PA 09-6-1378 Monitoring process for a comprehensive drowning reduction project: experience from low-middle-income country

Introduction Injury kills about 300 people each day in Bangladesh. Drowning, suicide, road traffic injuries are the topmost causes of injury mortality. Government and non-government organizations are implementing injury prevention projects in Bangladesh. Effective monitoring is the key to make a program successful. Aim To track down and ensure the quality of injury prevention project activities through a systematic process on a regular basis. Method The study developed a logical framework integrated with targeted project indicators. The indicators are finalized in consultation with donors, academic partners, national and international drowning experts. Base on the indicators, individual monitoring tool was developed for each intervention. Later on project staff were oriented on tools and trained to use the tool on electronic data collection devices. Additionally, to oversee routine activities a Management Information System is being used. Result The tools consisted with some substantial variables, likely project staff and beneficiaries’ competency, safety standards, outcomes of the interventions, drop-out of project staff and beneficiaries, injury incidences and its management. Field supervisors visit intervention sites, activities and used the tools on devices and upload data on regular basis. Central project staff also visited and used the tools in intervention areas according to periodic plan. Through the monitoring data, agreed indicators of the interventions were tracked down towards project goals and ensured quality of the interventions as well as identify loopholes of every stage of the intervention. Monitoring data produced monthly and quarterly reports with the specific outcomes and was shared with implementation team, donors and academic partners. By doing so, the project management and donors took steps to ensure quality of the project. Conclusion and policy implications Due to each project personnel`s involvement, the monitoring process was participatory and ensuring accountability, transparency and maintaining quality of project activities.