Making Electronic and Logistics Management

Information Systems InteroperableThe Potential to Create a Stronger Digital Health System in Bangladesh

Mohammad Golam Kibria

MEASURE Evaluation

University of North Carolina at Chapel HillHealth Systems Research 2018

Introduction and background

MEASURE Evaluation is working with the Directorate

General of Family Planning (DGFP) Bangladesh to

• Strengthen the electronic management information system

(eMIS) to improve recording and reporting, through

collection of services and logistics data at the community

level, using hand-held devices

• Assist in the digital transformation: moving paper processes

into the digital realm

• Help monitor progress and performance of the collection of

service statistics and contribute to strengthening the supply

chain in real time

Problem statement

• Discrete electronic systems handle service statistics (the

eMIS) and logistics data.

• Real-time logistics information from service delivery points

(SDPs) is unavailable.

• A single platform to view data and assess the health

system’s performance is lacking.

• These issues lead to poor data quality and use

……resulting in unnoticed sporadic stockouts of family

planning (FP) commodities at SDP level.

Reasons to integrate the 2 systems

• To improve data availability, quality/verification, and visibility

in real time

• To establish routinely linking eMIS and LMIS data to support

these functions:

• Data validation

• Projection

• Supply planning

• To enhance communication between service delivery

program managers and supply chain managers

• To monitor the use of information for decision making and to

take prompt action to replenish supply

Addressing the challenge: The process

• Conceptualized the needs of the DGFP’s comprehensive

information management system

• Identified key stakeholders and constraints

• Conducted a systems review and an options and feasibility

analysis and designed the interoperability between eMIS and

LMIS

• Facilitated an enabling environment

Conceptual Model-Interoperability

Progress to date

Stock monitoring at different levels

Source: DGFP LMIS

Evidence-based decision making: Stock

monitoring of SDPs, by item and time horizon

Source: DGFP LMIS

120

125

130

135

140

145

2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

In m

illio

n

Condom consumption vs dispensed

LMIS HMIS

Challenges

• Taking prompt action, based on information

• Retaining trained staff

• Improving the ICT infrastructure (Internet connectivity;

suboptimal performance of tablets)

• Ensuring a feedback mechanism

• Thoroughly discussing the FP program’s performance at

district/sub-district monthly meetings

• Motivating staff

Lessons learned

• Government ownership and donor commitment and

understanding need to be constantly fostered and

reinforced at all levels.

• The government needs to increase financial resources and

ensure optimal use of existing resources and tools.

• High visibility of data has profound motivating effects, both

through recognition of excellence and accountability for

poor performance.

• To ensure evidence-based decisions, policymakers need to

be proactive in reviewing the dashboard platform and

tracking data.

This presentation was produced with the support of the United States

Agency for International Development (USAID) under the terms of

MEASURE Evaluation cooperative agreement AID-OAA-L-14-00004.

MEASURE Evaluation is implemented by the Carolina Population

Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partnership with

ICF International; John Snow, Inc.; Management Sciences for Health;

Palladium; and Tulane University. Views expressed are not necessarily

those of USAID or the United States government.

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