USAID DELIVER success story

USAID | DELIVER recently implemented a successful Delivery Team Topping Up (DTTU) system to ensure the availability of condoms and contraceptives in Zimbabwe. DTTU systems are distribution systems in which special investments are made to ensure that reliable vehicles, drivers, technical staff members, or a combination of these will directly provide or "top up" facilities with the health products that they need.

Under a DTTU system, delivery trucks are filled with a predetermined quantity of a product-usually based on past consumption patterns- and the product is driven to health facilities. The drivers or other staff members who are part of the delivery team have the responsibility of calculating current consumption and re-supply quantities, and they reconcile inventories at each facility visited. Thus, they "top up" the inventory of each facility with quantities needed to meet the next period´s requirements.

In 2003, before implementation, stockouts of condoms in the two targeted provinces occurred at an average of 20 percent of all facilities. After the pilot had been implemented, that rate fell to an average of 2 percent.

Full report - Delivery Team Topping Up: Bringing About Reliable Distribution in Difficult Environments

Categories: Featured, Systems Strengthening Working Group