A good M&E system can help develop a better understanding of what works and what does not. While the potential benefits of a comprehensive approach were noted during the evaluation team’s field visits, there is limited effort to quantify these benefits systematically. A survey of stakeholders was conducted at project exit and documented in a benefit-monitoring report. A range of customer satisfaction questions were posed and scored in the survey. Satisfaction indicators related to benefits associated with (i) training for midwives, (ii) utilization of skills by staff after training, (iii) availability and equipment to support MNCH, (iv) quality of civil works, (v) operations research, (vi) problem-solving ability of district health officers, (vii) staff motivation, (viii) political commitment, (ix) effectiveness of health reforms, (x) level of district funding (xi) health center utilization, (xii) safe delivery, and (xiii) patient satisfaction. However, no baseline survey was conducted with the satisfaction survey, so changes in with-and-without or before-and-after comparisons cannot be assessed. Similarly, no non-project facility appears to have been included in the survey. This would have helped in determining incremental benefits from project intervention compared with non-project situations.
Decentralized Health Services Project