Nigeria Gender-Transformative Supportive Supervision Study

Background:

SHOPS Plus trained public and private sector providers to provide long-acting reversible contraceptives in select states in Nigeria. In Akwa Ibom and Oyo, SHOPS Plus rolled out supportive supervision with a gender lens (called gender-transformative supportive supervision or GTSS) for trained providers, with the aim to improve provider performance, retention, and gender equity in the workplace. These outcomes would help to reinforce and sustain SHOPS Plus efforts to improve the quality of family planning service delivery in Nigeria. SHOPS Plus conducted a private sector implementation assessment to examine whether and how a GTSS approach helped supervisors/coaches and private FP providers realize the gender-transformative outcomes envisioned in the GTSS conceptual framework as developed by the Iris Group.

Objectives/research questions:

The objective of this assessment was to examine and document the operationalization of the GTSS model in Akwa Ibom and Oyo, with particular focus on whether and how private providers’ and supervisors’/coaches’ experiences of GTSS align with the short-term, provider-level outcomes hypothesized by the GTSS conceptual framework.

Three research questions supported the research objective:

1. How do supervisors perceive gender and integrate a gender-transformative approach into their supportive supervision, in a private sector context?
2. How are GTSS visits experienced by private providers and their supervisors?

   a. In what ways do their accounts of GTSS visits reflect a ‘gender-sensitive’ approach?

   b. What workplace gender issues come up in the course of a GTSS session and how are they addressed?
3. To what extent is GTSS affecting providers’ job satisfaction and their communication with supervisors?

   a. Which, if any, short-term outcomes of GTSS are the same across public and private providers, and which are different?

Methods:

The team used both quantitative and qualitative methods to obtain insights about GTSS implementation and how it was experienced by the individuals involved, including FP health providers and supervisors. The team conducted a quantitative survey of public and private FP providers, before and after they receive GTSS. Qualitative inquiry involved in-depth interviews of providers and focus group discussions with supervisors after they received two rounds of GTSS.

Relevant Resources:

• Assessment of Gender and Supportive Supervision in Nigeria

Status: Completed
Last updated: February 2021

Learn more about our work in Nigeria, family planning, and gender. 

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