The Framework and Tools for Evaluating Health Surveillance Systems is designed to help managers of health surveillance systems identify and document issues relating to the rationale, implementation and effectiveness of their health surveillance systems. The Framework and tools provide standard approaches that managers can apply in their efforts to identify current practices and to enhance the ability of surveillance to provide relevant information for the review of public health objectives.
The framework outlines six steps in evaluating health surveillance.
Step 1 Establishing the context of the surveillance system
Step 2 Developing evaluation questions
Step 3 Designing the process for data collection and management
Step 4 Collating and presenting the findings
Step 5 Reviewing an evaluation report
Step 6 Following up on the use of findings
These steps outline a process for systematically reviewing the purpose, design, management and operational characteristics of a system within the context of its program. As noted by Klaucke , the strength of an evaluation depends on the evaluator's ability to assess a system's characteristics with respect to its objectives.
The ease of implementation and degree of success of an evaluation is closely linked to the maturity of results-based management practices. Results-Based Management and Accountability Frameworks (RMAFs) help managers ensure that:
Surveillance is to public health as accounting is to a
commercial enterprise. Both track the "life-blood" of the
flow of information in support of crucial decisions that impact on
the lives of many citizens.
The Framework and Tools for Evaluating Health Surveillance
Systems provides managers of health surveillance systems
with a standard approach for assessing:
This document has been developed in response to the emerging
application of results-based management practices within Health
Canada, an Auditor General's report focusing on the practices
of measuring and reporting of performance, and the desire for
systemic change in the wake of the recent SARS crisis in Canada.
Health Canada mandated its Population and Public Health Branch
(PPHB) to initiate the development of an evaluation framework for
enhancing the performance of surveillance systems.
In January 2003, the Centre for Surveillance Coordination undertook
this project with the guidance of the PPHB Health Surveillance
Coordinating Committee, whose membership represents the
branch's Centres, Directorates and Laboratories.