Use of an eLMIS that Visualizes Data from Family Planning SDPs in Bangladesh: Initial Experience and Opportunities for Improved Decision-Making

1. Use of an eLMIS that Visualizes
Data from Family Planning SDPs in
Bangladesh: Initial Experience and
Opportunities for Improved
Decision-Making
Mohammad Golam Kibria
Senior Technical Advisor, SIAPS Program
Management Sciences for Health (MSH)
Bangladesh

2. Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Management
Initiatives in FP program
The USAID funded and MSH led SIAPS program is working
with DGFP/MOHFW to improve:
•Procurement and Logistics management of FP
commodities - processes and tools
•DGFP’s Health Information System (HIS) – Innovation,
system Design and roll-out
•Forecasting and supply planning for product availability
•Informed decision making on stock situation of RMNCH
commodities
•Monitoring progress and performance of the supply
chain

3. Problem statement
• Unavailability of real-time logistics information from
service delivery points (SDPs)
• Poor data quality and use
• Untapped opportunity to improve logistics
management system and monitoring performance at
the last mile delivery points
……resulting to chronic sporadic stock-outs of
contraceptives at SDP level

4. Addressing the challenge: the Process
• Conducted system review, analyzed options and
redesigned
• SDP wise product mapping
SDP include Family Welfare Assistants (FWA), Family Welfare
Visitors (FWV), NGO etc.
• Improved paper-based system around the supply chain
information system
• Improved documentation and provided technical and
technological capacity building training at all levels

5. Addressing the challenge: Development of SDP
dashboard
Developed and incorporated a web-based Service Delivery
Point (SDP) dashboard module in the MOHFW Supply
Chain Management Portal (https://scmpbd.org/index.php/lmis-
dashboard) that provides-
•SDP Stock Status information through Upazila Inventory
Management System (running in 488 sub-districts)
•An interactive dashboard presenting easy-to-understand
charts, maps and tables on stock levels of individual SDP
•SMS alert for- action reminder, tracking report submission
against timeline, potential stock imbalance/stock out of FP
commodities

6. Advantages of SDP Dashboard Module
Web-enabled logistics information system (SDP
Dashboard module) facilitated in:
- improving data availability, accessibility, quality
- enhancing monitoring capacity, transparency and
efficiency of the family planning commodity tracking
system
- improving performance of individual SDP
- Mapping out potential vacant positions and human
resource planning

7. Supply Chain Management Portal- At a glance
DGFP’s web-based portal: Includes a wide range of features to
manage procurement processes from planning to the receipt of
commodities. Accessible to the MOHFW and stakeholder
decision-makers at various levels

8. Stock monitoring at different levels

9. Result: Improved logistics information systems
contributed to a responsive supply chain

10. Result: % of SDPs (FWA, FWV, NGO) having stock-out
of contraceptives

11. National Contraceptive Stock Status in Sept 2016

12. Stock-out vs Month of Stock of Implant

13. Commitment: Bangladesh is the first country to commit to Take Stock!
Directorate General of Family Planning has been
an active member (300th
) of the RHSC since
2014.
Commitments:
1. Adopting the two FP2020 indicators of the
Coalition’s harmonized suite of indicators and
submitting data to FP2020 by 2016
2. Making all data relating to stockouts of
reproductive health commodities publicly available
by 2016 (
https://scmpbd.org/index.php/lmis-dashboard)
3. Between now and 2017, reduce the stockout
rate of reproductive health supplies from 2% to
1% at Service Delivery Point (SDP) Level

14. Challenges
• Intuition vs. data-driven decision making
• Lack of coordination
• Prompt actions taken based on information
• Retention of trained staff
• Improving the ICT infrastructure
• Ensuring feedback mechanism from upper
tier/supportive supervision visit
• Thoroughly discussing FP program’s performance
in the district/Upazila monthly meeting
• Staff motivation

15. Opportunities and Way Forward (I)
• DGFP SDP dashboard module can support the
systematic organization of critical logistics
information needed for timely decision making in
FP program
• High visibility of data has profound motivating
effects through both recognition of excellence
and transparency of poor performance

16. Opportunities and Way forward (II)
• Government and donor commitment and potential
collaboration can accelerate the progress towards
good governance and accountability around
pharmaceutical management
• Data driven policy decisions (by Forecasting Working
Group, Logistics Coordination Forum etc.) can
improve overall supply chain management
• Progress towards the sustainability of Health
Information System tools for supply chain
management

17. Thanks!!
mkibria@msh.org