MEval/TZ conducted assessments in Tanzania that found limited use of health data for planning. To address this, MEval/TZ provided training to health districts and facilities on using HIV/AIDS and health data for decision making. They identified barriers to data use and developed tools to help address these barriers. MEval/TZ also identified and trained champions to promote continued sharing and use of data for planning at district and facility levels. Their multi-pronged approach helped increase the use of health data for decision making in Tanzanian districts and facilities.

1. Building Capacity for District and Facility Sharing and Use of HIV/AIDS and
Health Information for Evidence-based Programming: Experiences from Tanzania
INTRODUCTION
Within Tanzania’s health and social
welfare sectors, MEASURE Evaluation
undertakes data quality assessments
(DQAs) to identify monitoring and
evaluation system strengthening and
capacity building needs for HIV/AIDS
and other health programs.
DQAs conducted since 2008 have
found limited use of data for planning
and decision making at the health
facility and district levels. In 2012,
MEASURE Evaluation - Tanzania
(MEval/TZ) began building district
health management teams’ (DHMTs)
and health facility-level capacity for
HIV/AIDS and health information use,
and dissemination of evidence-based
programming in Dodoma, Iringa,
Njombe, Singida and Morogoro
regions of Tanzania.
DESCRIPTION
MEval/TZ conducted data demand
and use (DDU) rapid assessments
that mapped HIV/AIDS and health
information needs, flow, and use at
the facility and district levels. The
assessments identified technical,
individual, and organizational
constraints to effective use of
information in decision-making
processes.
Using a DDU training package,
facilities, district and regional health
management teams were oriented
on data use concepts and tools, and
trained in data analysis techniques,
presentation and interpretation,
followed by structured on-site mentoring
visits.
MEval/TZ conducted data use
workshops for DHMTs and health
facilities to review and analyze
data using the DHIS 2 software and
promoted feedback mechanisms
at regional, district and health
Planning Matrix for addressing barriers to data use
This research has been supported by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) under the terms of MEASURE Evaluation cooperative agreement GHA-A-00-08-00003-00, which is implemented by
the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with Futures Group, ICF International, John Snow, Inc.,
Management Sciences for Health, and Tulane University. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of
PEPFAR, USAID or the United States government.
PRESENTED BY
J. Patrick
Z. Kibao
Y.W. Mapala
W.O. Odek
D. Walker
E. Snyder
MEASURE Evaluation,
Futures Group
20th International
AIDS Conference
July 20–25, 2014
Melbourne, Australia
CONTACT US
MEASURE Evaluation
400 Meadowmont Village Circle, 3rd Floor
Chapel Hill, NC 27517 USA
www.measureevaluation.org
email: measure@unc.edu
Tel: +1.919.445.9350
Fax: +1.919.445.9353
Figure 1: Participants developing data demand and use action plans
# Barrier Proposed
Intervention
Steps
Involved
Person
Responsible
Other
Stakeholders
General
Timeline
facility levels. Through the data use
workshops, joint supportive supervision
visits and on-site mentoring,
MEval/TZ jointly with district and
regional health management teams
identified champions who received
extensive orientation to support DDU
implementation.
LESSONS
LEARNED
The DDU rapid assessment conducted
found that despite national efforts
to improve Health Management
Information Systems (HMIS), there still
existed organizational and behavioral
factors that led to little or no use
of data for planning and decision
making at health facility and district
levels. These organizational and
behavioral constraints included poor
infrastructure, limited financial and
technical capacities, poor information
sharing and feedback provision, low
motivation among staff and poor data
quality.
The DDU workshops conducted by
MEval/TZ provided a platform for
both data users and data producers
to conduct data analysis, share and
apply results to decision making
processes. The DHMTs and health
facilities mapped their HIV/AIDS and
health information flow, identified
opportunities for information use,
assessed data use constraints, and
developed action plans to address
barriers to data use. A performance
indicator matrix for key HIV/AIDS
and health programs was developed
for reference by DHMTs and health
facilities, which increased data
analysis and use practices at both
levels.
25 Champions were identified
and trained to become leaders for
HIV/AIDS and other health data
dissemination and use. A planning
matrix for addressing barriers to
using data in decision making and a
framework for linking data with action
were developed, and facilities and
districts are using them to support
monitoring and documentation of data
use practices.
MEval/TZ increased the capacity
of districts to develop annual district
heath profiles (DHP), which discusses
the status of key health indicators,
population health, health systems,
and health service delivery. The DHP
also tracks progress in the district and
highlights successes and challenges
encountered, which aids in improving
health status of the district population.
CONCLUSIONS
Our experience shows that a multi-pronged
approach consisting of
workshops, mentoring, exposure to
performance indicators, and other
materials increased sharing and use
of HIV/AIDS and other health data
for planning and decision making at
the district and health facility levels.
We have built technical capacity of
district health management teams to
carry out DDU activities independently,
and supported both districts and
health facilities to identify data use
barriers and incorporate plans to
address these barriers into their
Council Comprehensive Health Plans,
for sustainability. By identifying and
training DDU champions, we have
created a pool of resident DDU trainers
who are able to carry out data use
trainings, supportive supervision
and mentoring as needed within the
districts. Figure 2: Participants in a data analysis and use training workshop
WEPE463.indd 1 7/1/14 4:43 PM