Using Sentinel Indicators and Network Analysis to Assess Health Program Sustainability in Nigeria Watch Now On February 28, 2024, D4I hosted the second webinar in a series on localization in monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL) about using sentinel indicators and network analysis to assess health program sustainability in Nigeria. Localizing MERL helps ensure that local actors have the resources and capacity needed for equitable, evidence-informed decision making. Applications of this in MERL activities include local capacity strengthening, using a systems lens, engaging with diverse stakeholders, and implementing other good practices for locally led development. This webinar series will share tools and approaches for effective capacity action planning, monitoring sustainability including local actors’ roles in complex program systems, promoting local voices through social accountability methods, and more. Health program sustainability is affected by many factors, including efforts to shift resources and power to local actors. Understanding these factors in context can improve programmatic decision making. As part of a recent USAID-supported Health, Population, and Nutrition (HPN) portfolio evaluation in Nigeria, D4I analyzed sentinel indicator data on health financing, human resources, access to drugs and diagnostics, and more. Organizational network data collected by local research organization Data Research and Mapping Consult, Ltd. (DRMC) were used to generate a novel indicator of community embeddedness, the relative betweenness centrality (RBC) of community organizations in states’ program networks. The presenters discussed methods and findings from this sentinel indicator exercise. Participants left the webinar with ideas and tools for implementing complexity-aware monitoring grounded in an understanding of local systems. Watch the webinar and download the presentation slides. Speakers Siân Curtis, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Maternal and Child Health at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is the faculty principal investigator for the D4I and Global Health Program Evaluation, Analysis, Research and Learning (PEARL) projects. Her research focuses on monitoring and evaluation of population, health, and food security programs, and on reproductive health, primarily in low- and middle-income countries. Tory M. Taylor is the technical director for the USAID-funded D4I and Global Health PEARL projects. She has more than 20 years of experience supporting global MERL activities, with a focus on capacity strengthening, evaluation, and survey design. Samson B. Adebayo is one of the Directors of DRMC, based in Abuja, Nigeria. His research specialization is in biostatistics with an interest in sexual and reproductive health, maternal and child nutrition, family planning and geostatistical modelling. Emmanuel Adegbe, MD, PhD, trained as a medical doctor for over 25 years and has over 20 years of experience in public health. Emmanuel started a career in monitoring and evaluation in 2007. Recently, he served as a co-investigator and Country Representative for the D4I Nigeria multi-program evaluation. Justus Uzim, Project Management Specialist M&E, Health Population & Nutrition Office, USAID/Nigeria Ojewumi Titus K., PhD, Project Management Assistant (M&E), Health Population and Nutrition Office, USAID/Nigeria
