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Strengthening Evaluation to Improve Knowledge and Operations
As countries realize the importance of more systematically collecting and using information to make informed decisions related to HIV/AIDS, they are increasingly aware that to meet national development goals, the MDGs, and the universal access targets, they need to scale up their M&E efforts - particularly their evaluation efforts. GAMET supports these country-led efforts by advancing evaluative approaches.
Evaluative approaches refer to those that focus on the assessment of interventions and services (planned, on-going or completed) to determine their relevance, efficiency, effectiveness impact and sustainability. To improve HIV/AIDS responses, GAMET wants to enhance the use of evaluative information by providing managers and decision-makers with the information they need to improve or scale-up existing delivery options and to plan future ones.
Why emphasize evaluation NOW?
National and international resources for HIV have grown rapidly in recent years, to US$ 60 billion pledged at the G8 meeting in June, 2007. This commitment has been matched by recognition of the importance of revitalized and improved HIV/AIDS evaluation to ensure that the increased resources are used effectively. Evaluation is recognized by UNAIDS and the World Bank as one of the weakest area in HIV/AIDS evidence building. There is also need to improve the quality of data, to ensure that information is robust enough to guide sound policy and strategy choices.
Managing for Results Approach
GAMET is committed to supporting countries to manage their programs to maximize the achievement of results on the ground. Managing for Results refers to a comprehensive and integrated management system that focuses on achieving national objectives for the population while assuring accountability for public funds. Evaluative information is important to enable decision-makers to adjust the national response and refine national policies. The key elements of managing to achieve HIV/AIDS results are identified in this figure.
Evaluation Areas that GAMET Supports
GAMET provides support in six broad areas to expand knowledge in client countries, improve operations and contribute to global learning on HIV prevention, treatment, care and mitigation. Go here to read more about GAMET's approach to evaluation, and evaluation work that it is involved in.
1. Regional and national epidemiological and response syntheses,
2. Programmatic evaluations
3. Systems Evaluation
4. Service delivery evaluation (operations research)
5. Cost-effectiveness evaluations
6. Value-for-money evaluations
1. Regional and national epidemiological, response and policy syntheses (ERPSs), to ensure epidemics are rigorously characterized and properly understood, so that investments follow the characteristics of the epidemic. These syntheses are broad, strategic, multi-sectoral, policy orientated pieces, which draw upon GHAP’s key strengths. Read more about GAMET's work with ERPSs here.
ERPS synthesis from the South Asia region
TOR for West Africa synthesis
TOR for GLIA synthesis
GLIA synthesis - forthcoming
Triangulation materials from CDC
Ethiopia synthesis - forthcoming
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2. Programmatic evaluations, to support evidence building at country level on what works and why. One example is assessing the community component of HIV/AIDS programs’ multi-sectoral approach. In some cases, a case study methodology is used to document particular interventions, actions or good practices such as results-based consultative strategic planning in Honduras. GAMET also supports World Bank project teams and clients (e.g. in Zambia) to learn whether or not program interventions are addressing the appropriate issues and whether funds are supporting the right interventions.
China analytical work
Zanzibar Joint HIV Response review
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3. Systems Evaluation , to assess surveillance systems, management, and information systems in order to identify bottlenecks, determine data availability and quality, and assess overall capacity of the systems to support managing for results and implementation of the national response.
Papua bio-behavioural surveillance survey - forthcoming
Tanzania M&E joint assessment
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4. Service delivery evaluation (operations research), to test innovations and services provision modalities in order to improve interventions. This type of evaluation helps identify barriers to delivering program interventions, select and test solutions, and evaluate whether the problems have been solved. These evaluations are an essential component of program implementation because they provide a vehicle to identify good practices that can be incorporated into improving HIV/AIDS services delivery, whether in education, prevention, treatment, care or mitigation services or new approaches to data generation or program management.
Beneficiary Assessment approaches
Rwanda Beneficiary Assessment presentation
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5. Cost-effectiveness evaluations, to identify promising models and delivery options for priority interventions, evaluate their effectiveness and cost-effectiveness and present governments with evidence to promote selectivity (recognizing that other criteria in addition to cost-effectiveness may also be considered in making choices).
China cost effectiveness analysis
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6. Value-for-money evaluations,. Expenditure tracking and resource analysis are used to track the flow of funds and of AIDS spending, understand what outcomes they buy and make practical recommendations for improving fund utilization and effectiveness. For instance, UNAIDS and GHAP are collaborating in Honduras in applying the UNAIDS NASA spending analysis method which is leading to a better understanding of where funds go, what they buy and where they come from.
Honduras analysis - forthcoming
China expenditure tracking study
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