A development framework for promoting evidence-based policy action: drawing on experiences in Sri Lanka

Area of Science:

• Health Policy and Management
• Health Systems Research
• Developing Country Health Systems

Background:

• Global health sector reforms necessitate improved performance measurement in developing countries.
• Current performance measurement often focuses on operational levels, with limited impact on policy.
• There's a recognized need to strengthen policy functions and impact monitoring within ministries of health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the use of indicators for evidence-based policy decision-making in health ministries undergoing reform.
• To analyze the complexities of implementing performance management at the policy level in developing countries.
• To propose a conceptual framework for managing performance evidence, including outcome indicators.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual framework development for performance management.
• Exploration of indicator use in policy decision-making.
• Analysis of organizational and technical capacity needs for performance management.

Main Results:

• Existing performance measurement in developing countries is often operational and lacks policy impact.
• New organizational support is crucial for effective policy-level performance management.
• A framework incorporating outcome indicators is proposed for managing performance evidence.

Conclusions:

• Developing countries require enhanced capacity for policy-level performance management.
• Introducing outcome indicators and fostering 'learning organizations' are key initiatives.
• Further research is needed to support adaptive and informed decision-making in ministries of health.