IHME serves as the independent evaluation partner to organizations around the world to better understand how well policies and programs are working and why.

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How do we conduct evaluations?

Our analytic strategies and strong partnerships have allowed us to design and carry out rigorous evaluations that fill critical information gaps for decision-making.

A key component of our work is primary data collection to gather inputs for evaluating the impact of programs and policies. Each evaluations project is different, but most use techniques such as: 

  
Census and household interviews
 
 
Biometric data captured in specific households
 
  
Medical record reviews
 
Health facility observations and interviews
 
Verbal autopsies
 
    

What makes our methods unique?

As an independent evaluator, we use cross-disciplinary quantitative assessment techniques to provide a more comprehensive and evidence-based understanding of what’s needed to improve health.

We not only have expertise in conducting independent evaluations around the world, but our team also has a unique expertise in survey methodology that has been used to collect high-quality data around the world to fill critical data gaps.

Visit each program page to learn more details in specific case studies.

Diagram showing the process of the Salud Mesoamerica Initiative evaluation project. We began by conducting baseline surveys in homes and health facilities and setting a preliminary goal, then conducted three separate intervention activities, each followed by a survey and a new goal for the next phase. We ended with a qualitative component and a final evaluation.

What aspects of the program do we evaluate?

There are multiple components to each evaluations project, depending on the goals of the program.

Our reports can involve:


Impact evaluation 
  • How effective was your program?
  • What were the goals of the program activities and how were they achieved?
  • If the desired goals were not achieved, why not?

Process evaluation
  • Have activities been implemented as expected?
  • What are the challenges to implementation of these activities? What are the drivers of and barriers to success?

Surveillance system evaluation
  • How well are current systems able to meet goals, if at all?

Baseline and endline evaluation
  • What were the changes in target health outcomes compared to the baseline?
  • How can these be captured?

Resource tracking
  • How well are program resources being allocated?
  • Resource tracking can include resource (re)allocation and absorption, and can help to understand how to connect inputs to impact.

Which programs do we evaluate?

Our work spans communities across the world, examining the impact of interventions on a wide range of health conditions in high- and low-income settings.

The Global Fund

We evaluated the process, impact, and
resource allocation of investments in
HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guatemala, Senegal, and Uganda.

Immunization Programs

In Bangladesh, Mozambique, Uganda,
and Zambia, we collected data and
analyzed vaccination programs run by
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Death certification for
children under 5

In the state of Yucatán, Mexico,
we reviewed cause of death records
and the overall death certification process.

 

Salud Mesoamérica
Initiative (SMI)

Capturing changes in maternal
and child health indicators,
we assessed programs aiming
to reduce inequalities in Central America and Mexico.

HealthRise program

We conducted process and endline
evaluation of access to chronic care for
hypertension and diabetes in underserved
communities in Brazil, India,
South Africa, and the United States.

Regional Malaria Elimination
Initiative (RMEI)

We evaluated progress toward
malaria elimination in Mesoamerica
and the Dominican Republic.

 

HeartRescue Global project

We tracked needs, access,
and quality of care for patients
with severe heart attacks in
India, China, and Brazil.

    

Who conducts evaluation work?

We work with local collaborators and partners around the world to develop and program survey instruments that will be used to answer research questions.

  • We have successfully worked with local data collectors in both resource-limited and high-income settings to carry out quantitative and qualitative data collection.
  • Our team at IHME then synthesizes the collected data and uses it to evaluate the effectiveness of each program, which we publish in findings and reports.

What research instruments do we share?

To review the survey data and instruments that IHME has collected as a part of our work over the years, visit the Global Health Data Exchange (GHDx).

Find a compiled list of the data IHME has collected, including:

  • Access to the data itself
  • Survey instruments
  • Information sheet describing the sampling methodology and project that it was collected for

IHME has also developed the SmartVA verbal autopsy tool, which takes verbal autopsy interview data as input and produces cause of death estimates at the individual and population levels.

Contact us

Work is ongoing for several evaluations with findings coming soon. We continue to seek new opportunities to evaluate community health policies and programs.

Contact us about evaluations

Related Content

Publications

Endline assessment of a community-based program on hypertension and diabetes management in Brazil
In this independent prospective evaluation, we used both quantitative and qualitative data to assess the potential impact of the Brazil HealthRise programs on improving clinical and health outcomes...
Assessing the impact of community-based interventions on hypertension and diabetes management in three Minnesota communities: findings from the prospective evaluation of US HealthRise programs
Community-based health interventions are increasingly viewed as models of care that can bridge healthcare gaps experienced by underserved communities in the United States (US). With this study, we ...
Factors associated with delays in the search for care in under-5 deaths in Yucatán, Mexico
In this study we examined delays during the search for care process and associations with mother, child, or health services characteristics, and with symptoms report prior to death. The cross-secti...