Strong health information systems are the foundation of informed decision-making for health. As countries make progress in establishing quality health information systems, the next challenge is the use of existing routine health data by decision makers in planning, management and resource allocation of public health. As we navigate the ecosystem to integrate data use in policy decisions, it has been documented that structured decision-making practices significantly improve evidence-based program management. The Data Centered Leadership (DCL) program introduces a systematic approach for public health managers to interpret data effectively and derive actionable conclusions as well as institutionalize data use culture.
Data Centered Leadership is an executive development program designed to equip senior public health managers with the skills to maximize data-informed decision-making. The program focuses on two key areas:
Managing with Data – Enhancing executives' abilities to use data effectively to inform individual decisions on operations, programs, or policies.
Strengthening Data Use Practices – Building and institutionalizing robust processes that enable units/organizations to effectively leverage existing data, fostering evidence-based policies and interventions.
This dual approach ensures that leaders not only use data effectively themselves but also create a culture of data-informed practices within their organizations. The Data Centered Leadership program initiates with a pre-workshop engagement of participants to gather information and insights about the participants' current knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to data use and the organizations' culture. The second phase includes an intensive structured three-day team-based DCL workshop for senior managers designed to strengthen the competencies of participants in using data to enhance their leadership and effectiveness in using data. The training is followed by the third phase, a three-month mentoring period for implementation of data use improvement projects developed by the teams to translate the competencies learnt into practice.
The DCL program has been adapted to develop a specific version for the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) managers. The DCL program for CRVS managers aims to strengthen the capacity of senior managers from the different departments involved in any of the CRVS process to use data to improve CRVS systems.
Investments in data collection and health information systems in low and middle-income countries have greatly increased the data available to inform policymaking. But turning these data into actionable evidence requires organizational capacity for policy analysis. By strengthening staff capacity and systems that link data to policy, government health agencies can make better use of evidence to improve population health, address inequities, and set priorities in line with the evolving burden of disease.
The Data to Policy (D2P) program, developed by Vital Strategies and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, aims to bridge the data-policy gap through team-based training and mentoring of health policy professionals. D2P participants develop data-driven policy briefs and recommendations that respond to government health priorities. The program imparts analytical skills – including root cause analysis and health and economic impact assessments, as well as techniques for communicating with stakeholders using data.
After participating in the D2P program, participants will be able to:
• Use data and evidence to analyze a health problem
• Identify policy options that address the root causes of the problem
• Use stakeholder analysis, health impact assessment and economic evaluation methods to assess the cost-effectiveness and feasibility of policy options
• Persuasively communicate policy recommendations to stakeholders and decision-makers
At an organizational level, the program results in:
• A suite of data-driven policy recommendations in priority areas
• Government staff equipped with skills and a practical toolkit to conduct policy analysis
• Strengthened systems for data and evidence use
• Institutionalized training and capacity development through training of trainers
The D2P program has been delivered in collaboration with governments in 15 countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and has supported the development of more than 100 data-driven policy recommendations.
