Guatemala Core Package Final Report: Operational Policy Changes to Reduce Barriers to Family Planning in Guatemala POLICY (October 2005)  Full Document (English)      Order for free      email to me  From January 20022004, the POLICY Project and key stakeholders undertook an intensive, systematic policy analysis process that resulted in identifying two priority regulatory actions critical for reducing barriers to family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH); both actions were ultimately agreed to by Guatemalas Minister of Health, Dr. Julio Molina-Avilés. In January 2004, during his last weeks in office, Molina-Avilés signed a ministerial order that explicitly included the National Reproductive Health Program (NRHP) among the ministrys official health programs, effectively providing the policy and organizational foundation required to assure continuity of government-sponsored FP/RH service delivery under future administrations. He also supported modification of an existing government order that would define the NRHPs structure and functions and incorporated this and other stakeholder proposals for policy reform into the transition plan prepared for the incoming administration. The actions marked the end of a four-year period of support of FP/RH in Guatemala, as some members of the newly-elected incoming government vowed to reverse gains in FP/RH programs. Their task will be more difficult now because of the ministers actions and the broad political and popular support these actions received. This report traces the policy analysis process undertaken by stakeholders and POLICY by describing the context, methodology, sequence of events, major policy challenges, and the stakeholders involved in its successful outcome.