Dear Indi Trehan:
I have an old blue print from the CDC for building a height board. I've used it in the past to have boards built in-country, but of course, the usability of the boards depends on the quality of construction. I don't know how to get it to you. ENN moderator, could you help?

Hi Indi,

in addition to providing a blue-print (which I don't have), some tips that might come in handy.
I found it useful (and it saved money) to ask the carpenter to first make one board that you can then inspect and approve for further production of the remaining boards. This does pay off because there are so many bits that can go wrong (but it is possible to produce them locally).

It is super useful to make an effort to get a measurement tape that is of the upside down type. The normal tailoring measuring tapes have the numbers written in such a way that if you use them on a height board, your data collectors will have to read them bending their head upside down (or else there's a risk that they will be exactly 1 cm off with the reading). I can't describe this better but just get a tailoring tape and place it with the 0cm end on the floor and mimic how somebody would read the measurement. If the numbers are upside down, this will be a permanent risk to your data reading precision. In that case try to get a different tape (it might be quite difficult so budget for some time).

Secondly, ensure that you have very good (diagonal) angular support for the foot piece so that the board & foot piece will remain in a 90 degrees angle, no matter how roughly the boards may be treated during field work or storage.

And thirdly, keep an eye on the smoothness but also angle of the head piece - it should glide smoothly without any hiccups but also remain in a 90 degrees angle and be horizontally well aligned so that you get accurate measurements.

Lastly, check if you can get one really good board (i.e. a UNICEF one) that you can bring to the carpenter and give them as an example to replicate. They won't be able to get that ingenious retractable screw that helps to fit the different board pieces together (and then doesn't poke the child in the back once assembled) but you can work around that.

Good luck!
Gudrun

Dear Woody,

Please send it to me and I can pass it on to Indi....or put you both in touch, if easier.

Best wishes,
Tamsin

post@en-net.org

Thanks Indi Trehan and everyone else who has contributed on this matter. Your thoughts have caught my attention. In my experience we have been relying largely on supplies from UNICEF and sometimes we don't get enough for the period we want or we don't get the supplies when we need them and all for reasons we understand well.

In line with this discussion, sometime ago we had challenges of getting enough height boards, TSFP/OTP bracelets and MUAC tapes and this led us to thinking in the same line as Indi - on whether its possible to get a design/blue print that we can give to a local person who can produce them for us. Although we eventually got the materials later, i still think a local produce for some of the materials can help bridge the supply gap. What has been the experience with experience elsewhere?. Is this feasible?.

Dear Indi

We have locally produced the length board for our nutrition assessment at community level. But it is developed from PVC board for light weight and ease of carrying. Recently in our state Jharkhand I have seen supply of standometer to ICDS centres also which is highly durable, may be available in your area also. just check it out.