Friday Summary
Orlando Hernandez - Friday 26 January 2007Day 5 Summary
Monitoring Programs
Indicators to monitor programs should be different from indicators to evaluate programs. The assessment of behavioral determinants would be part of program monitoring and the assessment of behavioral outcomes would be part of program evaluation.
Behavioral determinants are contextual and differ from one context to another. It would be hard to think of specific behavioral determinants that can work across countries. Yet, the issue remains how to overcome the vagueness of indicators pertaining to behavioral determinants that are worked in a generic way. E conference participants may suggest ways of overcoming the vagueness and are encouraged to make suggestions.
Behavioral determinants are better captured using scales (e.g., Likert-type scale using five points to measure level of agreement). More than one scale may be needed to capture different perceptions related to one single content. If perceived severity of disease is one content area, that severity may apply to different family members, different diseases, etc. Even if we use scales, how do we simplify the indicators pertaining to behavioral determinants and how to capture the need to use scales to measure them?
Furthermore, program monitoring may include other indicators such as availability of spare parts for water treatment systems, availability of information sources about how to maintain adopted water treatment systems. Should we develop an additional list of monitoring indicators that are supply related? If so, what should that list contain? If there a way to simplify such a list and to make it practical?
Water Treatment and Water Storage
PSI indicated that they promote water storage in about half of their programs on top of water treatment.
Yet, water treatment remains an important issue and merits attention not only programmatically but from the evaluation perspective as well.
Programmatically, water treatment and water storage go hand in hand. Promoting water storage by itself may wrongly suggest to audiences that water storage is sufficient to make water appropriate for drinking.
One important aspect of water treatment however requires that families separate water for drinking from water used for other reasons. Water separation, as much as how much of the drinking water is treated, are elements that must be incorporated into questionnaires when studying POU practices at the household level.
We remind participants that we have extended the conference through January 31, 2007. We are hoping that you continue to participate and provide your invaluable input.