The first stage of a SQUEAC assessment should include collection and analysis of routine programme data, additional quantitative data which may be collected with little additional work, and anecdotal data. By analysing this data in a variety of ways, surveyors can achieve the aim of the first part of stage 1: To identify areas of low and high coverage as well as reasons for coverage failure.
This page provides guidance on how to effectively collect, collate and analyse quantitative data during Stage 1 of a SQUEAC assessment. Data collection templates are available to download in the Tools section, as well as an Excel spreadsheet into which data can be added and analysed.
The SQUEAC assessment methodology makes use of existing programme data to provide insights into where and why coverage of a programme might be low. During Stage 1 of the assessment, enumerators should go to all health centres or service delivery units (SDUs) in the health district to collect the data from health centre staff or, if the data is already available, to fill any gaps in missing data. The data should be collected for the duration of the period being assessed.
The key data required are listed in the table below. Data collection templates are available in the Tools section:
Data type | Details | Collection and analysis methods |
Admissions to OTP or SFP centres | For each SDU and for health district in total: - Over time (per month) - Overall for period. |
Pull from routine programme data at health district level and copy / paste into Data analysis tool. |
Programme discharge data | For each SDU and for health district in total: - Programme discharge rates (percentage) per month and overall for period surveyed for discharges: Cured, Defaulter, Non-response and Death |
Pull from routine programme data at health district level and copy / paste into Data analysis tool. |
Numbers of defaulters | For each SDU and for health district in total: - Over time (in months). - Overall for period. |
Pull from routine programme data at health district level and copy / paste into Data analysis tool. |
MUAC measurements | For each SDU and for health district in total, count of each MUAC measurement: - At admission - At discharged cured - At discharged defaulter |
Pull data from SDU routine programme data, enter into tally sheets ("MUAC at admission" and "Last MUAC before cure / default") and enter totals into Data analysis tool. |
Length of stay in programme | For each SDU and for health district in total, length of stay in programme: - Before discharge cured - Before discharge defaulter |
Pull data from SDU routine programme data, enter into tally sheets ("Length of stay before cure / default") and enter totals into Data analysis tool. |
Home Villages | Origin home villages: - Of cases admitted into programme. - Of defaulters from programme |
Pull data from SDU routine programme data, enter into tally sheet ("Home villages of admitted and defaulting cases") and enter totals into Data analysis tool. |
Referral source | Tally of which sources referred SAM children to SDU: - By SDU and overage |
Pull data from SDU routine programme data, enter into tally sheet ("Referral source") and enter totals into Data analysis tool. |
Additional information and data should also be collected during Stage 1 in order to build up a picture of why coverage may be low or high in a health district. The findings from the analysis of the routine programme data or from qualitative interviews may also reveal other information that needs to be collected during this stage.
For example, if the admissions by village in an SDU's catchment area reveal that fewer children are being admitted from villages located a long way from the SDU, during stage 1, enumerators could ask mothers present at the SDU what the approximate "time-to-travel" is between the SDU and village.
Other useful information to collect might include:
Collection templates are available in the Tools section.
Other useful means for mapping and analysing beneficiary locations and outreach worker activities are described in the following tools:
To facilitate the analysis of the data, all quantitative data collected during Stage 1 should be compiled into one excel sheet. The following excel sheet has been developed by the CMN - it contains different tabs in which surveyors can enter collected data and develop graphs and charts to analyse data collected during Stage 1 : Data analysis tool
The following guides provide more guidance and detail on collecting and analysing some of the different data types:
And the following tutorials may come in useful when analysing routine data:
Tally sheets make it easier for enumerators to collect important information and data during Stage 1. The following tally sheets can be used:
Home villages of admitted cases and defaulting cases
CMAM site origin for children in inpatient treatment centre
Outreach worker activity per village
The following sheets can also be used to collect and collate information:
Village info per catchment area