NATIONAL EVALUATION PLATFORM : MALAWI
Better use of data. Stronger programmes.
Greater impact.
BETTER EVALUATION MEANS BETTER HEALTH.
Accelerating national progress on women’s and children’s health and
nutrition—in a way that is equitable, sustainable, and accountable—requires
that Malawi scale up interventions proven to work in local contexts. The
National Evaluation Platform (NEP) equips the Government of Malawi with
tools and skills to evaluate health and nutrition programmes by identifying,
systematically compiling and rigorously analysing data from diverse sources.
Empowered with evidence, national and district leaders can make strategic
decisions that will achieve maximum health and nutrition impact for the
women and children of Malawi.
NEP IS MALAWI-OWNED AND MALAWI-LED.
From 2014 to 2016, Malawi is building NEP, with technical guidance from
the Johns Hopkins University Institute for International Programs (IIP) and
funding support from the Government of Canada. Public sector institutions
focused on MNCH&N—including the National Statistics Office, the Ministry
of Health and the Department of Nutrition, HIV and AIDS—have pledged
their support for NEP and are leading actors in every aspect of NEP
development and use. A High-Level Advisory Committee of leaders from
Malawian stakeholder institutions identifies priority evaluation questions,
receives NEP findings, and conveys those findings to decision-makers for
use in strengthening health and nutrition policies and programmes.
Malawi is one of four African countries that are building their own NEPs.
Successful development of the platform in Malawi can provide a model
for replication and adaptation of the NEP approach in other countries with
substantial health and nutrition challenges.
THE NATIONAL EVALUATION
PLATFORM (NEP) IS…
A new way to assess the effectiveness and impact of maternal,
newborn and child health and
nutrition (MNCH&N) programmes.
A systematic approach for
identifying and compiling health
and nutrition data from diverse
sources, and ensuring that they are
available for programme evaluation.
A core set of analytical methods
for developing evidence-based
answers to countries’ pressing
programme and policy questions.
A commitment to building
sustainable national capacity.
THE NEP PROCESS
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Data
Analysis
Communication
NEP brings together key health,
nutrition and contextual data from a
multi-sectoral range of sources including
household surveys, censuses, routine
health management information systems
reporting, and other sectors such as
education and environment. NEP is guided
by the Common Evaluation Framework—
a model for change that maps inputs/
process, outputs, outcomes and impact—
and data on indicators from each component of the framework are used in
evaluation. The NEP Technical Task Team,
comprising monitoring and evaluation
experts from NEP stakeholder institutions,
receives training to formulate specific
questions as well as assess and analyse
NEP data. The Technical Task Team also
provides findings to government decisionmakers, programme planners, and other
stake-holders. As additional data become
available, NEP is updated, creating a
longitudinal data set that enables analysis
of trends over time.
NEP enables use of rigorous analytical
methods to assess the impact of
programmes and strategies. It supports
dose-response analyses, time trend
analyses and Lives Saved Tool (LiST)
modelling. Malawian policy-makers
can commission the Technical Task
Team to conduct comparative analyses
of contextual factors affecting local
programme implementation and results,
including population dynamics, climate,
conflict and social and cultural factors.
NEP also facilitates equity analysis to
identify populations that are not being
reached by key interventions.
Using NEP findings, the Government
can identify and clearly convey the
country’s MNCH&N needs, its progress
in meeting those needs, and the gaps
that remain. NEP helps strengthen
capacity to clearly communicate results
to communities, partners, and donors,
and to make an evidence-based case
for investment in and implementation
of programmes that are proven to work.
It fosters accountability, enabling the
Government of Malawi to accurately,
consistently and comprehensively report
on fulfilment of national MNCH&N
commitments, through national and
international accountability frameworks
such as the Commission on Information
and Accountability for Women’s and
Children’s Health and Scaling Up
Nutrition.
WITH NEP, MALAWI CAN BUILD PLANS
ON A FOUNDATION OF EVIDENCE.
NEP’s continuous evaluation process strengthens programmes from start
to finish. Programmes are assessed within their complex, multi-partner
contexts, so programme ‘silos’ are broken down and services can be more
strategically and effectively integrated. More comprehensive data and
analyses enable programme planners to identify unreached populations,
and to make adjustments based on the most recent evidence. Programme
monitoring and results data are available for further analysis through a central
platform, so successful projects are more likely to be scaled up and replicated.
Policy-makers can base investment decisions on objective evidence of need
and intervention effectiveness. NEP empowers decision-makers in Malawi
to base their strategic and programme planning on a strong, objective
foundation of evidence.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
http://www.bit.ly/NEPlatform
[email protected]
Photos: Front: ©2007 Virginia Lamprecht, Courtesy of Photoshare; This Page: © Emily Carter.