Summary

Program goals

The Familia Social Franchising Network aims to deliver standardized, quality family planning and maternal health services to Tanzanian women, particularly low-income women, by franchising clinics under the Familia brand. The program aims to have 270 franchise members by 2014.

PSI Tanzania originally launched the franchise with the overall goal of increasing access to quality family planning services across Tanzania.

Key program components

Familia is a social franchise network developed and overseen by PSI Tanzania. New healthcare facilities are screened for specific criteria (including licensing, basic infrastructure and location) and must sign a Memorandum of Understanding with PSI to provide a standardized, high quality of care and to accept regular monitoring in exchange for being branded under the Familia network. Member franchises receive a wide range of benefits including the following: training in clinical skills, access to new medical products and services, mentoring and training for quality assurance, referral systems, and branding and local promotion of services under the Familia brand.

Services offered for Familia clients include the following: family planning counseling, IUD insertation, sub-dermal implant insertation, short term contraceptive options, and management of third-term labor.

In 2011, PSI Tanzania launched a non-monetary recognition program, focused on Familia members, to encourage quality services through the use of audits, site visits and client satisfaction surveys. Rewards include certifications and medical supplies.

Familia has encountered several external challenges to promoting private sector family planning services and has had success at adapting to these constraints. The Tanzanian government aims to provide these services free of charge, which led clients to initially prefer care at public clinics, particularly since the purchasing power of most Tanzanians remains low (clients pay for Familia services out of pocket). PSI responded by increasing advocacy with the Ministry of Health and consumers as to the benefit of the services, and many Familia franchises introduced a sliding scale price system to clients in need. Reported client reasons for utilizing a Familia clinic instead of free, public services include quality of care, reduced wait times and less stock-outs.

At the onset of Familia, network members were concerned that family planning services were not profitable and instead preferred to provide curative services. To meet this challenge, PSI trained several network facilities in accounting and profit-and-loss strategies, refuting the initial belief that clinics could not provide these services at a profit. This challenge illustrated the importance of including business skills training in the Familia model.