ASSESSING ENGAGEMENT IN MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) aims to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. To accomplish this, UNFPA works to ensure that all individuals, especially women and young people, can access high-quality sexual and reproductive healthcare services so that they can make informed and voluntary choices about their lives. UNFPA enlisted a Capstone team to explore how the UNFPA can enhance its engagement in middle-income countries (MICs) by establishing a new vision and path to Sustainable Development Goal targets. The team conducted desktop research, analyzed program data, interviewed UNFPA officials, and reviewed development strategies to provide recommendations for upstream policy and advocacy engagement in MICs. Rather than taking a universal approach, the team recommended that the UNFPA engage with each MIC differently, specifically by considering the political and cultural environment, to bring about targeted and effective changes. The project contributed to UNFPA's new strategic plan for 2018 - 2021.