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

Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Management Initiatives in FP programThe 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

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

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

Addressing the challenge: Development of SDP dashboardDeveloped 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

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

Supply Chain Management Portal- At a glanceDGFP’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

Stock monitoring at different levels

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

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

National Contraceptive Stock Status in Sept 2016

Stock-out vs Month of Stock of Implant

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

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

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

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

Thanks!!mkibria@msh.org