INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEMS

Information management, accountability, and strengthening the evidence base through quality data

Strengthening the social service system requires evidence-based information and quality data across all system levels — from family and community to civil society and government.  Both quantitative and qualitative data need to be collected and shared with stakeholders on a regular basis so programs can monitor progress towards goals and objectives and adjust implementation approaches accordingly.  Coordination of services, referrals, and follow-up with other partners and ministries (e.g., health, education, and justice) all depend on accurate, updated information.

Effective information management and accountability systems require transparent sharing and reporting of quality, evidence-based information, strong monitoring and evaluation systems, and agreed upon principles of accountability.  “Information comprises facts, ideas, concepts, and data that facilitate interpretation and subsequent action.” (1)Accountability may be defined as a government’s ability and willingness “to show the extent to which its actions and decisions are consistent with clearly defined and agreed upon activities.” (2) Monitoring accountability fosters good governance and leadership by holding child welfare ministries and offices responsible for their commitments to children. (3)

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is a critical part of strengthening information systems and accountability.  Data collection and information management systems are essential tools to document, monitor and evaluate program impacts, outcomes and costs.  Quality data updates require ongoing financial and technical investments in information management systems and expert-level monitoring and evaluation skills.  Often, social welfare information management systems are weak and underfunded or don’t exist at all.  Although many organizations have monitoring and evaluation (M&E) staff to oversee, report, and facilitate data use for decision making, agencies should work with M&E experts to design systems and conduct program evaluations that capture the complexity of OVC programs and the changing field of monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and learning.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Information Communication Technology (ICT)  has transformed data collection, monitoring and evaluation, and service delivery to strengthen the social service system’s capacity to meet the needs of the most vulnerable children and families. (4)

Depending on program context and availability, ICT can significantly improve information sharing and foster a culture of accountability and collaboration. Too often there is no consistent information flow among national, civil society and community levels.  Mobile technology, widely available in low and middle income countries (LMICs), improves quality information sharing, speed, cost and reliability of data collection. Mobile data collection uses mobile phones, hand held devices and other new technology for surveys, surveillance, mapping and monitoring.  With typically good communication speed and computing capacity, mobile devices often allow greater program participation and collaboration than might otherwise be possible.

Health systems have adopted mobile health technology (mHealth) to improve information sharing, data collection, monitoring and evaluation and service delivery.  mHealth can establish immediate (real-time) feedback loops within the system and improve data access and timely decision-making around community health needs.    The Community Based Support for Orphan and Vulnerable Children (CUBS) Project in Nigeria uses Dimagi Commcare, a simple, low cost mobile phone and cloud-based monitoring and evaluation application that facilitates accurate and timely data reporting.  Magpi, a widely used mobile data collection system in international development, helps organizations monitor education programs in Africa, evaluate bed-net distribution and vaccination campaigns, deliver health services to mothers and children in Guatemala, and support various programs in over 170 countries.  Through mobile applications for M&E in agriculture, USAID uses Magpi to improve the impact of agriculture-related development initiatives, such as Feed the Future projects.

Improving information management and accountability for orphans and vulnerable children’s programs – across the social service system:

To improve social services for children and families affected by HIV and AIDS, programs must invest in strengthening information management and monitoring and evaluation across all levels of the social service system, from family and community to civil society and government. (5) Communication and information coordination across sectors and programs identifies and fills critical service gaps, reduces duplication, and maximizes financial and human resources. (6) Quality data strengthens accountability and generates evidence needed to advocate for greater investment from government- to family level. A strong evidence-base can promote increased human and financial resources for child protection, education, economic strengthening and other programs.

Family and Community

Families and communities need regular information updates about program effectiveness and efficiency in order to track progress towards community goals.  By strengthening community and [social service] system capacity to collect, analyze, share, and use data for action, communities are empowered to identify and address their challenges.  Coming from this strengths-based position, well-informed families and communities can be equal partners in developing social protection programs and services that meet their children’s most critical needs. (7)

Key activities to improve information management and accountability

• Work with communities to design and implement their data gathering and research initiatives to ensure that they are equal partners in program activities. (8)
• Assist communities with identifying appropriate targets, indicators and tools for measuring results.
• Strengthen communication, sharing and reporting of information among family- and community-, civil society- and government leaders, using mobile technology, where possible.
• Support communities to use data to advocate for changes in community goals and activities to better ensure child welfare and protection and to hold community leaders and service providers accountable for commitments.
• Strengthen capacity of community [social] workers, para-social workers and community members to consistently and accurately use health management information systems and monitoring performance. (9)
• Use existing household and specialized surveys to assess program coverage, geographic gaps and underserved groups. (10)
• Conduct home visits for at-risk families and link families to parenting skills and support groups, neighborhood health, nutrition and social service centers (including safe spaces for children’s recreation), early child development programs, and savings clubs, where possible.
• Support communities to establish links and referral systems between community-based and clinic-based HIV and AIDS programs, exploring the use of mobile technology, where possible.
• Assist schools, health centers, district social welfare offices, and other community offices to improve record keeping. (11)

Civil Society

To capture- and regularly update- data, civil society organizations need strong information management systems.  Frequent data updates permit organizations to monitor progress toward targets and make program adjustments based on evidence.  With solid information systems and well-developed monitoring and evaluation plans, CSOs have key tools to measure program outcomes and impacts and to further strengthen the evidence-base for vulnerable children’s programs.

Key activities to improve information management and accountability

• Strengthen communication and coordination among CSOs, promoting information sharing to identify and address program gaps and improve operations.
• Support CSOs in more effectively using and disseminating data and evidence-based, promising practices through public reports and appropriate media.
• Strengthen M&E systems by documenting both quantitative and qualitative work plan progress, including a review of objectives and strategies, barriers, and promising practices.
• Encourage CSOs to invest 10 percent of program funds in M&E activities including data tracking systems, monitoring and program evaluations.
• Ensure monitoring systems include baseline measures, comparison groups and strong quantitative indicators to measure progress and impact.
• Engage professional experts, particularly from universities or research institutions, to design M&E systems and conduct program evaluations, while generally using internal M&E staff for monitoring, reporting, and facilitating data use for decision making.
• Assist CSO’s in coordinating indicators- and linking their M&E systems- with National OVC M&E and management information systems.
• Where possible, use mobile phones and modern ICT to promote accountability, strengthen information coordination and engage with partners at all levels.
• Where possible, use ICT for monitoring service delivery, rapidly collecting data and evaluating programs. (12)(13)

Government

“Feedback [of data] from the national level to civil society and community levels promotes a culture of information use and provides programs with the information they need to coordinate and adjust program activities.” (14) Social Service Ministries need accurate information and strong systems to regularly collect and analyze data, to coordinate with other relevant government ministries, and to consistently share findings with civil society and community level partners.  Improved dissemination and use of existing data gives programs, at all levels, a better understanding of the needs of children affected by HIV and AIDS within a specific context. (15)

Key activities to improve information management and accountability

• Strengthen ministry information management systems to generate up to date, accurate program data.
• Work with ministries and donors to define joint accountability and establish criteria for monitoring accountability.
• Strengthen communication among different levels of the system. Where possible, use mobile phones and modern ICT to promote transparency, cultivate accountability, and engage with stakeholders.
• Help coordinate regular data collection and analysis from other ministries (e.g., education, health, and justice) on birth registration, education enrollment and completion, violence against children, etc. to identify child protection trends and estimate the impact of social service programming.
• Assist government ministries in carrying out rapid assessments and targeted research studies.
• Assist ministries with development of national M&E plans, strengthening national M&E systems and databases, feeding data into national M&E systems and evaluating progress towards specific M&E targets in National Plans of Action (NPAs).
• Engage M & E experts, from Universities and Research Institutions to design M&E systems and conduct program evaluations while generally using internal M&E staff for monitoring, reporting, and using data use for decision making.
• Ensure monitoring systems include baseline measures, comparison groups and strong, quantitative indicators to measure progress and impact.
• Encourage ministries’ use of data to design new government policies, improve existing ones, and establish and assess program performance targets.
• Link national M&E systems to civil society M&E systems to strengthen data coordination and use.
• Where possible, use ICT, such as mobile phones, for monitoring and rapidly collecting data.
• Obtain additional workforce data to identify gaps in the social service workforce and to advocate for additional human and financial resources. (16)(17)