Revamped Family Planning/Reproductive Health Indicators Database
By Bridgit Adamou, MPH
In 2011, MEASURE Evaluation launched one of its most comprehensive and widely-used monitoring and evaluation resources: the Family Planning/Reproductive Health (FP/RH) Indicators Database. This online resource replaced a two-volume Compendium of Indicators for Evaluating Reproductive Health Programs. The database quickly caught on in popularity as a resource for basic concepts in monitoring and evaluation of health programs and key indicators for technical areas related to family planning (FP) and reproductive health (FP), garnering over 355,600 hits last year.
Developing indicators is not hard. Developing good indicators is more challenging. And, developing good indicators with accompanying indicator reference sheets can be difficult. Thus, it’s common to see indicators lacking definitions, specifications for how the indicators are calculated, guidance on data sources, and other shortcomings.
The FP/RH indicators database contains key indicators—vetted and approved by experts in each technical area—and full indicator reference sheets. This standardization, comprehensiveness, and quality is why the database has become the go-to resource for FP/RH indicators among academics, donors, and implementing partners.
MEASURE Evaluation recently updated the database, which now contains key indicators for the five priorities of USAID’s Office of Population and Reproductive Health: total market approach, supply chain, FP workforce, method choice, and social and behavior change communication. It also contains new key indicators for male engagement in FP. The service delivery indicators have been updated and the database has been reorganized to make it more user-friendly.
The database is dynamic in nature. Therefore, indicators and indicator reference sheets will continue to be revised as research advances and programmatic priorities adapt to changing environments.
Visit the Family Planning/Reproductive Health (FP/RH) Indicators Database.
