Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #117443

Timothy R. Williams, MA, MES¹, Jim Eberle, MA², Erika Ronnow, MPH², and Daniel Thompson². (1) DELIVER, John Snow, Inc., 1616 N. Fort Myer Drive, 11th Floor, Arlington, VA 22209, (2) DELIVER Project, John Snow, Inc., 1616 N. Fort Myer Dr., 11th Floor, Arlington, VA 22209, (703) 528-7474, erika_ronnow@jsi.com

Information is often considered the “engine that drives logistics systems”, as several key data items need to be reported every time supplies are requested in order for proper quantities to be delivered and for clients to receive the medicines and contraceptives they need. Ideally, therefore, supply chain managers should have access to quality information for effective monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and evidence-based decisions. Yet too often, logistics information systems in developing countries suffer from low reporting rates, poor data quality, and insufficient understanding of data usefulness. The USAID-funded DELIVER project has addressed these issues in part by building M&E capacity among supply chain managers, using a series of regional workshops and follow-up visits that teach state-of-the-art metrics from a private sector perspective. Though such metrics are designed for more technologically advanced systems than those of workshop participants, the concepts are similar and may effectively complement traditional public sector indicators by focusing on a few key priority measures, and improving managers' use of data. Private sector metrics tend to have rigorous targets and a focus on efficiency, so some modification is advisable for public sector use, which places more emphasis on public health outcomes. Workshop participants found the private sector indicators and practices helpful for improving logistics processes and product availability, and most participants successfully developed plans to apply the indicators in their work. This presentation will discuss the potential and challenges for public sector adoption of private sector indicators and best practices, and provide examples of implementation in host countries.

Learning Objectives: