360° Village and Urban Innovations

Global Public Health Innovations (GPHI) 360° Village and 360° Urban Innovations are based on strong baseline assessments and are committed to supporting community-determined priorities. At GPHI, we believe that baseline data is essential. Therefore, our work is based on a solid understanding of the starting point. We use a variety of tools and approaches with decades of experience to assist communities to progress toward priorities in tangible ways. Our community mapping process is one of the most innovative, complex and all encompassing approaches to effective and efficient rapid assessment (Millard, 2002). The process is designed to ensure that communities do not feel invaded but rather engaged from the beginning.

While 360° Village Innovations takes an all encompassing approach, 360° Urban Innovations is specific and targeted. Both of these initiatives involve development and reconstructive support (i.e., after man-made and natural disasters) through community mapping. For areas experiencing extreme poverty and under-development, the initiative provides support with socio-cultural and political sensitivity delivered through grassroots community efforts.

360° Village Innovations is a system of holistic long term support for communities experiencing hardship aimed at improving livelihood. The initiative is composed of a variety of modules which lead to ideals identified by the community. A 360° Village Innovations aims to accompany (side-by-side consultations) and support communities and individuals on their journey to a secure existence. A secure existence is defined as the ability of the community to secure food, health care, education, environmental wellbeing, housing/shelter, and personal safety; and to attain economic means and access to technologies (i.e., development). 360° Village Innovations is not a short term solution, but rather an expansive support system that ensures long term and sustains success.

360° Urban Innovations follows the same ethos of 360° Village Innovations, but recognizes that urban environments are often more complex and less cohesive than rural settings. In addition, individuals living in urban settings typically have easier access to services that already exist. Therefore, 360° Urban Innovations is targeted with subject specific efforts designed to build capacity to address specific community needs.

GPHI's sustainable community capacity building model was developed by Dr. Ananda S. Millard. For more than a decade, Dr. Millard has worked in research and program implementation, including designing and implementing data collection tools. She is responsible for building capacity at the national level in more than 40 countries and has extensive experience working in conflict and post conflict zones in rural and urban environments. She has worked and published on numerous issues including Armed Violence, Gender Based Violence, Landmines, Child Soldiers, Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration, and Livelihood Mappings. Dr. Millard has a Ph.D. in Post-Conflict Transformation, a Masters in Conflict Analysis and a B.A. in International Studies with a focus on Economy.