Abstract:
The rapid population growth cause major problems in the nations economic and social development. Realized this, the government adopted and declared the population policy in its Third Economic and Social Development Plan (1972 - 1976) to support the nationwide family planning program. Nevertheless 5 the services provided by the government have not reached the majority of people especially those in the rural areas Thus the idea of the community participation and responsibility in family planning services began to catch on the Community-Based Family Planning Services (CBFPS) which is one of the extended arms of the Population and Community Development Association (PDA) has adopted this idea as its implementation strategy of which village distributors are chosen to give services and advices on family planning. This study of the use of village distributors by CBFPS looks at the structive of the organizational management and the effectiveness of the management of village distributors to deliver family planning services. The organizational structure is hybrid designs structure and line & staff function, while the geographical factor gets priority in each unit where the main concern is to serve in the village level. The implementing areas are selected and distributors are also chosen from- among village leaders or well-known villagers, to distribute oral pills and condoms at very minimal cost. These distributors which have the local government health officials as their consultants, function under the close supervision of the CBFPS district supervisors who visit, resupply contraceptives and coordinate necessary business among the CBFPS office, government officials and village distributors. In its implementation, the CBFPS has set up the standard operational plan so that the work done can be easily monitored the effective monitoring techniques of budgetary system, feed-back of data and postcard are also used. In determining the effectiveness of the program, the distributors' performance were evaluated. It was found out that the number of pill acceptors recruited by village distributors has increased 12.15 percent in 1980 than 1979. Furthermore, the income from the sale of oral pills in the North region only also increased 13.61 percent in 1980 than 1979. Regarding the attitude of village distributors towards their job, the study reveals the positive one. Distributors have good morale and satisfaction in their work. Nevertheless there are some problems concerning distributors status such as their age and occupation. Some problems cited from their work were inadequate refresher courses and governments free pill program resupply of the oral pill, side effects, lack of thorough and adequate family planning knowledge, "too complicated oral pill acceptors record, villagers lack of understanding of the CBFPS project, too expensive oral pills and the competition from general drug stores. Recommendations made "by the author to solve these problems are: to set up new criteria for selection of the new group of distributors to replace the present ones who are rather old and keep a record of the distributors performance by types of professions to see whether they have an impact on their performances. This will also be added in the guideline for selection of the future distributors. In reference to the distributors' performances 5 the CBFPS should l) offer (for) the training course at least twice a year to train the new distributors as well as refresh the old ones. These additional training courses VTill supposedly help in solving some problems such as correct misunderstandings about the free pill.program as well as educate villagers' about the concept and role of CBFPS. 2) Increase the amount of oral pill supply for each distributors especially during the .rainy season when district supervisors are unable to travel to villages to resupply the pill. 3) modify and simplify the oral pill acceptors report. Some of the above mentioned problems have been indentified and are being solved by CBFPS. The remaining problem is, once again, the coverage of the implementation of the solving of problems in all the CBFPS implementing areas