Open Peer Review Any reports and responses or comments on the article can be found at the end of the article. RESEARCH ARTICLE Characteristics of successful integrated family planning and maternal and child health services: Findings from a mixed-method, descriptive evaluation [version 2; peer review: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations] Anne Pfitzer , Christina Maly , Hannah Tappis , Mark Kabue , Devon Mackenzie , Sadie Healy , Vineet Srivastava , Gathari Ndirangu 5 Maternal and Child Survival Program, Jhpiego, Washington, DC, 20036, USA Jhpiego, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA Molloy Consultants, Cincinnati, OH, 45208, USA Jhpiego, New Delhi, 110020, India Jhpiego, Lusaka, Zambia Abstract Most postpartum women in low- and middle-income Background: countries want to delay or avoid future pregnancies but are not using modern contraception. One promising strategy for increasing the use of postpartum family planning (PPFP) is integration with maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) services. However, there is limited evidence on effective service integration strategies. We examine facilitators of and barriers to effective PPFP integration in MNCH services in Kenya and India. We conducted a cross-sectional, mixed-method study in two Methods: counties in Kenya and two states in India. Data collection included surveying 215 MNCH clients and surveying or interviewing 82 health care providers and managers in 15 health facilities across the four sites. We analyzed data from each country separately. First, we analyzed quantitative data to assess the extent to which PPFP was integrated within MNCH services at each facility. Then we analyzed qualitative data and synthesized findings from both data sources to identify characteristics of well and poorly integrated facilities. PPFP integration success varied by service delivery area, health Results: facility, and country. Issues influencing the extent of integration included availability of physical space for PPFP services, health workforce composition and capacity, family planning commodities availability, duration and nature of support provided. Although integration level varied between health facilities, Conclusions: factors enabling and hindering PPFP integration were similar in India and Kenya. Better measures are needed to verify whether services are integrated as prescribed by national policies. Keywords 1 2 2 2 1 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 Reviewer Status Invited Reviewers version 2 (revision) 13 Jan 2020 version 1 28 Feb 2019 1 2 3 report report report report , Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Priya Nanda New Delhi, India 1 , King's College Marina A.S. Daniele London, London, UK 2 , "University of North Carolina at Ilene S Speizer Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA 3 28 Feb 2019, :229 ( First published: 8 ) https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.17208.1 13 Jan 2020, :229 ( Latest published: 8 ) https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.17208.2 v2 Page 1 of 25 F1000Research 2020, 8:229 Last updated: 07 FEB 2020