POPLINE Document Number: 118278
Corporate Author(s):
Management Sciences for Health [MSH]. Family Planning Management Development
Source citation:
FAMILY PLANNING MANAGER, 1996 Fall;5(3 Suppl):1-4.
Abstract:
This training pamphlet presents a hypothetical scenario in which the director of a family planning (FP) training program was told by the head of her region's largest FP nongovernmental organization (NGO) that clinic assistants who had completed her six-week training program continued to perform some basic tasks incorrectly. The training program director had relied on the high rating given the course by its participants, but now she recognized that the program has no way of evaluating its effect in the field. She decided to have some of the trainers form an impact evaluation team and accompany an NGO supervisor on field trips. The impact evaluation team planned to determine whether the clinic assistants were implementing their training by evaluating specific tasks, such as instrument sterilization and FP counseling. The evaluation would involve preparing evaluation instruments, determining the sample size, conducting visits, collecting data, and analyzing and interpreting findings. Recommendations based on the findings may include strengthening training modules by improving content, methodology, or trainers' skills. In addition, trainee qualifications for the course should be reviewed. If organizational factors rather than inadequate training were found to be affecting performance, recommendations should be made to the NGO to review its systems and procedures or to strengthen its supervision. Agreements for upcoming training courses should indicate which outcomes the training program will and will not be responsible for, a course summary, course logistics, criteria for trainee selection, resources the NGO will provide trainers, and a definition of acceptable results.
Keywords:
Case StudiesIndex page
Family Planning Training
Program Evaluation
Qualitative Evaluation
Studies
Research Methodology
Training Programs
Education
Programs
Organization and Administration
Evaluation