Evaluation Methods and Studies

IHME has two streams of evaluations work – one that focuses on methods development and another that conducts evaluation studies. The Evaluations team works closely with the Effective Coverage team to measure the coverage of specific interventions, the quality of those interventions, and their impact.

Major activities in Evaluation Methods and Studies:

Time-Series Cross-Sectional Methods:

While randomized experiments are the “gold standard” for conducting evaluations, they are not always feasible for logistical, political, and ethical reasons. In such circumstances, researchers typically rely on panel data or time-series cross-sectional data to do a pre-post comparison of outcomes among those who happened to receive the intervention and a control group after taking potential confounders into consideration. A host of statistical models have been proposed by statisticians and social scientists for controlling for the correlation structures that are inherent in such data. We are testing these methods by creating a simulated data set and gauging the efficiency and accuracy of these estimation tools.

Impact Evaluation Framework:

IHME has developed an impact evaluation framework that can be implemented at the initiation of field-based projects. It describes objectives, indicators, and desirable processes for ensuring objective data collection. This framework is first being used by programs funded through the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s African Health Initiative, launched in 2007. It was created to help create a shift from the current public health focus on single-disease programs to an emphasis on strengthening health systems to effectively deliver integrated primary care to underserved populations.

Evaluation of Avahan:

Avahan is an HIV prevention initiative in India that targets high-risk populations. The funder of this project, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, requested that IHME evaluate the program’s impact. Following the approval of this request by IHME’s Board, the Evaluations team began the assessment in 2008 and is currently conducting analyses.

Evaluation of Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI):

With the approval of its Board, IHME is undertaking an update and expansion of previous work by Lu et al (2006). We are exploring whether the GAVI model leads to an increase in immunization coverage. This analysis is being done using data on a variety of vaccines, including HepB, pentavalent vaccines, and measles.

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