Harmonizing Health Facility Assessments in Kenya

Availability of comprehensive information on service availability and readiness of facilities to offer quality health services is key in informing policies to achieve Universal Health Coverage. For this reason, Kenya's Ministry of Health, together with development partners and counties, has planned to carry out a Harmonized Health Facility Assessment (HHFA).

This assessment will bridge the gaps previously addressed by the Service Availability and Readiness Assessment Mapping (SARAM) and Service Provision Assessment (SPA), among other surveys.

"This follows closely on the Health Data Collaborative principle of harmonizing technical and financial resources in the implementation of health information initiatives," according to Ministry of Health Principal Secretary Peter K. Tum.

RATIONALE FOR HARMONIZING HEALTH FACILITY ASSESSMENTS

Over the years, a number of international health facility assessment tools (e.g. SARA, SPA, SDI) have been designed and used for measuring health system capacity to provide quality services. However, most efforts to date have been piecemeal, focusing on quality of care in a specific service area, such as newborn care or HIV care. This leads to the implementation of multiple, uncoordinated facility surveys, often over the same time period.

To address this challenge, a new harmonized approach to facility surveys offers a system of standardized assessments consisting of modules that cover all key topics. These include service availability, service readiness, quality of care and safety, and management and finance practices.

Relevant documents include the following:

-Invitation from Ministry of Health on workshops to harmonize the assessment tools
-Implementation plan for the Kenya Harmonized Health Facility Assessment
-Agenda for first HHFA tools review workshop 
-Presentation on Kenya harmonized health facility assessment for UHC
-Flyer on Standardized Health Facility Survey Modules