Our Approach

From the ground up

City engagement process framework

Our unique approach empowers communities to assess, plan, and implement sustainable cancer care solutions—and scale their impact from the local to the national level.

Join us

Uncover the gaps

Foundations & Diagnostics

Phase 1

City application

How can your city lead the change in transforming cancer care?

Goal

Bring your city into the C/Can network

Joining C/Can starts with a rigorous application and due diligence process, ensuring that your city has the leadership, governance structures, and commitment necessary for sustainable engagement.

Outcomes

Memorandum of Understanding
City cancer care profile
Political commitment and collaboration

Case studies

Impact by city

Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

Selected from a competitive pool of 15 applicant cities in 2023, Abidjan stood out for its strong foundations and readiness to model cancer care transformation. Its commitment marks the beginning of a new chapter—unlocking powerful opportunities for collaboration and driving accelerated progress towards equitable cancer care.

Phase 2

Stakeholder engagement

How can your city unite to deliver quality cancer care?

Goal

Understand your city’s cancer care landscape and build a mechanism for local coordination

We work with you to identify all relevant actors in the cancer care ecosystem, such as public and private healthcare providers, policymakers, civil society organisations, patient advocates, etc. Then, a City Executive Committee (CEC) is established to oversee the initiative.

Outcomes

Map city-wide cancer care stakeholders
Establish City Executive Committee
Establish City Technical Committee

Case studies

Impact by city

Nairobi, Kenya

Nairobi engaged 112 healthcare workers, 20 civil society groups, and 250 cancer patients and survivors. Their insights generated a comprehensive, evidence-based analysis of the current cancer policy landscape that informed strategic planning.

Phase 3

Needs assessment

What critical cancer care gaps exist in your city?

Goal

Gain an in-depth understanding of gaps in cancer care

Local experts connect C/Can with key city stakeholders in order to coordinate a city-wide data-driven assessment. Existing cancer care services, infrastructure, and policies are evaluated to identify gaps and priority areas.

Outcomes

Comprehensive cancer care landscape analysis
Shape data-informed diagnosis through stakeholder input
Create Situation Analysis Report

Case studies

Impact by city

Concepción, Chile

Concepción involved more than 80% of the city's oncology care ecosystem (professionals, health institutions, civil society organisations, patients) in a comprehensive analysis of the current state of the health system, the cancer policy landscape, and both qualitative and quantitative insights that informed strategic planning.

Power the System

City Programme

Phase 4

Strategic planning & programme definition

How can we co-create a plan for transformative change?

Goal

Support your city in developing projects that address priority needs in cancer care

Stakeholders co-develop a City Strategic Plan and the programme of projects, which outlines measurable, evidence-based interventions designed to address identified gaps while aligning with national health strategies.

Outcomes

Co-create City Strategic Plan (data-driven design with clear priorities)
Define City Programme (scope, objectives, definition of solutions, and structure of collaboration)

Case studies

Impact by city

Abuja, Nigeria

Through a transparent and participatory process, C/Can and Abuja identified solutions that are realistic to implement and will maximise impact. We then mapped the solutions to develop a five-year roadmap (Strategic Plan) and the first cycle of work for the city (City Programme).

Phase 5

Project planning

How do we turn our plan into actionable projects?

Goal

Design and adapt C/Can city solutions

Local, multisectoral working groups are established to plan the programme of projects.

Outcomes

Establish city-led project teams
Create scalable, actionable project plans
Establish impact and progress indicators

Case studies

Impact by city

Rosario, Argentina

C/Can and Rosario co-designed 12 project plans that tackle the fragmentation and inequities affecting Argentina’s health system. These projects focus on essential activities to strengthen the cancer care ecosystem in the city, from governance and digital health to diagnosis, treatment, paediatrics, palliative care, and patient-centred services.

Phase 6

Project execution

How can your city impact cancer care?

Goal

Implement, monitor, and sustain solutions

The established working groups implement the programme of projects, with C/Can collaborating to measure each project’s effectiveness.

Outcomes

Establish local ownership and capacity-building through expert training
Successfully implement projects; ready to share locally, nationally, globally

Case studies

Impact by city

Phase 7

Cycle assessment

How can your city sustain and accelerate its progress?

Goal

Ensure sustainable, evidence-based cancer care improvements

Strategic plans are reviewed and multiple implementation cycles are continued as needed based on guidance from city-level outcomes indicators.

Outcomes

Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to evaluate project success
Stakeholder review to optimise programmes
Publication of impact report
Decision to move into further 2-year project execution cycles

Case studies

Impact by city

Phase 8

New implementation cycle or city handover

If the city continues into a new cycle of implementation, it will follow an iterative step-by-step process (Phases 4–7) to define, plan, and execute a 2-year programme for greater impact. Otherwise, the programme will be handed over to local stakeholders within the city.