Table 1

Study respondents defined

Acronym (used in SNA plots)	Respondent	Definition
SHG structure
GM	SHG member	Part of SHG group, involved in saving and borrowing, weekly SHG meetings.
G1SS and G2SS	SHG swasthya sakhi (two per village)	SHG member who has received special training in health.
VOSS	Village organisation’s swasthya sakhi	SHG leader at village level trained in health and linkages strategy to coordinate health activities.
VOM and VOM2	Village organisation member (two per village)	Leader from two village VOs trained in linkages strategy to coordinate health activities.
VOB	Village organisation office bearer	SHG member who holds a post at the federation of SHGs at the village level called VO.
MS	Meeting sakhi	SHG member who organises weekly SHG meetings.
BOB	Block organisation office bearer	SHG and VO member who holds a post at the federation level called BO.
BOR	Block organisation representative from VO	A member of the BO representing her village organisation.
BOPR	Block organisation poverty reduction committee member	A dedicated committee in the BO responsible for development strategies on mobilising women from poor households into SHGs.
RGMVP staff
RG	RGMVP	Full time field staff who works for the non-government organisation (RGMVP) at block level.
RGF	RGMVP field officer	Full-time field staff who acts as a link between RGMVP and SHGs.
RGV	RGMVP volunteer (community volunteer)	A part-time volunteer from the community who supports the full-time field staff in implementation activities.
RGT	RGMVP trainer	RGMVP professional trainer who conducts field trainings for SHGs.
ISC	Internal social capital	Nominated SHG member who is trained to support health implementation in villages by facilitating discussions in various SHG meetings.
Government health and nutrition
ASHA	Accredited social health activist	Community health volunteer paid honorarium to promote basic preventative maternal and child services and is supervised by ANM.
ANM	Auxiliary nurse midwife	Government-trained community health worker who conducts monthly outreach clinics providing maternal and child care. ANM supervises ASHA and works with AWW.
AWW	Anganwadi worker	Government community worker providing food supplements to young children, adolescent girls and lactating women, along with preschool child education services in government-operated village creches.
ANMS/LHV	Auxiliary nurse midwife supervisor/female health visitor	ANMs who have been promoted to oversee six subcentres covering a population of 30 000.
ICDSs	Integrated child development scheme supervisor	Government worker appointed who supervises 25 village-level creches called Anganwadi Centres where the AWW works.
CDPO	Community development programme officer	Government worker in charge of the ICDS Project at block level who oversees the ICDS supervisor at block level.
BDO	Block development officer	Government social worker appointed under the ICDS scheme and entrusted with the overall responsibility of the ICDS at block level.
PHM	Primary health centre medical officer	Government medical doctor and primary administrator of primary health centres.
PHN	Primary health centre nurse	Government nurse providing nursing services in primary health centres.
PHC	Primary health centre staff	Approximately 13 government staff appointed to administer primary care services at primary health centres.
PHS	PHC other	Extra support staff appointed at high-delivery load primary health centres.
CHN	Community health centre nurse	Government nurse appointed at community health centres, which constitute the secondary level of healthcare.
CHM	Community health centre medical officer	Government medical officer who works at the community health centre to provide clinical services.
CHC	Community health centre staff	The total strength of staff (approx. 46) appointed by the government to administer specialist and referral care services at the community health centre.
CMO	Chief medical officer-in-charge	Government medical doctor who works as the programme director at the district level.
CHS	Community health centre other	Extra staff appointed at high patient load community health centres.
DHN	District hospital nurse	Government nurse working in a 300-bed district hospital for providing comprehensive secondary healthcare.
DHM	District hospital medical officer	Government medical officer who works at the district hospital to provide clinical services.
DHOB	District hospital OB/GYN	Government medical specialist appointed at the district hospital to provide specialist OB/GYN care for women.
RKS	Rogi Kalyan Samiti	A patient welfare committee set-up at the government hospital to ensure accountability and protection of patients’ rights.
Other stakeholders
PRI	Pradhan or village head	Elected head of a village-level constitutional body of local self-government called the panchayat, who acts as focal point of contact between government officers and the village community.
RL	Religious leader	Leader of a religion recognised at the community (village) level.
RMP	Rural medical practitioner (unqualified)	An unqualified medical practitioner who is not formally trained in providing healthcare services in villages. RMPs are culturally recognised and are often the first point of healthcare in communities.
Dr	Medical doctor (qualified)	Formally trained and accredited medical doctor that provides healthcare.
PF	Private health facility provider	Accredited medical doctor providing health services in a private health facility.
DS	Drug shop owner	Owner of a private chemist shop in villages who dispenses drugs and health advice
BPRI	Block Panchayat Raj Institution	The middle tier of the system of local self-government in India operating at the administrative level of block that links villages with districts.

*TSU project workers.
BO, block organisation; ICDS, integrated child development scheme; OB/GYN, obstetrics and gynaecology; RGMVP, Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojana; SHG, self-help group; SNA, social network analysis; TSU, technical support unit; TSUB, TSU block coordinator; TSUC, TSU community specialist; TSUN, TSU nurse mentor; VO, village organisation.