CONTEXT OF DECISION
MAKING
Session 3
Session Objectives
 Explain the context of decision making
 Define the concept of stakeholders
 Explain the importance of involving
stakeholders throughout the data use in
decision-making cycle
 Introduce the Stakeholder Analysis and
Engagement tools
Session Overview
 Context of decision making
 Stakeholders
 Decisions
 Data
 Small Group Activity 3: Stakeholder Analysis
and Engagement
Group Participation
How can we ensure that information
is being used to make diagnoses
and inform decisions?
Context of Decision Making
Data
Stakeholders
Decisions
Context of Decision Making
Data
Stakeholders
Decisions
What Is a Stakeholder?
Any person, group, or organization with a
particular interest in a policy or program
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Government agencies
Beneficiaries
Policymakers
Funding agencies
Providers / implementers
Civil society
Researchers
M&E specialists
Stakeholders
 Nongovernmental organizations
 Professional associations
 Religious leaders
 Journalists/media
 Private sector/business
Data Producers vs. Data Users
Data producers think that decision makers:
• Value “political” considerations over evidence
• Are unprepared to measure or evaluate the
consequences of their decisions
Decision makers or data users think that health
researchers and M&E specialists:
 Lack responsiveness to priorities
 Favor numbers / jargon over transparent
communication
 Prefer written reports to face-to-face conversation
Importance of Knowing Your
Stakeholders
 View activities from different perspectives
 Have different degrees of understanding
 Need / want different information
 Need information at different levels of complexity
 Have different intensities of interest
 Have different roles in the decision-making process
Results of Involving Stakeholders in
Data Use Process
Relevance of data
Ownership of data
Appropriate dissemination of data
Use of data
Stakeholder Analysis Matrix
& Engagement Plan
 Clarify who has interest in a program and
what that interest is
 Identify who can help a program and
how, and who can hurt it
 Help you use this information for the
success of the planning effort
Stakeholder Analysis Matrix
The Stakeholder Analysis Matrix is a framework
and process for:
 Identifying stakeholders
 Defining their roles and resources
 Identifying dynamics among stakeholders
 Setting the optimum stakeholder group
Stakeholder Analysis Matrix
Name of
Stakeholder
organization,
group or
individual
Stakeholder
description
Primary purpose,
affiliation, funding
Potential role in
the issue or
activity
Level of
knowledge of
the issue
Level of
commitment
Support or
oppose the
activity, to what
extent, and why?
Available
resources
Staff, money,
technology,
information,
influence
Stakeholder Analysis Matrix
Program issue
Proposed activity
Date
Develop plan (inc. M&E plan) to scale up PMTCT programs throughout system.
Convene stakeholders to identify priorities based on available data and develop action plan.
November 2006
Name of
stakeholder
organization,
group, or
individual
Stakeholder
description
Primary purpose,
affiliation, funding
Potential role in
the issue or
activity
Level of
knowledge of
the issue
Level of
commitment
Support or oppose
the activity, to what
extent, and why?
Available
resources
Staff, money,
technology,
information,
influence
National AIDS
Control
Committee
(NACC)
Involved in
planning,
implementation,
M&E of all
HIV/AIDS
programs in the
country;
approves donor
and NGO-funded
HIV/AIDS
programs
Facilitates the
stakeholder
meeting,
prepares for
meeting by
identifying
data sources
and preparing
an agenda
High –
receives
reports on
PMTCT
activities
from MCH
division at
MOH;
Medium
level of
knowledge
of int’l
guidelines
and studies
Strongly
supports activity
but hesitant to
use international
data sources.
NACC opposes
use of the DHS
and most recent
international
estimates, as it
considers these
sources to
overestimate HIV
prevalence
Staff available
to facilitate;
room and
computers
available for
meetings at
NACC
headquarters
How to Involve Stakeholders
 Quarterly program management meetings
 Quarterly meetings to interpret RHIS data
 Involvement of facility staff to interpret program
data
 M&E system improvement
 Indicator planning and/or harmonization
 Data quality review meetings
Stakeholder Engagement Plan
Program issue
Proposed activity
Date
Stakeholder
organization, group,
or individual
Potential role
in the activity
Engagement
strategy
How will you engage
this stakeholder
in the activity?
Follow-up strategy
Plans for feedback
or continued
involvement
Stakeholder Engagement Plan
Program issue
Proposed activity
Date
Develop plan (inc. M&E plan) to scale up PMTCT programs throughout system.
Convene stakeholders to identify priorities based on available data and develop action plan.
November 2006
Stakeholder
organization,
group, or
individual
Potential role
in the activity
Engagement strategy
How will you engage this
stakeholder in the
activity?
Follow-up strategy
Plans for feedback or
continued
involvement
National AIDS
Control
Committee
(NACC)
Facilitates the
stakeholder meeting,
prepares for meeting
by identifying data
sources and
preparing an agenda
that allows for the
sources to be
discussed
The NACC is the lead
in this activity. It will
be important for the
NACC to involve
more specifically the
PMTCT coordinator,
clinical care
coordinator, and
National AIDS
Program Coordinator
The NACC is
responsible for
following up with the
prioritized
stakeholders
Context of Decision Making
Data
Stakeholders
Decisions
Decision Areas
 Program design and evaluation
 Program management and improvement
 Strategic planning
 Advocacy and policy development
Program Design and Evaluation
 Design
 Select messages for prevention campaigns
 Evaluation
 Determine if new program approaches are
needed to ensure that health impact
objectives are met
Program Management and
Improvement
 Management
 Determine if the program is meeting its
process objectives
 Improvement
 Develop new strategies to increase
coverage
Strategic Planning
 Identify geographic areas of highest
need
 Determine human resource allocation
 Determine which of offered services is
making the greatest impact
Advocacy and Policy Development
 Identifying and quantifying underserved
populations
 Identifying focus areas for new policies
Context of Decision Making
Data
Stakeholders
Decisions
Data and Information
 Census
 Vital events data
 Surveillance data
 Household surveys
 Facilities-level service statistics
 Financial and management information
 Modeling, estimates, and projections
 Health research
Factors Other than Data that
Influence Decisions
Political Ideology
Arbitrariness
Competing
Priorities
Public
Opinion
Data
Stakeholders
Decisions
Power Relationships
Strengthening the Decisionmaking Process
Stakeholders
Decisions
Data
Involve new counterparts
Understand service delivery realities
May require additional data
Key Messages
 Every decision is made in the context of
available data and stakeholders
 Critically assessing and involving stakeholders
will facilitate data-informed decision making
Small Group Activity 3: Instructions
 Break into small groups.
 Each group should select a decision that they make in
their work settings and complete the Stakeholder
Analysis Matrix around that decision.
 A minimum of 7 stakeholders should be identified.
 Complete the Matrix across the columns for 1–2
stakeholders.
 Select 1 stakeholder and complete the Stakeholder
Engagement Plan for that stakeholder.
 Time for activity: 45 minutes
Group Work Report Back
 Have note taker transfer your final Stakeholder
Analysis Matrix onto flip chart paper
 Share the decision your group chose
 Share the priority stakeholders selected
 Choose 1 stakeholder and share the entire row
from the Matrix for that stakeholder
 Share the Engagement Plan for the same
stakeholder
 Time for report back: 10–15 min per group
THANK YOU!
MEASURE Evaluation is a MEASURE project funded by the U.S.
Agency for International Development and implemented by the
Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill in partnership with Futures Group International, ICF
Macro, John Snow, Inc., Management Sciences for Health, and
Tulane University. Views expressed in this presentation do not
necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the U.S. Government.
MEASURE Evaluation is the USAID Global Health Bureau's primary
vehicle for supporting improvements in monitoring and evaluation in
population, health and nutrition worldwide.
Visit us online at http://www.cpc.unc.edu/measure