package also contains instructions on how to conduct a 5 hour training on the zoom platform. The package was also pilot tested with doctors from Karnataka. In Jul 2021, the package was rolled out through the state NHMs by MoHFW.

In order to support Government of India in spreading awareness on fortified rice, World Food Programme (WFP) developed a time bound plan to undertake a set of communication campaigns for creating awareness among the Government officials, academia, community, service providers, frontline functionaries and public influencers. As part of the campaign WFP involved New Concept for the development of communication materials and implementation of activities including public lectures, Mobile IEC Van, cooking demonstrations and workshops with government officials and media persons. In 16 weeks the IEC Van and cooking demonstrations have covered over 200 villages across 9 districts. Public lectures were also held across the five districts of Balrampur, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Chandauli and Aligarh. So far the campaign has been able to reach over 23,000 people directly addressing any existing myths and trying to create demand for fortified rice and increase in its consumption among the most vulnerable communities, schools, AWCs and FPS outlets.

The IEC Mobile Van activity was flagged by the District Magistrates in each of the five districts, this gave the activity a lot of traction and credence among the people. The Project Manager-Field and SBCC Coordinator met with the District Supply Officers and F&CS department at each district discussing the micro plan with them to ensure that different levels of villages would be covered. This also ensured complete support, participation and ownership of the departments and helped in coordination with Supply inspectors who connected the team with the Fair Price Shop owners who further helped in mobilising and increasing the participation of the community. The ASHA, AWWs, teachers and Pradhans in different blocks and villages played a positive role in gathering and convincing people and acted as support to the teams implementing the activities and proving to be excellent ground-level partners. WFP team members supported the IEC Mobile Van teams throughout and provided helpful and critical inputs at the right time. The Education departments of each district were also involved and played a very supportive role in ensuring participation and support from mid-day meal coordinators and school teachers during the activities. The IEC Mobile Van activity ran across villages of 5 districts over a period of six weeks.

Open and unsanitary landfills pose a significant threat to the quality of drinking water, leading to contamination and the potential spread of diseases. Furthermore, the dispersion of waste materials into ecosystems results in pollution, while hazardous substances found in electronic waste or industrial garbage add strain to the well-being of urban residents and the environment.

Integrated solid waste management encompasses a comprehensive and sustainable approach to handling solid waste. It addresses all stages of waste management, including generation, segregation, transfer, sorting, treatment, recovery, and disposal. The key focus lies in integrating these processes efficiently to optimize resource utilization and promote overall sustainability.

New Concept, in collaboration with WASH-I, has created three animatic videos for an assignment. One of these videos is a game-based animatic focused on waste segregation in the Bihar state. The other two videos address the specific topics of plastic waste and liquid waste, examining their issues and management. These animatic videos are intended for both the general public and waste management workers. The aim is to raise awareness among the public and acknowledge the crucial role of waste management workers in ensuring our safety through their ongoing efforts.

In 2019-20, New Concept worked with EngenderHealth on their SBCC assignment titled ‘Engaging Adolescent Girls as Champions for Newborn Girl Child Survival in India’. As part of the assignment New Concept documented and created videos, photographs of the project for wider dissemination as well as a project brief.

New Concept also developed the social media plan for dissemination of materials and information produced as part of the assignment. The social media plan was kept basic as the project was documenting and sharing what had been achieved. Apart from this New Concept provided creative and technical support for the project dissemination webinar titled “She Helps Her Thrive”.

To view the videos shot and by (note) New Concept for this assignment, please click on the links below:

• She Helps Her Thrive: Adolescent Girl Champions Bring New Hope for Newborn Girls
• Adolescent Girl Champions: Helping Save Newborn Girl Lives

REACH implemented the Accountability Leadership by Local communities for Inclusive, Enabling Services (ALLIES) Project in four states – Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Tamil Nadu. The ALLIES Project builds on REACH’s learnings, which show that TB survivors trained as TB Champions (TBCs) are recognised as leaders within their communities and can meaningfully support the TB response. The approach is based on a recognition of both rights and responsibilities. NCIS developed a practical online training package to equip TB survivors and TBCs with a variety of communications skills including but not limited to public speaking, writing and using mobile technology as a communication and dissemination tool etc.

New Concept then carried out communications training of TBCs in multiple batches followed by a two-month rapid supportive involvement with them. The training curriculum and process was designed to ensure enhanced performance of TBCs in the roles and responsibilities envisaged for them. After the training, the NCIS team finalised the training package consisting of the presentations used for training and the reference booklet for TBCs in Hindi, Tamil, Odia and English.

New Concept conducted a gender analysis of the adolescent nutrition components of the government-led Weekly Iron Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFAS) programme that Nutrition International supports. The aim of the study was to identify gender barriers, understand the intersectionality of gender with social inclusion and poverty, and identify opportunities and enablers for improving the gender sensitivity and responsiveness of the adolescent nutrition programme.

The qualitative study was conducted in February 2022 in Ambedkarnagar district of UP with Health, Education and WCD officials, teachers, AWWs, ASHAs, ANMs, parents, in-school adolescent girls and boys and out-of-school girls. A detailed landscape analysis of gender issues such as school enrolment, intra-household food allocation, MHM etc. was also conducted. A set of focused recommendations to improve the gender-responsive aspects of the adolescent nutrition programme were derived in the study.

Sample size
642 fair price shop (FPS) owners and 695 beneficiaries