New Tool Supports Local Organizations to Strengthen Strategic Information Systems
February 2nd, 2021 | news
Effective strategic information (SI) systems help ensure patients receive high-quality services that are responsive to their needs by facilitating data-driven decision-making. JSI is committed to assisting local partners to establish and maintain robust SI systems that meet PEPFAR requirements.
Through the USAID-funded Data.FI project, led by Palladium, JSI has built on a USAID framework to develop an online SI capacity assessment tool – the PEPFAR Strategic Information Capacity Assessment (PSICA) ‒ to help local organizations, USAID Missions, and international partners identify SI capacity strengths and needs. Data.FI, JSI staff were lead authors on the new tool.
The PSICA tool enables local organizations to assess their existing SI systems against PEPFAR best-practice standards and prioritize capacity strengthening interventions. USAID Missions and international partners can also use the tool to conduct external assessments of local partners’ SI systems. Local organizations and others supporting them can compare assessment results, use performance expectations to develop concrete action plans, and come to agreement on priority areas for capacity strengthening investments.
Discrete performance expectations make the PSICA tool practical to complete, taking between 1 and 2 hours for initial assessment. The tool is available in MS Excel to be used by individual organizations or it can be provided through an online survey to a group of organizations. The PSICA tool is also available in French.
The PSICA tool enhances the PEPFAR SI strengthening toolbox, helping organizations on their journey to self-reliance to better serve their clients.
The Center for Capacity Development at JSI and World Education defines capacity development as strengthening the capacity of systems and stakeholders—individuals, communities, civil society, governments, and the private sector—to achieve results.
