Enhancing Child Protection with Digital Skills Assessments in Uganda The Digital Skills Assessment Guide Developing Indicators with Front-line Workers to Improve Child Protection and Care in Colombia A primary objective for D4I’s work in Colombia is to support the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF) to develop indicators for the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of the Case Management Method (abbreviated in Spanish as MAC). Implemented in 2022, MAC is critical for child protection at ICBF to improve the standardization and quality of case management. New Data Review Room Opened within Moldova’s Ministry of Labor and Social Protection Following the inauguration of Moldova’s first Data Review Room in Ștefan Vodă, a second Data Review Room was opened on February 24, 2023, the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Located within the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection (MOLSP) in Moldova’s capital of Chișinău, the new facility is designed to serve as a central hub of the Ministry’s response to the refugee crisis as well as a platform to anticipate and prepare for future emergencies. The Data Review Room will support the MOLSP and its partners in providing accommodation, access to cash allowances, basic services, and support for over 100,000 refugees who remain within Moldova’s borders.[i] Lessons Learned in Indicator Standardization Health interventions work best when they are based on evidence. However, it can be challenging to make evidence-based decisions on the benefits of implementing one intervention over another when the results are not comparable. In the global health context, lack of consensus and inconsistent definitions of key indicators can make it impossible to compare results between programs, approaches, countries, and funding organizations. The inability to directly compare outcomes can lead to poor decision making on a large scale, resulting in incorrect assessments and potential investment in less effective programming. Only when programs align their data systems and metrics can they generate information that can be compared and combined to improve programmatic knowledge. Moldova’s First Data Review Room in Ștefan Vodă Since February 2022, nearly 8 million refugees have fled from Ukraine and into its neighboring states. The Republic of Moldova has seen about 670,000 refugees cross its borders.[i] While the majority have made their passage into other countries, as of January 2023, over 100,000 refugees remain—with many citing secure accommodations, access to humanitarian assistance, proximity to friends and family, and physical proximity to Ukraine as reasons for staying.[ii] Workshop Helps Social Workers in Moldova Apply Ethical Codes and Analytics for Child Protection Work Difficulties using different types of data (e.g., geospatial and administrative data) when correlating the demand for and actual supply of social services Helping Researchers Improve Health Outcomes: D4I’s How-To Videos on Advanced Data Analysis The three-part ITS video helps viewers understand how their time-dependent data should be structured, how to run commands, and how to interpret the analysis results. ITS can be used when a researcher needs to analyze social statistics like maternal and neonatal outcomes, and malaria incidence rates, among other time-dependent outcomes. D4I’s work in Moldova: Using data-informed decisions to protect at-risk children Despite this progress, out-migration remains intense and increasing numbers of children need social services. Additionally, the deinstitutionalization of children with disabilities is progressing slowly. Social services, once financed by the central government, shifted to the local level due to decentralization reform, but rayons (administrative districts) face challenges to keep them functional due to scarce resources. The recent war in neighboring Ukraine has put an additional strain on the country. With almost 45,000 Ukrainian refugee children residing in Moldova,[iv] social protection, education, and health services are overstretched. D4I Supports Armenia in Monitoring Counter-Trafficking in Persons (C-TIP) To support the authorized coordinating agency in counter trafficking – the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in the leadership, coordination and strengthened response, D4I continues its support with active engagement of key agencies. Within this support, Blue Heart Campaign was launched on July 31, 2022, dedicated to improved prevention of counter trafficking response. Blue Heart Campaign is an international anti-trafficking effort aimed at raising awareness of human trafficking and emphasizing the need for better support to victims. Testing the Feasibility of Using Routine Health Information Systems and Population Data to Understand Contraceptive Supply and Demand in Malawi This was an innovative approach, notes Dr. Mai Do, lead author of the case study, from Tulane University. “RHIS and population-based data are rarely looked at together,” said Dr. Do, although they can combine to provide extremely useful information for program decision making. The Roadmap to Developing a New Case Management Information System (CMIS) for Children in Armenia A Data for Impact (D4I) project that began in August 2020 supports Armenia’s Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MOLSA) with the development of a new CMIS for the national child protection system. Data and Capacity Strengthening: The First Step Towards Better Health Outcomes D4I is implemented by a consortium led by the University of North Carolina’s Carolina Population Center and includes ICF, John Snow, Inc. (JSI), Tulane University, and The Palladium Group. It works with country partners to conduct research and strengthen local capacity to collect and use data. My experience working at the systems level to protect children Participatory data reviews―which are now widely used in the health sector to track progress on HIV care and treatment―are relatively new in the field of child care system reform. In fact, in many countries, it is uncommon even to collect routine data on children in alternative care and have people review the data on a routine basis. Getting to the Use of Data to Promote Appropriate Care for Children What is the best way to improve such data systems and the use of data? Through experiences working on projects on children living in adversity, child protection, and orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), we have seen many instances where information systems are not developed based on the needs of the project or stakeholders, but solely on the need to report up the chain. Using Data to Advance Reform of the Child Care System: Lessons Learned in Uganda Over the last decade, in line with the 2009 United Nations Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, the Ugandan Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development (MGLSD) has made efforts to reform the care system to ensure appropriate care for children without adequate parental care. A National Framework for Alternative Care (NFAC) was developed in 2012 to provide overarching guidance on processes, structures, and services for children at risk of separation or in need of alternative care. Strengthening Armenia’s child care and child protection system: Collaboration makes a difference The key principles guiding D4I’s work in Armenia are a commitment to promoting country ownership, sustainability, and collaboration. Our activities are characterized by use of participatory capacity-strengthening approaches, attention to emerging local needs, and respect for the challenging environment posed by political instability and the COVID-19 pandemic. For both of us, it has been both challenging and gratifying to work with the government of Armenia in the last four years. Taking a Long View: My Path to Becoming an Evaluation Professional During my first panel presentation on the use of routine health information system (RHIS) data in evaluation, my colleagues and I shared lessons learned from the last five years of MEASURE Evaluation and how we are building on that work in the Data for Impact (D4I) project, both projects funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). RHIS can provide a wealth of data over time and from a large number of health facilities. But—there’s a drawback—these data also pose challenges in data quality, completeness, and internal validity, among other issues.
Enhancing Child Protection with Digital Skills Assessments in Uganda The Digital Skills Assessment Guide
Developing Indicators with Front-line Workers to Improve Child Protection and Care in Colombia A primary objective for D4I’s work in Colombia is to support the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF) to develop indicators for the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of the Case Management Method (abbreviated in Spanish as MAC). Implemented in 2022, MAC is critical for child protection at ICBF to improve the standardization and quality of case management.
New Data Review Room Opened within Moldova’s Ministry of Labor and Social Protection Following the inauguration of Moldova’s first Data Review Room in Ștefan Vodă, a second Data Review Room was opened on February 24, 2023, the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Located within the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection (MOLSP) in Moldova’s capital of Chișinău, the new facility is designed to serve as a central hub of the Ministry’s response to the refugee crisis as well as a platform to anticipate and prepare for future emergencies. The Data Review Room will support the MOLSP and its partners in providing accommodation, access to cash allowances, basic services, and support for over 100,000 refugees who remain within Moldova’s borders.[i]
Lessons Learned in Indicator Standardization Health interventions work best when they are based on evidence. However, it can be challenging to make evidence-based decisions on the benefits of implementing one intervention over another when the results are not comparable. In the global health context, lack of consensus and inconsistent definitions of key indicators can make it impossible to compare results between programs, approaches, countries, and funding organizations. The inability to directly compare outcomes can lead to poor decision making on a large scale, resulting in incorrect assessments and potential investment in less effective programming. Only when programs align their data systems and metrics can they generate information that can be compared and combined to improve programmatic knowledge.
Moldova’s First Data Review Room in Ștefan Vodă Since February 2022, nearly 8 million refugees have fled from Ukraine and into its neighboring states. The Republic of Moldova has seen about 670,000 refugees cross its borders.[i] While the majority have made their passage into other countries, as of January 2023, over 100,000 refugees remain—with many citing secure accommodations, access to humanitarian assistance, proximity to friends and family, and physical proximity to Ukraine as reasons for staying.[ii]
Workshop Helps Social Workers in Moldova Apply Ethical Codes and Analytics for Child Protection Work Difficulties using different types of data (e.g., geospatial and administrative data) when correlating the demand for and actual supply of social services
Helping Researchers Improve Health Outcomes: D4I’s How-To Videos on Advanced Data Analysis The three-part ITS video helps viewers understand how their time-dependent data should be structured, how to run commands, and how to interpret the analysis results. ITS can be used when a researcher needs to analyze social statistics like maternal and neonatal outcomes, and malaria incidence rates, among other time-dependent outcomes.
D4I’s work in Moldova: Using data-informed decisions to protect at-risk children Despite this progress, out-migration remains intense and increasing numbers of children need social services. Additionally, the deinstitutionalization of children with disabilities is progressing slowly. Social services, once financed by the central government, shifted to the local level due to decentralization reform, but rayons (administrative districts) face challenges to keep them functional due to scarce resources. The recent war in neighboring Ukraine has put an additional strain on the country. With almost 45,000 Ukrainian refugee children residing in Moldova,[iv] social protection, education, and health services are overstretched.
D4I Supports Armenia in Monitoring Counter-Trafficking in Persons (C-TIP) To support the authorized coordinating agency in counter trafficking – the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in the leadership, coordination and strengthened response, D4I continues its support with active engagement of key agencies. Within this support, Blue Heart Campaign was launched on July 31, 2022, dedicated to improved prevention of counter trafficking response. Blue Heart Campaign is an international anti-trafficking effort aimed at raising awareness of human trafficking and emphasizing the need for better support to victims.
Testing the Feasibility of Using Routine Health Information Systems and Population Data to Understand Contraceptive Supply and Demand in Malawi This was an innovative approach, notes Dr. Mai Do, lead author of the case study, from Tulane University. “RHIS and population-based data are rarely looked at together,” said Dr. Do, although they can combine to provide extremely useful information for program decision making.
The Roadmap to Developing a New Case Management Information System (CMIS) for Children in Armenia A Data for Impact (D4I) project that began in August 2020 supports Armenia’s Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MOLSA) with the development of a new CMIS for the national child protection system.
Data and Capacity Strengthening: The First Step Towards Better Health Outcomes D4I is implemented by a consortium led by the University of North Carolina’s Carolina Population Center and includes ICF, John Snow, Inc. (JSI), Tulane University, and The Palladium Group. It works with country partners to conduct research and strengthen local capacity to collect and use data.
My experience working at the systems level to protect children Participatory data reviews―which are now widely used in the health sector to track progress on HIV care and treatment―are relatively new in the field of child care system reform. In fact, in many countries, it is uncommon even to collect routine data on children in alternative care and have people review the data on a routine basis.
Getting to the Use of Data to Promote Appropriate Care for Children What is the best way to improve such data systems and the use of data? Through experiences working on projects on children living in adversity, child protection, and orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), we have seen many instances where information systems are not developed based on the needs of the project or stakeholders, but solely on the need to report up the chain.
Using Data to Advance Reform of the Child Care System: Lessons Learned in Uganda Over the last decade, in line with the 2009 United Nations Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, the Ugandan Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development (MGLSD) has made efforts to reform the care system to ensure appropriate care for children without adequate parental care. A National Framework for Alternative Care (NFAC) was developed in 2012 to provide overarching guidance on processes, structures, and services for children at risk of separation or in need of alternative care.
Strengthening Armenia’s child care and child protection system: Collaboration makes a difference The key principles guiding D4I’s work in Armenia are a commitment to promoting country ownership, sustainability, and collaboration. Our activities are characterized by use of participatory capacity-strengthening approaches, attention to emerging local needs, and respect for the challenging environment posed by political instability and the COVID-19 pandemic. For both of us, it has been both challenging and gratifying to work with the government of Armenia in the last four years.
Taking a Long View: My Path to Becoming an Evaluation Professional During my first panel presentation on the use of routine health information system (RHIS) data in evaluation, my colleagues and I shared lessons learned from the last five years of MEASURE Evaluation and how we are building on that work in the Data for Impact (D4I) project, both projects funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). RHIS can provide a wealth of data over time and from a large number of health facilities. But—there’s a drawback—these data also pose challenges in data quality, completeness, and internal validity, among other issues.
