Monitoring and evaluation.

POPLINE Document Number: 125509

Author(s):

Gavyole A
Boerma T
Schapink D

Source citation:

In: HIV prevention and AIDS care in Africa. A district level approach, edited by Japheth Ng'weshemi, Ties Boerma, John Bennett and Dick Schapink. Amsterdam, Netherlands, Royal Tropical Institute, 1997. :101-14.

Abstract:

Program monitoring and evaluation has been a weak component of HIV/AIDS interventions in sub-Saharan Africa. At the district-level, the primary focus should be on input and output indicators and assessments of community involvement. It is essential, however, to begin with clear objectives, measurable targets, and baseline data. If resources are available, small-scale surveys can be conducted to collect information on indicators covering the effects of program interventions. In many cases, elaborate data collection, analysis, and feedback systems fail because of inadequate staff training and supervision and a lack of computer facilities. Staff involvement in all phases of the monitoring and evaluation process, combined with proper feedback and discussion of the results, helps motivate health workers to both collect and make use of data. Participatory monitoring is a low-cost means of stimulating the involvement of the target group and enhancing community commitment to the AIDS program. Although the best indicators of program effects are changes in sexual behavior (e.g., decreases in numbers of sexual partners and increased use of condoms in high-risk encounters), such data are not always reliable, as people tend to report the behaviors they think the interviewer wants to hear. The monitoring and evaluation methodologies described in this chapter are illustrated through examples of their application in Tanzania.

Keywords:

Africa, Sub Saharan
HIV Prevention
AIDS Prevention
Health Services Administration
Program Evaluation
Monitoring
Measurement
Africa
Developing Countries
HIV Infections
Viral Diseases
Diseases
AIDS
Management
Organization and Administration
Programs
Evaluation
Research Methodology

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