2. Learning outcomes
Understand the definition of
situation analysis
Identify its key components
Apply the concept to an eye
unit at the district level
4. Situation analysis
of an eye unit
Capacity
Capabilities
Difficulties
Environment
Possibilities
Where
we are
NOW
5. Eye health and the wider health
system
District
level
National level
Eye unit
Policies
6. National level
Key questions:
1. National prevention of blindness programme?
2. Strategy for universal health coverage?
3. Data on blindness and visual impairment?
4. Targets for diseases?
7. National level
Key questions:
5. Guidance on ophthalmic human resources,
training and distribution?
6. Local leaders in eye care?
7. Policy on infrastructure and development?
22. SWOT analysis: Eye unit example
Strengths
Cataract surgeon in
place
Weaknesses
Long waiting list
Opportunities
NGO to provide
consumables
Threats
Fear of eye surgery
23. In conclusion
Situation analysis is an
important first step
Provides details on:
magnitude of need,
manpower, materials, money,
mobility and management
24. In conclusion
A SWOT analysis will
highlight issues, opportunities
and threats
Situation analysis identifies
gaps
Using this knowledge effectively
makes change achievable
Welcome. By the end of this presentation on situation analysis you should be able to:
Understand the definition of situation analysis
Identify its key components
Apply the concept to an eye unit at a district level.
A situation analysis is defined as a collection of methods that planners and managers use to understand an organisation’s performance and internal and external factors affecting it.
Image: Edson Mwaipopo CC BY-NC 2.0 flic.kr/p/orLt7U
Situation analysis can be used to describe the performance of eye unit in terms of:
Capacity – numbers of patients
Capabilities – staff training and available equipment
Difficulties – which affect output and outcome
Environment – supports and threats to the unit
Possibilities - opportunities for the unit
Situation analysis helps us to understand where we are now – the first stage in any planning cycle.
Image: Aravind Eye Care System
Any situation analysis of an eye unit needs to explore the wider levels of the health system the unit is part of.
Understanding existing policies and programmes at national and district level means the unit can plan to address the burden and need of blindness using the right models of care and with the right resources in place.
At national level, the key questions to ask include:
1. Is there a national prevention of blindness programme?
2. Is there a strategy for universal health coverage?
3. What data is there on blindness and visual impairment?
4. Are there targets for diseases such as cataract and refractive error?
5. Is there guidance on ophthalmic human resources, training and distribution?
6. Who are the leaders in eye care locally, what are their roles? Is it possible to contact them?
7. Is there a policy on infrastructure and equipment?
At district level, the key information to gather includes:
The size of the target population the eye unit serves and the kinds of people that make up the population – for example, young or old, male or female, rich or poor.
Maps of how the population is distributed and of people’s access to health care. These can highlight previously unknown challenges of geography and infrastructure
Data on the prevalence & causes of eye disease and blindness locally. Knowing these gives an understanding of the need for eye care.
Barriers. It is important to find out any reasons blind or visually impaired people have for not been coming to the eye unit.
To start gathering this information and making it relevant for a local level, we need to know:
The population in the district
And the prevalence of blindness and visual impairment in the district.
Then we can calculate
the number of blind people. This is equal to the prevalence of blindness multiplied by the population
the number of visually impaired people, This is equal to the prevalence of visual impairment multiplied by the population.
It is also important to calculate the percentage of cataract blind or visually impaired locally, as cataract is a leading cause of blindness.
The 5 Ms provide guidance on the information that needs to be gathered within the eye unit or hospital for a situation analysis.
Manpower: Numbers of cadres available, whether staff work part or full time, how many volunteers there are, and so on
Materials: The quantity, quality, regularity of supply and so on for both hard and soft materials. HARD materials are infrastructure, instruments and equipment. SOFT materials are medicines and consumables.
Mobility: The kinds of outreach services used
Management: A flow chart is a useful way to represent decision making processes
Money: The sources of funding and amount available
Finding good information for a situation analysis means looking for it in a number of different places:
For data on the target population census data is a good potential source
To estimate the numbers of blind and visually impaired people we can carry out a local study or extrapolate it from a previous study in a similar region
For data on manpower we can use hospital records if they exist, or we can observe the unit
For materials information we can use hospital records or take our own inventory
For information on mobile services, we can use hospital records on outreach models, locations, and outputs
For information on management we need to ask the hospital administration.
And finally, to know how the unit is funded and how much money is available we need to ask key stakeholders and look into the hospital finances.
A useful tool to support a situation analysis is a SWOT analysis.
A SWOT analysis identifies an organisation’s internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as the external opportunities and threats.
For example, a SWOT analysis of an eye unit might identify
A strength as having a well-trained cataract surgeon in place
A weakness as a long waiting list caused by lack of consumable and not enough available surgery time
An unexplored opportunity of an NGO which could provide consumables
And a threat from a fear of eye surgery amongst many in the local population.
In conclusion:
Situation analysis is an important first step when considering any change
It provides a depth of local understanding for the possibilities and ability to change
Details provided by a situation analysis include: understanding the magnitude of need, available manpower, materials, money, mobility and management
A SWOT analysis will highlight both internal and external issues, opportunities and threats.
Situation analysis enables gaps to be identified.
Using this knowledge effectively makes change achievable.