Presented at a satellite session by MEASURE Evaluation and icddr,b at HSR’s International Conference Liverpool 2018.

1. MakingElectronicandLogisticsManagement
InformationSystemsInteroperable
ThePotentialtoCreateaStrongerDigitalHealth
SysteminBangladesh
Mohammad Golam Kibria
MEASURE Evaluation
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Health Systems Research 2018

2. Introduction and background
MEASURE Evaluation is working with the Directorate
General of Family Planning (DGFP) Bangladesh to
• Strengthen the electronic management information system
(eMIS) to improve recording and reporting, through
collection of services and logistics data at the community
level, using hand-held devices
• Assist in the digital transformation: moving paper processes
into the digital realm
• Help monitor progress and performance of the collection of
service statistics and contribute to strengthening the supply
chain in real time

3. Problem statement
• Discrete electronic systems handle service statistics (the
eMIS) and logistics data.
• Real-time logistics information from service delivery points
(SDPs) is unavailable.
• A single platform to view data and assess the health
system’s performance is lacking.
• These issues lead to poor data quality and use
……resulting in unnoticed sporadic stockouts of family
planning (FP) commodities at SDP level.

4. Reasons to integrate the 2 systems
• To improve data availability, quality/verification, and visibility
in real time
• To establish routinely linking eMIS and LMIS data to support
these functions:
• Data validation
• Projection
• Supply planning
• To enhance communication between service delivery
program managers and supply chain managers
• To monitor the use of information for decision making and to
take prompt action to replenish supply

5. Addressing the challenge: The process
• Conceptualized the needs of the DGFP’s comprehensive
information management system
• Identified key stakeholders and constraints
• Conducted a systems review and an options and feasibility
analysis and designed the interoperability between eMIS and
LMIS
• Facilitated an enabling environment

6. Conceptual Model-Interoperability

7. Progress to date

8. Stock monitoring at different levels
Source: DGFP LMIS

9. Evidence-based decision making: Stock
monitoring of SDPs, by item and time horizon
Source: DGFP LMIS
120
125
130
135
140
145
2010-11 2011-12 2012-13
Inmillion
Condom consumption vs dispensed
LMIS HMIS

10. Challenges
• Taking prompt action, based on information
• Retaining trained staff
• Improving the ICT infrastructure (Internet connectivity;
suboptimal performance of tablets)
• Ensuring a feedback mechanism
• Thoroughly discussing the FP program’s performance at
district/sub-district monthly meetings
• Motivating staff

11. Lessons learned
• Government ownership and donor commitment and
understanding need to be constantly fostered and
reinforced at all levels.
• The government needs to increase financial resources and
ensure optimal use of existing resources and tools.
• High visibility of data has profound motivating effects, both
through recognition of excellence and accountability for
poor performance.
• To ensure evidence-based decisions, policymakers need to
be proactive in reviewing the dashboard platform and
tracking data.

12. This presentation was produced with the support of the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID) under the terms of
MEASURE Evaluation cooperative agreement AID-OAA-L-14-00004.
MEASURE Evaluation is implemented by the Carolina Population
Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partnership with
ICF International; John Snow, Inc.; Management Sciences for Health;
Palladium; and Tulane University. Views expressed are not necessarily
those of USAID or the United States government.
www.measureevaluation.org