| Session Title: Evaluating Sustainability of Programs in Developing Countries: What do we Measure and How? The Case of Healthcare Quality Improvement in Niger |
| Expert Lecture Session 363 to be held in Conference Room 13 on Thursday, Nov 3, 1:35 PM to 2:20 PM |
| Sponsored by the International and Cross-cultural Evaluation TIG |
| Presenter(s): |
| Lynne Franco, EnCompass LLC, lfranco@encompassworld.com |
| Abstract: All public health programs seek to have lasting positive impact on the populations they serve, particularly in developing countries where the need is great. Yet little evaluation and research has been done to characterize the extent of and factors for sustainability or institutionalization. Institutionalization can be conceptualized as establishing and maintaining something as an integral, sustainable part of a system or organization, woven into the fabric of daily activities and routine. This expert lecture will explore several key issues with evaluation of institutionalization: 1) what is our desired result - how would institutionalization manifest itself at various levels of the system? 2) what evidence can we gather or how can we measure institutionalization? Based on an evaluation case of institutionalization of quality improvement approaches in the Niger Healthcare system, a framework for evaluating institutionalization will be discussed, as well as illustrative findings presented from the application of this framework. |