This article presents a step-down cost analysis using secondary data sources from 26 Bangladesh non-government organizations (NGOs) providing family planning services under a US Agency for International Development-funded umbrella organization. The unit costs of the NGOs' MaternalยฑChild Health (MCH) clinics and community-based distribution (CBD) systems were calculated and found to be minimally dierent. Several simulations were conducted to investigate the impact of alternative cost-reduction measures.
The more general ยฎnancial analysis proved more insightful than the unit cost analysis in terms of identifying means by which to improve the eciency of the family planning operations of these NGOs. The analysis revealed that 56 per cent of total expenditures in the two-tiered umbrella's organizational structure are incurred in management operations and overheads. Of the remaining 44 per cent of project expenditures, 39 per cent is spent on the CBD program and 5 per cent on the MCH clinics. Within the CBD program, most resources are spent providing 4 million contacts (two-thirds of the annual total) which do not involve contraceptive re-supply. The clinics devote more resources to providing MCH services than to providing family planning services.
The ยฎndings suggest that signiยฎcant savings could be generated by containing administrative costs, improving operational eciency, and reducing unnecessary or redundant ยฎeldworker contacts. The magnitude of the potential savings raises a fundamental question about the continued viability and sustainability of this supplydriven CBD strategy.