The Implementing Best Practices (IBP) Initiative is a uniquely interactive partnership through which policy makers, programme managers, implementing organizations and providers are able to identify and apply evidence-based and proven effective practices to improve reproductive health outcomes worldwide.

• • Initiated by the World Health Organization and USAID, and supported by an increasing number of international and local reproductive health agencies, the IBP Initiative responds to several challenges in reproductive health, such as:
• • The lack of access to targeted and reliable information on what works and what does not work
• • Limited access to evidence-based tools, materials and strategies
• • Duplication of effort
• • Costly implementation of ineffective programs
• • Limited opportunities to share new knowledge with local and international colleagues
• • Few opportunities to scale-up successful approaches and programmes

The IBP Initiative is grounded in the principles of knowledge management and the management of change. The IBP partners develop approaches that encourage the transfer and exchange of knowledge, evidence-based practices, proven effective practices, experience and lessons learned in and among countries. This approach provides the building blocks for developing regional and country collaborative networks and formulating strategies and approaches that help to introduce, adapt, and scale-up proven effective practices that will improve access to quality of reproductive health.