Our Expertise

HEADS brings decades of leadership experience across health systems, policy development, program implementation, research, training, and quality improvement. Our portfolio reflects sustained contributions at national, provincial, and local levels in partnership with the Government of Nepal, development partners, and international agencies.

Maternal & Newborn Health (MNH)

HEADS members have provided national-level leadership across maternal and newborn health policies, programs, training systems, quality improvement, and research. Our work has directly shaped Nepal’s MNH strategy, service delivery models, and monitoring systems over the past two decades.

Policy, Strategy & National Guidelines

Provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) in developing and updating key national documents, including:

  • National Medical Standards for Reproductive Health (Maternal & Newborn Care)
  • Nepal Health Sector Plans, Strategies, and Health System Strengthening plans
  • Skilled Health Professional (SHP) and Skilled Birth Attendant (SBA) strategies
  • Community-based MNH packages, PPH prevention protocols, and RH clinical protocols
  • Pre-service and in-service training curricula for ANMs and MNH providers

  • National newborn and child illness management packages

Played senior leadership roles in large USAID-funded programs such as NFHP I & II and Health for Life (H4L), supporting:

  • National MNH policy implementation
  • Leadership and management strengthening
  • Facility and community-based MNH services

Roles included Chief of Party, Team Leader, and senior technical leads across clinical care, M&E, training, and quality improvement

  • Designed and implemented national MNH quality improvement systems
  • Developed performance improvement models and district quality funds
  • Led development and revision of infection prevention and control training packages
  • Introduced whole-site, on-site infection prevention approaches
  • Developed MNH Learning Resource Packages for SBA and SHP programs
  • Supported national training management guidelines and clinical skill manuals
  • Designed community-based MNH, PPH, and FCHV training packages
  • Strengthened training sites for SBA and IMNCI programs
  • Introduction of misoprostol for prevention of PPH at home births
  • Calcium supplementation for prevention of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia
  • Strengthening local health governance for MNH services

Led and supported:

  • Nepal Demographic and Health Surveys
  • Health Facility Surveys
  • Quality of care assessments for birthing centers
  • Regional and national MNH evaluations for WHO, IFRC, PSI, and Population Council
  • Advanced public health analytics using HMIS data
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Family Planning

HEADS members are nationally recognized leaders in family planning policy, programming, quality improvement, training, and research in Nepal.

Policy & Strategy Development

Contributed to landmark FP documents including:

  • National Medical Standards for Contraceptive Services
  • Family Planning policies, delivery guidelines, and costed implementation plans
  • Postpartum and post-abortion family planning guidelines
  • FP2030 commitment and health sector strategies

Led and managed major FP initiatives under NFHP I & II, as well as targeted projects addressing unmet need, post-abortion FP, male involvement, adolescent FP, and private-sector engagement.

  • Established and managed Quality of Care Management Centers
  • Designed FP quality improvement tools and systems
  • Linked facility-level QI with health governance mechanisms
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  • Developed national FP training manuals and method-specific packages
  • Designed FP training information systems and QI mechanisms
  • Provided coaching and mentoring for service providers nationwide
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  • Micro-planning approaches for underserved populations
  • Postpartum and post-abortion FP integration
  • Satellite clinics and private-sector service models
  • CHW-led injectable FP services
  • Client-to-client education models
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  • DHS leadership roles
  • HMIS analysis for FP decision-making
  • Ground-breaking studies on migration, unmet need, and adolescent FP
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Gender-Based Violence (GBV)

HEADS provides technical leadership in GBV prevention and response, particularly within the health system.

Policy & Guidelines
  • Clinical GBV protocols
  • OCMC operational guidelines
  • GBV case management and RH integration protocols

Led national GBV response projects (Phase I & II), working with health workers, local governments, OCMC committees, and multi-sectoral stakeholders across seven districts.

  • Developed national GBV training packages
  • Induction packages for school health nurses
  • Orientation modules for health managers and safe homes
  • Designed GBV monitoring and QI tools
  • Conducted facility and community monitoring
  • Co-led published mixed-methods research on FCHVs and GBV response

Health Training Management

HEADS members have shaped Nepal’s national health training system for over two decades.

Policy & Strategy
  • Clinical GBV protocols
  • OCMC operational guidelines
  • GBV case management and RH integration protocols
  • Close collaboration with NHTC and provincial training centers
  • Master trainers across FP, ASRH, MNH, GBV, IPC
  • Landscape analysis of national training systems
  • Accreditation standards for clinical training sites
  • FP, MNH, ASRH, GBV, IPC, CB-NCP, CB-IMCI
  • Instructional design and clinical training skills
  • Integrated FP/HIV and FP/Nutrition training packages

Quality Improvement & Infection Prevention

HEADS brings national leadership in quality improvement, infection prevention, and health care waste management.

Policy & Tools
  • QI/IP chapters in national medical standards
  • National QA and HCWM guidelines
  • Development of QI tools for RH and training systems
  • COVID-19 IPC training resources
  • Leadership of Quality of Care Management Centers
  • National QI systems for FP and MNCH
  • Whole-site infection prevention approaches
  • National IPC and HCWM training packages
  • Simple incinerator technology
  • Safe placenta disposal models