The toolkit should be used in accordance with capability and need, taking note of some general guidelines.

— Adopt when practical – You can avoid “reinventing the wheel” and save valuable resources by using the template, forms and examples provided to develop, implement and evaluate a multisectoral action plan for NCDs.

— Adapt as needed – This toolkit is not intended to be a prescriptive resource. The tools it provides should be modified as needed to best align with the context and needs of the user.

— Be flexible – Although this toolkit presents information on how to develop, implement and evaluate a multisectoral action plan in a series of steps, it is important to remember that using the toolkit is not necessarily a linear process.

The toolkit can be used in a number of contexts:

— For training and technical assistance – The toolkit has been used in workshops and training programmes, ongoing consultations for development, and implementation and evaluation of multisectoral action plans for NCDs in various countries. The use of the toolkit has been welcomed by workshop participants and other users.

— To help build capacity for NCD prevention and control – These resources support capacity-building among large numbers of community members and practitioners engaged in this work.

The toolkit has been created and tested by teams developing and implementing a national multisectoral action plan for NCD prevention and control. It is intended to be a living document that is revised with experience and new developments. It attempts to strike a balance between providing a general overview of the process with clear “how to” guidance at the same time as meeting requirements to define a strategic agenda and implement an operational plan.

Main elements of the toolkit

This toolkit guides the user through the steps of creating a multisectoral action plan. These steps include comprehensive assessment, engaging with stakeholders, reframing the NCD agenda, developing an implementation plan, and evaluating the plan. Through the MSAP DEVELOPMENT ACTIONS included in the annexes of the modules, the user will compile their own multisectoral action plan for NCDs as they work through the modules.

Module 1. Conducting a comprehensive assessment

Before a multisectoral action plan can be developed, some essential groundwork needs to be done to establish a good understanding of the population health needs, the prevailing risks, and the context within which the plan will be applied.

A situation analysis is required in order to gather information about the specifics of the NCD burden in a particular area, as well as the nature and extent of any activities already in place to deal with the problem. This will help countries, regions, provinces or cities looking to create a multisectoral action plan to align with the global commitments on targeting the four major NCDs and their determinants. This module guides the user through the process of compiling information and constructing a situation analysis, which is a critical component of any policy, plan and programme designed to address NCD prevention and control.

Module 2. Establishing stakeholder engagement and governance mechanisms

The involvement of a broad range of stakeholders in the planning process is critical to promoting multisectoral action for NCD prevention and control. This module provides the necessary tools and further resources to guide the user through the process of working with a team to identify stakeholders, assessing their relative importance, and analysing their potential role in the plan. Which stakeholders are engaged, how many there are, and the most successful methods of engagement will depend on the type of policy or programme, as it is well recognized that a national, regional or local response to NCDs cannot come from the health sector alone.

Module 3. Establishing a framework for action

This module outlines a framework for action on NCD prevention and control which brings together the key elements of a multisectoral action plan: the vision, mission, and goal, the NCD targets and baseline measurements, the strategic areas and strategic objectives. The user is encouraged to work through a series of MSAP DEVELOPMENT ACTIONS and to use forms that are available to download to create the framework for their own plan.

Module 4. Developing an implementation plan

This module provides guidance on implementing the multisectoral action plan. Through a series of MSAP DEVELOPMENT ACTIONS, an implementation plan is developed by a team, using multi-voting and scoring techniques to arrive at a series of priority interventions. An implementation matrix is developed, detailing how the priority interventions are to be achieved: activities, responsible leads and the timeframes they are working within, milestones and outputs to be attained, and the indicators with which to measure attainment. A costing sheet is provided for detailing the resources required. The user is also encouraged to develop strategies for implementation.

Module 5. Evaluating the implementation of a multisectoral action plan

This module provides detailed guidance on how to evaluate implementation of the plan, which should be done on a regular basis to discern whether the plan is reaching its goal, achieving its outcomes and if it is doing so in an efficient manner. A well-designed evaluation approach can serve to motivate stakeholders and enhance national and local advocacy efforts. How this is to be achieved is an important final part of the plan.

Template and forms to download

A pdf containing a template multisectoral action plan for NCDs, plus forms for capturing the results of the MSAP DEVELOPMENT ACTIONS is available to download here.

Checklist

A checklist, available to download here , provides a list of the key components covered in the MSAP DEVELOPMENT ACTIONS, and recommended for inclusion in a multisectoral action plan for NCDs. The user can use this checklist to assess whether their plan includes all the components necessary to ensure that it is sufficiently comprehensive.