Using data to improve service delivery : a self-evaluation approach

After detailing the two sources of self-evaluation data (community data and facility data), the guide discusses self-evaluation in regard to six basic health services: antenatal care; assisted delivery; preventive infant visit; childhood immunization; family planning; and community involvement in health care management. Each of these sections contains a story about a common problem facing health workers in delivering the service in question, in attracting people to it, or in providing good quality health care. Following each story are suggestions for using community and clinical data to monitor and evaluate the service. More specifically, the guide focuses on using data to measure the size of a specific problem, identify who is most affected by that problem, and assess whether it is becoming larger or smaller over time. The guide suggests that one key indicator be used to monitor the performance of each basic service in regard to both service coverage or the quality of management (see annex 1). The guide explains how to take data already available and calculate the indicator and also suggests ways to use this information to improve coverage and management. To help record data, calculate indicators, and present findings, step-by-step instructions and blank forms are found in the annexes.