Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System – End-of-Project Assessment Report

Author(s): MEASURE Evaluation PIMA

Year: 2017

Abstract:

The MEASURE Evaluation PIMA project’s goal was to assist the Government of Kenya to strengthen monitoring and evaluation systems, including the civil registration system which is the basis of all vital statistics in Kenya. The project targeted four main areas: (1) increasing the monitoring and evaluation capacity of the Department of Civil Registration Services, (2) expanding birth and death registration coverage, (3) improving data quality, and (4) enhancing use of quality vital statistics for evidence-based decision making at national and county levels. This scope was informed by the project’s 2013 baseline civil registration and vital statistics system assessment and a separate assessment of the capacity of the department to undertake monitoring and evaluation functions. The recommendations from these assessments, coupled with objectives prioritized in the Department of Civil Registration Services Strategic Plan 2013–2017, guided development of the project’s interventions. In the project’s last year of implementation, MEASURE Evaluation PIMA sought to assess the status of the civil registration system. This end-of-project assessment aims to determine the level for which support for the system has improved availability and use of quality vital statistics among stakeholders at different levels while also recognizing the broader legal and administrative challenges inherent in ensuring a functioning system.

The assessment involved a desk review of available documents and onsite analysis of civil registration processes and the electronic system at select civil registration offices. Structured interviews with key informants—including staff from the Department of Civil Registration Services, registrars at the county level, personnel in select county departments of health, and implementing partners—were conducted. A focus group discussion was held with select local registration agents in Kakamega County. Quantitative data were extracted from vital statistics reports, routine monitoring reports, and the health information system. These data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel, and the analysis involved computation of basic descriptive indicators defined in the project’s performance monitoring plan.

This report outlines findings from the assessment and provides recommendations on how gaps in specified aspects of the system can be bridged. Specifically, the assessment reveals commendable efforts to strengthen the civil registration and vital statistics system, which have resulted in improvements in the quality of statistics produced. Vital statistics are readily available, and reporting by government agencies has been harmonized. Guidelines implemented for certifying and coding causes of death have resulted in the availability of higher quality cause-of-death information from health facilities. Data quality assurance procedures need to be improved, however, to increase reporting and enable use of mortality statistics at the international level. The report provides documentation on project achievements and lessons learned.