Detailed Mechanism Funding and Narrative

Years of mechanism: 2010 2011

Details for Mechanism ID: 7156
Country/Region: Rwanda
Year: 2010
Main Partner: New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute
Main Partner Program: NA
Organizational Type: Other USG Agency
Funding Agency: HHS/HRSA
Total Funding: $221,080

This activity will continue activities launched in COP 08 and continued in COP 09. The overall goal of the HEALTHQUAL program is to provide technical assistance through a coaching and mentoring model to an in-country TRAC Plus and MOH/UPDC-led team to develop a more facility-driven quality management program and to assist in the Track 1.0 transitioning process in Rwanda. HEALTHQUAL will collaborate with and complement other PEPFAR related initiatives such as the HSS USAID project and CDC HSS technical support. To reach its programmatic goals, HEALTHQUAL will:

1. Support the monitoring activities for the Track 1.0 transition process and evaluation of the quality of clinical services provided during transition; 2. Provide technical assistance to TRAC Plus and MOH/UPDC to strengthen their quality improvement activities and the capacity of the transition task force to shift the currently partner-driven quality management approach to one that is facility-driven

Evaluation and quality improvement capacity building activities will be provided to those clinical sites being transitioned as well as other health facilities identified as requiring additional support. Furthermore, staff within TRAC Plus and MOH/UPDC units are target audiences for quality improvement capacity building activities and trainings provided by HEALTHQUAL.

HEALTHQUAL staff and the HEALTHQUAL Program Manager, a position subcontracted through the University of Maryland, will implement a scope of work focused on evaluating the quality of clinical services provided during the Track 1.0 transition process and activities conducted to build quality management capacity at TRAC Plus and MOH/UPDC, thereby strengthening the ability of the transition task force to effectively transition currently partner-driven quality improvement activities to a facility-driven approach.

As the monitoring and evaluation plan for the Track 1.0 transition process is developed and implemented in early 2010, HEALTHQUAL will begin to evaluate the quality of clinical services at transitioning sites based on clinical care indicators. Throughout COP 10, HEALTHQUAL will assist with periodic site level assessments conducted to address clinical quality during transition. Assessments will also be made of the quality improvement structures in place at transitioning sites and technical assistance provided to build capacity of sites to develop the programmatic structures necessary to support a comprehensive quality management program.

Through coaching and mentoring services provided to TRAC Plus and MOH/UPDC units, HEALTHQUAL will build quality management capacity in those units. Furthermore, by assisting TRAC Plus and MOH/UPDC in providing quality management training to health facilities throughout Rwanda, HEALTHQUAL will build capacity at the site level through knowledge transfer related to performance measurement and quality improvement.

Transition to country-ownership of a quality management program is at the heart of the HEALTHQUAL methodology of capacity building. All technical assistance and coaching/mentoring provided by HEALTHQUAL is aimed at developing the capacity of in-country TRAC Plus and MOH staff to conduct the necessary activities to support quality management at the national, district, and facility levels, and to assist MOH in the integration of quality management into its approach to HIV treatment as well as other public health concerns.

Funding for Treatment: Adult Treatment (HTXS): $221,080

HealthQual staff and the HealthQual program manager, a position subcontracted through the University of Maryland, will implement a scope of work focused on evaluating the quality of clinical services provided during the Track 1.0 transition process and activities conducted to build quality management capacity at TRAC Plus, other MOH units, and district health facilities. HealthQual will collaborate with MOH, USG, and stakeholders to facilitate the development of a national quality management program. Additionally, HealthQual will collaborate with and complement other PEPFAR initiative son health system strengthening and technical support.

As the monitoring and evaluation plan for the Track 1.0 transition process is developed and implemented in early FY 2010, HealthQual will begin to evaluate the quality of clinical services provided at transitioning sites based on clinical care indicators. Throughout FY 2010, HealthQual will conduct periodic site level assessment to address clinical quality during transition. Assessments will also be done on the quality improvement structures in place at transitioning sites and the technical assistance provided to build the capacity of sites to develop the programmatic structures necessary to support a comprehensive quality management program.

To complement and strengthen the Integrated Formative Supervision system being developed by MOH, HealthQual will assist in the development and implementation of performance measurement and quality improvement activities conducted by MOH. Through coaching and mentoring services provided to TRAC Plus and UPDC staff and unit heads, HealthQual will build quality management capacity in within the MOH. By providing quality management training to district health facilities throughout Rwanda,

HealthQual will build capacity at the site level through knowledge transfer related to performance measurement and quality improvement.

As MOH seeks to harmonize the various quality improvement activities conducted in Rwanda by different implementing partners, HealthQual will assist and collaborate on the development of a national quality management program. HealthQual staff have decades of combined experience in running a government-based HIV quality management program and will provide that expertise to the Rwandan initiative.

Transition to country-ownership of the quality management program is at the heart of the HealthQual methodology of capacity building. All technical assistance and coaching/mentoring provided by HealthQual is aimed at developing the capacity of in-country MOH staff to conduct the necessary activities to support quality management at the national, district, and facility levels, and to assist MOH in the integration of quality management into its approach to HIV treatment as well as other public health concerns.

Subpartners Total: $0
New York County Health Services Review Organization: NA
University of Maryland: NA