Published 07-12-04
Submitted by Abbott
"Independent and thorough evaluations of corporate philanthropy efforts are essential to ensuring that the company is meeting its chosen objectives," said Joan Parker, the team leader for this review and Senior Vice President for Organizational Learning at DAI. "We found that the Step Forward initiative set a new standard for truly child-centered programs, engaging children in planning, service delivery and advocacy."
Abbott engaged DAI to review the value of the Step Forward program to date and help set criteria for the program moving forward.
DAI worked with a team of outside experts and identified standards for what is state-of-the-art in their respective fields, such as antiretroviral treatment or voluntary counseling and testing (VCT), prior to undertaking the review. The DAI team found that in many cases Step Forward exceeded these standards. In undertaking the review of each program, the DAI team was granted full access to all program participants, including the teams that were implementing the programs locally.
"Identifying key learnings will be of value not only to Abbott, but to other organizations implementing OVC programs," said Jeff Richardson, Executive Director of Abbott Laboratories Fund's Step Forward program. "DAI's review and feedback will be useful in helping Abbott identify areas where we can continue to make a unique contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS."
The Step Forward program addresses specific community needs through four critical activities: education, health services and infrastructure, VCT, and the provision of basic needs. In 2003, the Step Forward program provided services to more than 140,000 OVC in Tanzania, India, Romania and Burkina Faso. These programs are being implemented through three international partners - Axios, Baylor College of Medicine and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance - as well as local governments and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).
"What we found most inspiring was the amount of ownership that was experienced by the local partners," said Parker. "The flexibility and structure of the funding allowed them to make decisions that would ensure that the programs had maximum impact in the communities they were serving."
Key Report Findings:
"DAI reviewed the work of Step Forward in light of Abbott's goal of developing innovative and replicable models that could make an enduring impact," said Parker. "The real value of a review like this is in helping to identify those strengths to build upon in the years to come."
CONTACT(and see below)
Julie Ferguson, Abbott Laboratories
+1-847-936-6116
julie.ferguson@abbott.com
About Abbott and the Abbott Fund
The Abbott Fund is a philanthropic foundation established by Abbott in 1951. The Abbott Fund's mission is to create healthier global communities by investing in creative ideas that promote science, expand access to health care and strengthen communities worldwide. For more information, visit www.abbottfund.org.
Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The company employs nearly 90,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries. Abbott's news releases and other information are available on the company's website at www.abbott.com.
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