The IFC Africa Healthcare Quality Program (Phase II) aims to increase access to safe and quality healthcare across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) by improving the quality assurance processes and practices implemented by healthcare service providers. The project consists of two components: 1. Advisory work to upgrade quality assurance in healthcare facilities; 2. Enhancing knowledge base and awareness on healthcare quality issues. Component 1. The project uses tools of varying level of depth and interaction in its engagements with clients: (i) rapid quality assessment, (ii) full quality assessment, (iii) hospital design review and (iv) implementation support. Rapid Quality Assessments evaluate the performance of a medical facility across 25-30 performance indicators that allow the facility to identify major gaps in safety practices. Full Quality Assessments are used to diagnose the quality of facilities’ infrastructure, standards, and procedures. Such assessments analyze good practices in place, pinpoint key shortcomings and describe priority remedial actions across 8 key areas, 34 standards and 158 measurable elements. Specialized tools are applied for assessments of laboratories and imaging facilities. Hospital Layout Design Reviews aim to identify potential infrastructure challenges and provide recommendations on how to prevent/address the challenges in the most cost-effective manner. Implementation support is provided to client medical facilities that wish to implement a healthcare quality improvement program with support from IFC (trainings and workshops on areas for improvement, periodical consulting on implementation of changes over a fixed period of time (6-12 months), repeat assessments and reviews of refurbishment/expansion plans). For Component 1, the project will disclose the following results: # of entities receiving advisory services # of entities that implemented recommended changes Component 2. The focus of Component 2 is on increasing awareness of the healthcare quality issues in select target countries. The project organizes practical workshops and sets local communities of practice on healthcare quality. Through this work, a broader range of market participants can receive information on how to address the biggest gaps in healthcare quality. The project also provides staff training to help drive quality improvement in medical facilities in SSA. Committed senior leadership and well-trained quality managers are key success factors to enable change in operations that will last. For Component 1, the project will disclose the following results: # of workshops, training events, conferences, etc. # of participants in workshops, training events, conferences, etc. # of participants of events providing feedback on satisfaction # of participants reporting satisfied or very satisfied with workshops, training events, conferences, etc. # of reports completed Environmental and Social (E&S) Risks: Project clients may not be compliant with IFC Performance Standards. As part of its Due Diligence process, IFC is in the process of reviewing project risks, including E&S risks, and assessing the consistency of its advice with IFCs Performance Standards. Based on sector and context specific risks, the project has the potential for E&S risks and/or impacts in relation to client incompliance with IFC Performance Standards where related to labor and working conditions, pollution, community health and safety. Health quality assessments may also flag certain E&S risks (i.e., handling medical waste). Therefore, E&S risk and issues contemplated by IFCs Performance Standards may be present. To mitigate this risk, IFC's advice will be provided in a manner consistent with IFCs Performance Standards as defined in IFCs Policy on Environmental and Social Sustainability. Where relevant, IFC will assist the client in defining measures to identify and manage E&S risks and impacts of the business activities supported by the project.