PAC in partnership with the International Budget Partnership (IBP) is in the process of carrying out a two-year study comprising of monitoring quality of service delivery and expenditure and outcomes in five selected Maternity Homes managed and operated by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP or the Greater Bangalore City Corporation). BBMP currently manages and operates 23 Maternity Homes where services provided include: 

• Antenatal care
• Postnatal care
• Immunization
• Family welfare services-permanent and temporary

The study aims to assess the above services by designing and implementing public expenditure tracking (PET) interventions in the five Maternity homes (one example per administrative zone) in Bangalore. Complimenting PET would be the use of Community Score Cards (CSCs), to understand existing services and standards of qualitative aspects of service delivery. The study would be carried in close collaboration with local NGOs having strong presence on the ground in terms of working with communities on health and other public service issues. This will enhance the capacity of community groups working on health related issues to engage with local government finances and public service issues and also help in establishing informed, motivated and mobilised communities, holding government to account for state finance and public services on the basis of findings

PAC believes that this study will build institutional capacity to influence policy imperatives, by building core competencies in designing and undertaking public expenditure tracking exercises and institutionalize the same in the civil society space in future. In the short term, we hope to build the capacity of the Centre and its partners with regard to implementation of tools and advocating for better quality health service delivery through self-mobilized communities. In the long term, we hope to establish co-operative partnerships between civil society organisations and Government agencies to improve the allocation, spending and auditing of state finances to benefit citizens and also put measurable indicators in place to assess improvements/changes in public service delivery.

We would be targeting the individual maternity home staff and the community groups which are the beneficiaries of the services provided by these maternity homes. Through our local partners and their outreach workers we will raise awareness about the entitlements of the citizens with regard to health facilities. Through the knowledge products developed based on the study findings, we intend to build the capacity of CSOs or community groups in conducting such exercises to enhance public accountability.