Assessing the impact of the Norway-India Partnership Initiative on maternal, newborn and child health
Photo credit: Giorgia Lattanzi
Over the past twenty years, India has achieved considerable success in reducing maternal, neonatal and child mortality and morbidity. Despite these advancements, the country confronts ongoing challenges in attaining the targets set by the Sustainable Development Goals for maternal and child health. In 2006, the Norway-India Partnership Initiative (NIPI) was launched by India and Norway. This initiative aims to strengthen maternal, neonatal, and child health by implementing innovative and effective strategies and promoting innovation across the Indian health system. NIPI engages Indian National experts to provide support to the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at the central level, as well as to the National Health Mission at the national level, and in the supported States of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
NIPI Phase III, spanning from 2018 to 2023, focused on three key objectives: the scaling up of established best practices in maternal, newborn and child health, the spearheading of new health system innovations, including the creation of an innovation hub, and the dissemination of these insights and knowledge on a global scale.
hera was selected by Norad to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the third phase of NIPI. The end-line review assessed the programme’s relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability, underscored by the cross-cutting themes of gender equality, human rights, environmental issues and climate change. It also sought to understand the perceptions of key stakeholders regarding NIPI’s role as a development partner.
The evaluation took place between August and December 2023. It entailed a thorough document review, interactions with key stakeholders at all levels of the Indian health system, and a field mission to India. During this mission, hera associate and team leader Giorgia Lattanzi, accompanied by a Norad representative, visited Odisha and Rajasthan to gather first-hand insights into the initiative’s impact at the ground level and interact with representatives of national institutions in New Delhi. A mixed-methods approach was employed to analyse the data, ensuring a comprehensive and multi-faceted assessment.
The review revealed that NIPI achieved its objectives and is considered an excellent development partner, providing necessary support to further national and state MNCH goals. Indian counterparts were all very positive about NIPI being here for them, without imposing an external agenda. In the end, the relatively small investment made by Norway on this project has contributed to and keeps on supporting a close engagement at a high political level between the two countries.
The evaluation underscored the importance of focusing on sustainability and strategic planning to guarantee enduring health improvements. The full report is available on the Norad website."