As USAID’s flagship global program in maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH), MCHIP has the opportunity and the responsibility to promote and apply monitoring and evaluation (M&E) best practices and the use of standardized indicators for the measurement of MNCH results.

The Program’s M&E team aims to facilitate increased use of appropriate data to guide program decision making and policy formulation for the delivery of high-impact MNCH interventions and services at scale. The M&E approach used by MCHIP is in keeping with the common evaluation framework that guides the work of countries and initiatives seeking to accelerate the achievement of Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5, and which has been adopted by the International Health Partnership, the Catalytic Initiative and others. 

The guiding principles for MCHIP’s M&E work include:

• Collective action:  Keeping primary focus on the contribution of the collective efforts to scale-up the health sector response in countries.
• Alignment with country processes: Building upon the national processes countries have established to monitor and evaluate the progress of implementation of national plans.
• Balance between country participation and independence: Being driven by country needs but aiming to maintain independence of evaluation.
• Harmonised approaches: Using common protocols and standardized outcome indicators and measurement tools, with appropriate country adaptations.
• Capacity building and health information system strengthening: Systematically involving country institutions.
• Adequate funding: Aiming for between 5% and 10% of the overall scale-up funds to be set aside for monitoring, performance, evaluation, and operational research and strengthening health information systems.

MCHIP’s wide programmatic scope and integrated approach present unprecedented opportunities to scale up proven interventions and test innovative approaches to achieve improved outcomes at scale. The Program measures outcomes—such as coverage of high-impact MNCH interventions—through routine Health Management Information Systems (HMIS). This is done by drawing on existing population-based surveys and through the rigorous M&E efforts of in-country implementing partners and Private Voluntary Organizations/Nongovernmental Organization (PVO/NGO) grantees, and directly in select countries where MCHIP receives the mandate and funding from USAID Missions to conduct population-based surveys.

A basic M&E function of MCHIP is to document Program results to provide accountability to the donor and to Ministries, as well as to guide Program implementation. In addition, MCHIP has identified four major priorities related to monitoring, evaluation and research (MER):

• Developing M&E indicators, tools and resources
• Contributing to the evidence base on high-impact MNCH interventions
• Strengthening Health Information Systems
• Building the capacity of MCHIP staff and collaborators in MER