4. ACCOUNTABILITY

Accelerating progress on family planning programmes requires robust monitoring of progress – and evaluation for impact.

Invest in monitoring and evaluation in order to track and assess the progress made towards achieving the eight strategic priorities in the UNFPA Strategy for Family Planning, 2022–2030. M&E should capture learning from successes and failures in the process, including performance against the strategy on innovative and enduring solutions for accelerating progress. 

Certain indicators should be selected to measure progress on country-level programmatic activities (both process and outcome measures). The information gained from these indicators provides an opportunity to measure and document progress on specific intervention strategies taken at the country level. Indicator data at the country level contributes to the UNFPA Strategic Plan results framework composite indicators and reporting for the Sustainable Development Goals. Country-level data is the core of the regional and global monitoring of progress on global commitments, so it is essential that monitoring at this level is robust. Data collection and reporting at the country level must be strengthened to ensure it can be used for decision-making, agile programming, reporting and sharing of lessons learned to inform stakeholders for accountability and to develop new more effective approaches.

Monitoring progress and measuring results

Family planning indicators are embedded within the UNFPA Strategic Plan as impact measures. The UNFPA Strategy for Family Planning highlights the linkages and elaborates on the need for additional outcome and process indicators to take stock of organizational and country-level performance. To ensure country-level progress is captured, output and process indicators are needed that are tailored to family planning programmatic actions by UNFPA Country Offices.

Use robust, validated indicators to benchmark progress. They can be found in several resources:

In addition, use validated indicators from the following sources:

The USAID database offers a comprehensive list of the most widely used indicators for evaluating family planning and reproductive health programs in low- and middle-income country contexts. The database contains definitions, data requirements, data sources, purposes, and issues for core indicators. It also provides links to other websites and documents with additional indicators.

Evaluation of family planning acceleration plans

Evaluation includes both programme monitoring and the measurement of impacts. Monitoring is important because it helps us to understand how well the programme is being implemented at various levels and at different points of the intervention, and at what cost. Monitoring also tracks change over the life of an intervention activity, project or programme in terms of inputs, outputs and processes  and eventually outcomes. Evaluation is concerned with key change pathways. For example, was an input such as training conducted effectively, and were the providers who received training subsequently delivering an output such as better quality services? Impact assessments measure the extent to which the documented change can be attributed to the programme intervention (attribution versus contribution).

The Acceleration Plan's priority actions and programmatic options align with the broader UNFPA Family Planning Strategy and its theory of change. However, as each country office works within its own context, not all aspects of the strategy may be implemented. Consider the choice of programmatic options so that it is coherent with the Country Programme Document, as this will facilitate the monitoring and evaluation of results.

Accountability for results 

UNFPA reports on progress at the global, regional and country levels regarding the delivery of human rights-based and gender-transformative family planning against defined targets. It is important to measuring what is achieved and where there are shortfalls; this is an aspect of accountability to which UNFPA holds itself responsible at levels of the organization. UNFPA is accountable to its stated goals underlined by organizational principles, its commitments to donors and, most critically, to the beneficiaries of programmes supported by UNFPA and partners. Beneficiaries include government, civil society, women, men and young people in all their diversity. 

Internal organizational accountability

Reporting is an important aspect of internal and external accountability for family planning progress. UNFPA tracks existing targets and indicators drawn from the Sustainable Development Goals and the UNFPA Strategic Plan. As noted above, UNFPA Country Office family planning programmes should ensure appropriate indicators capture programme progress – monitoring them regularly and reporting on them annually through the UNFPA annual performance monitoring framework. 

Data for country accountability 

UNFPA, with partners, supports governments to be accountable for their family planning commitments. Government accountability for delivering on family planning promises requires: 

Accountability is needed at the political level, but also at the level of professional service standards and regulations, including financial management where redress and recourse are necessary components of a functioning accountability mechanism. Social accountability is another important accountability mechanism. It includes the participation of beneficiaries at the community level, in health facilities and on governance platforms such as facility committees. In all of its forms, accountability requires information and data to benchmark progress against commitments. UNFPA and partners have important roles to play in supporting governments to collect family planning data – and to make it accessible, transparent and understandable (in visual formats) so that all stakeholders can partake in accountability mechanisms that should be available to them. The implementation of robust monitoring systems to collect disaggregated data from internationally-recognized indicators is critical for accountability. Ultimately, it is critical for sustained commitment and progress at all levels.

Alignment with the UNFPA Strategic Plan

Six acceleration plan outputs for six strategic plan outputs

The UNFPA Acceleration Plan for Ending the Unmet Need for Family Planning, 2022–2025 identifies six interconnected outputs that are aligned with, and can be measured in the context of the UNFPA Strategic Plan 2022–2025 results and resource framework. As in the strategic plan, the outputs are mutually reinforcing and interdependent. A deficiency in one output area will negatively impact on others. The strategic plan outputs were adapted to family planning, ensuring alignment to the broader strategic plan, while giving emphasis and direction on how they apply to family planning programming. Accelerating progress in programme countries will depend on the extent to which strategies encompass integrated and scaled-up action to achieve each output. 

The Menu Tool and suggested indicators (elements of this Acceleration Plan) provide direct linkages to the strategic plan’s Integrated Results and Resources Framework. The integrated results and resources framework articulates the strategic plan results that UNFPA expects to achieve during 2022–2025. It also defines the metrics – the indicators, baselines and targets for measuring progress towards those results and assessing the strategic plan’s effectiveness and impact. It supports the accountability of UNFPA to its stakeholders, informs learning and improves decision-making in implementing the UNFPA Strategic Plan, 2022–2025, including ending the unmet need for family planning. 

The Acceleration Plan encourages the adoption of the six accelerators from the UNFPA strategic plan to boost the effectiveness of the modes of engagement and expedite the achievement of results. This will propel action past "doing business as usual" towards approaches with more strategic impact. The accelerators are (a) human rights-based and gender transformative approaches; (b) innovation and digitalization; (c) partnerships, South-South and triangular cooperation and financing; (d) data and evidence; (e) leaving no one behind (LNOB) and reaching the furthest behind; and (e) resilience and adaptation, and complementarity among development, humanitarian and peace-responsive efforts. Country programmes can use the accelerator approach in defining programme-specific priorities and programmatic options for accelerating the transformative results based on their context.

UNFPA Strategic Plan Output: Policy and accountability

Acceleration Plan Output 1: An enabling legal and policy environment is improving and family planning is a higher and more sustained priority at country level 

The strategic plan refers to integrating sexual and reproductive health – including gender-based violence prevention – into national policies, development frameworks and universal health coverage. The acceleration plan adapts this to the area of family planning with an output on creating the conditions for success: “An enabling legal and policy environment is improving and family planning is a higher and more sustained priority at country level.” Output 1 covers a large number of programmatic options and is covered in two strategic priorities. "Deepen integration" (priority action 1.1) addresses policy and dialogue while "Increase sustainability" (priority action 1.2) addresses sustainable financing.

UNFPA Strategic Plan Output: Quality of care and services

Acceleration Plan Output 2: Quality family planning information, products and services are delivered effectively (Improve quality) 

The strategic plan refers to strengthening the capacity of health systems and institutions to provide high-quality information, services and supplies. The acceleration plan adapts this to focus on family planning: “Quality family planning information, products and services are delivered effectively.”  Output 2 covers a large number of programmatic options and is addressed under two strategic priorities: “improve quality” with a focus on method mix, human resources and human rights-based approaches (priority action 2.1) and “expand availability and access” with a focus on the supply chain and demand generation (priority actions 2.2 and 2.3).

UNFPA Strategic Plan Output: Gender and social norms

Acceleration Plan Output 3: Access, quality and use of family planning are improved through transformative changes in harmful social and gender norms and discrimination 

The strategic plan refers to strengthening mechanisms and capacity to address discriminatory norms and to advance gender equality and women’s decision-making. The acceleration plan applies this desired result to family planning: “Access, quality and use of family planning are improved through transformative changes in harmful social and gender norms and discrimination.” 

UNFPA Strategic Plan Output: Population change and data 

Acceleration Plan Output 4: Robust data and evidence are available and used to inform policy and programme decisions and measure impact

The strategic plan refers to strengthening data systems and evidence to take into account population changes and other megatrends in development policies and programmes. The acceleration plan focuses on family planning data: “Robust data and evidence are available and used to inform policy and programme decisions and measure impact.”

UNFPA Strategic Plan Output: Humanitarian action

Acceleration Plan Output 5: Family planning is effectively delivered to populations affected by disasters, conflicts and climate instability (in humanitarian settings) 

The strategic plan refers to strengthening the capacity of critical actors and systems in preparedness, early action and the provision of life-saving interventions. The acceleration plan seeks to build family planning capacity: “Family planning is effectively delivered to populations affected by disasters, conflicts and climate instability (in humanitarian settings).”

UNFPA Strategic Plan Output: Adolescents and youth

Acceleration Plan Output 6: The contraceptive needs of adolescents and youth are addressed as part of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights

The strategic plan refers to strengthening skills and opportunities for adolescents and youth to ensure bodily autonomy, to become leaders and active participants, and to build their human capital. The acceleration plan reflects the aim of this age group to avoid unintended pregnancy: “The contraceptive needs of adolescents and young people are addressed as part of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights.”

Suggested outcome and process indicators for measurement

To facilitate monitoring, the Acceleration Plan provides a comprehensive list of outcome and process indicators that are linked to the outputs, priority actions and many of the programmatic options (see table below). The indicators provided are existing, vetted indicators that correspond to those UNFPA is largely already reporting on, though not in all countries. It will be important to assign monitoring indicators to measure results for any new strategic actions and interventions as country offices develop plans to accelerate progress by expanding and improving the family planning programme.

Monitoring and evaluation of programmes should be considered at the design phase of the programme cycle, and when conducting acceleration planning or course correction.  UNFPA Country Office staff should select indicators that are linked to their selected priority actions and programmatic options to capture locally-specific strategies. Attention should be paid to how family planning information is collected and made available in the country, e.g. what is integrated into the health information system, what UNFPA tools exist, etc. This will help to ensure new actions such as innovations are captured in the results framework.

The table below provides a list of outcome and process indicators linked to output area and priority actions, and in some cases to specific programmatic options. The indicator list has two objectives:

UNFPA Country Offices are encouraged to create an Acceleration Plan with targets that are clearly defined, and measurable. In this way, all progress and learning can be recorded, used for programme improvement or course correction, and importantly, learning within the Country Office or region, but also globally.

Table: Suggested outcome and process indicators for measurement

Validated Indicators.docx