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.

1. Routine Programme Data collection
2. Collecting additional quantitative data
3. Collating and analysing quantitative data

1. Routine Programme Data collection:

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:

2. Collecting additional quantitative data:

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:

• Outreach activities within the catchment areas of the different SDUs: numbers of community health workers and volunteers operating out of the SDU and frequency of visits to individual villages.
• Information about villages in a catchment area: estimated population, main ethnicity

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:

• Mapping of beneficiary locations
• Lists and tables of admissions and defaulters locations
• Mapping of outreach workers' activities
• Lists and tables of outreach workers' activities
• Half distance between markets

3. Collating and analysing quantitative data:

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:

• Admissions over time
• Defaulters over time
• Discharge outcomes
• MUAC at admission
• Time-to-travel
• Time-to-default
• Referral source

And the following tutorials may come in useful when analysing routine data:

• Creating a line graph
• Creating a bar graph
• Smoothing time-series data using moving averages

Tally sheets make it easier for enumerators to collect important information and data during Stage 1. The following tally sheets can be used:

MUAC at admission

Last MUAC before cure

Last MUAC before default

Length of stay before default

Length of stay before cure

Home villages of admitted cases and defaulting cases

CMAM site origin for children in inpatient treatment centre

Referral source

Outreach worker activity per village

The following sheets can also be used to collect and collate information:

Village summary sheet

Village info per catchment area