Data for Action: A guide for meetings focused on improving RMNCH program performance in LMICs

Building on existing evidence and experience implementing global health programs and interventions, MOMENTUM helps foster new ideas, partnerships, and approaches and strengthen the resiliency of health systems. The organization is part of a suite of innovative awards funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to holistically improve voluntary family planning (FP) and maternal and child health (MCH) in partner countries around the world. The project focuses on technical and capacity development assistance to ministries of health and other country partners to improve outcomes. Data for Action Meetings are a critical component of MOMENTUM's approach to improving RMNCH program performance in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). These meetings are designed to provide a platform for reviewing progress made on a small set of prioritized indicators, reviewing and providing feedback on the quality of data, and generating concrete follow-up actions to improve data quality and programming. The guide for Data for Action Meetings is intended for staff involved in monitoring and evaluation and technical areas as well as program managers, from the project, from the Ministry of Health (MoH), and other partners. These materials can be used at various levels – a facility, a district, or project level – and provide a structured way to prepare for, conduct, and immediately follow up a data for action meeting. Data for Action Meetings are intended to be conducted frequently, ideally aligned with reporting cycles. In the case of RMNCH programming in facilities, this would mean that a basic data review meeting should happen monthly. At higher levels like district and above, data review might happen less frequently – like quarterly. The guide provides standardized templates for use during review meetings and highlights best practices for conducting data for action meetings. Data for action meetings should always result in an action plan, which should clearly outline the steps to be taken to improve data quality and programming. The Adaptive Management and Learning Toolkit complements the Data for Action Meeting guide, and data review meetings help strengthen the health system in keeping with the data demand and use cycle. By following the principles outlined in this guide, staff and program managers can ensure that data for action meetings are effective in driving adaptive management and learning. The guide is heavily based on the work of the Data for Impact (D4I) project, which developed a guide for Displaced Children and Orphans Fund (DCOF) in Uganda in 2021. The adaptation of that guide into the form presented in this document was led by Mary Drake with input from Jim Ricca, both Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning advisors for the USAID MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership project. MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), both in its initial development by the D4I project, and in its adaptation for use in Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health programming by the MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership project. The guide provides a structured way to prepare for, conduct, and immediately follow up a data for action meeting, and it highlights best practices for conducting data for action meetings. The guide is intended for staff involved in monitoring and evaluation and technical areas as well as program managers, from the project, from the Ministry of Health (MoH), and other partners.