Advise on target-setting and performance indicators

IHME advises on the selection of performance indicators and performance targets. Key indicators include coverage of contraceptives, antenatal and postnatal care for women and newborns, in-facility delivery and skilled birth attendance, complete vaccination coverage for age, and quality assessments of medical interventions related to deliveries and care for children under 5. Experts at IHME advise on how to define and measure each indicator and contribute to setting performance targets using existing data to analyze national and regional trends in coverage and outcomes for consideration by Salud Mesoamérica Initiative partners.

Analyze data and disseminate results

IHME provides expert advice and support to the design of the evaluation, including sampling, data collection instruments, protocols, training, and piloting in countries. In collaboration with IDB and country stakeholders, IHME implements the following modes of data collection to comprehensively measure performance:

  • Household interviews: surveys in households capture use, access, expenditure, and perceived quality of key interventions for women of reproductive age and children under 5.
  • Biometric/anthropometric measurement: in select households, height, weight, and anemia measurements are taken, as well as dried blood spots for assessing effective coverage of measles vaccinations.
  • Health facility observation and interviews: surveyors record the availability of key interventions, supplies, equipment, infrastructure, staff, and good management practices.
  • Medical record reviews: information on record-keeping and quality of maternal and child health care, as measured against the norms in each country, is extracted from medical records.  
  • Qualitative methods:  interviews and focus groups with key informants and community members, document review, and fact checking/fact-finding shed light on the processes and efficacy of SMI. For more information on the qualitative process evaluation of SMI, click here.

At each phase of data collection, IHME trains surveyors, pilots the surveys, and monitors data collection in close-to-real time to ensure quality data are collected.

Analyze data and disseminate results

IHME researchers analyze the data collected to construct and track indicators as well as more generally assess performance in each country. IHME regularly reports results to IDB’s Coordination Unit. These results, in turn, feed into Salud Mesoamérica Initiative discussions with countries, allowing decision-makers to react to realities on the ground and make adjustment to interventions, thereby ensuring the highest possible impact. Further, qualitative analyses give insights into the inner workings, outputs, outcomes, and results of SMI, and provide recommendations for the continued improvement of the Initiative.