NATIONAL EVALUATION PLATFORM : MALAWI Better use of data. Stronger programmes. Greater impact.

BETTER EVALUATION MEANS BETTER HEALTH.Accelerating national progress on women’s and children’s health and nutrition—in a way that is equitable, sustainable, and accountable—requires that Malawi scale up interventions proven to work in local contexts. The National Evaluation Platform (NEP) equips the Government of Malawi with tools and skills to evaluate health and nutrition programmes by identifying, systematically compiling and rigorously analysing data from diverse sources. Empowered with evidence, national and district leaders can make strategic decisions that will achieve maximum health and nutrition impact for the women and children of Malawi.

NEP IS MALAWI-OWNED AND MALAWI-LED.From 2014 to 2016, Malawi is building NEP, with technical guidance from the Johns Hopkins University Institute for International Programs (IIP) and funding support from the Government of Canada. Public sector institutions focused on MNCH&N—including the National Statistics Office, the Ministry of Health and the Department of Nutrition, HIV and AIDS—have pledged their support for NEP and are leading actors in every aspect of NEP development and use. A High-Level Advisory Committee of leaders from Malawian stakeholder institutions identifies priority evaluation questions, receives NEP findings, and conveys those findings to decision-makers for use in strengthening health and nutrition policies and programmes.

Malawi is one of four African countries that are building their own NEPs. Successful development of the platform in Malawi can provide a model for replication and adaptation of the NEP approach in other countries with substantial health and nutrition challenges.

THE NATIONAL EVALUATION PLATFORM (NEP) IS…A new way to assess the effect-iveness and impact of maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition (MNCH&N) programmes.

A systematic approach for identifying and compiling health and nutrition data from diverse sources, and ensuring that they are available for programme evaluation.

A core set of analytical methods for developing evidence-based answers to countries’ pressing programme and policy questions.

A commitment to building sustainable national capacity.

THE NEP PROCESS

DataNEP brings together key health, nutrition and contextual data from a multi-sectoral range of sources including household surveys, censuses, routine health management information systems reporting, and other sectors such as education and environment. NEP is guided by the Common Evaluation Framework— a model for change that maps inputs/process, outputs, outcomes and impact— and data on indicators from each com-ponent of the framework are used in evaluation. The NEP Technical Task Team, comprising monitoring and evaluation experts from NEP stakeholder institutions, receives training to formulate specific questions as well as assess and analyse NEP data. The Technical Task Team also provides findings to government decision-makers, programme planners, and other stake-holders. As additional data become available, NEP is updated, creating a longitudinal data set that enables analysis of trends over time.

Analysis NEP enables use of rigorous analytical methods to assess the impact of programmes and strategies. It supports dose-response analyses, time trend analyses and Lives Saved Tool (LiST) modelling. Malawian policy-makers can commission the Technical Task Team to conduct comparative analyses of contextual factors affecting local programme implementation and results, including population dynamics, climate, conflict and social and cultural factors. NEP also facilitates equity analysis to identify populations that are not being reached by key interventions.

Communication Using NEP findings, the Government can identify and clearly convey the country’s MNCH&N needs, its progress in meeting those needs, and the gaps that remain. NEP helps strengthen capacity to clearly communicate results to communities, partners, and donors, and to make an evidence-based case for investment in and implementation of programmes that are proven to work. It fosters accountability, enabling the Government of Malawi to accurately, consistently and comprehensively report on fulfilment of national MNCH&N commitments, through national and international accountability frameworks such as the Commission on Information and Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health and Scaling Up Nutrition.

WITH NEP, MALAWI CAN BUILD PLANS ON A FOUNDATION OF EVIDENCE.NEP’s continuous evaluation process strengthens programmes from start to finish. Programmes are assessed within their complex, multi-partner contexts, so programme ‘silos’ are broken down and services can be more strategically and effectively integrated. More comprehensive data and analyses enable programme planners to identify unreached populations, and to make adjustments based on the most recent evidence. Programme monitoring and results data are available for further analysis through a central platform, so successful projects are more likely to be scaled up and replicated. Policy-makers can base investment decisions on objective evidence of need and intervention effectiveness. NEP empowers decision-makers in Malawi to base their strategic and programme planning on a strong, objective foundation of evidence.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:http://www.bit.ly/NEPlatform NEPMalawi@jhu.edu

Photos: Front: ©2007 Virginia Lamprecht, Courtesy of Photoshare; This Page: © Emily Carter.

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