This document discusses Botswana's efforts to improve its gender-based violence (GBV) care and response system through the development of a new GBV survivor services referral system and a mobile-based health information system. It describes how the existing informal GBV referral system lacked organization and data sharing. The new system aims to better coordinate care across sectors and track referrals using mobile phones. It also discusses the vision for a future national health information system that integrates this GBV data and evaluates GBV prevention programs across the country.

1. Botswana gender-based violence
referral system & beyond:
What a health information
system can do for GBV
prevention & response
Shelah S Bloom and Jen Curran
MEASURE Evaluation
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2. Summary
• Botswana GBV care & support services
 Existing system
 New GBV referral system
 M&E: mobile-based data system
• The future of HIS for GBV: One
national system

3. Existing system
• Services provided via referrals
• Informal, no organized mechanism for
follow-up
• No data shared between organizations
Maun Mochudi

4. New GBV referral system
• Care for GBV survivors extends
across sectors
• Informal system needs organization
& tracking

5. Stakeholder engagement
• Community-based work
• Agency interviews
• Capacity building workshops

6. New GBV survivor services
referral system: Process
• Referral system pilot
 Two districts: Kgatleng in south,
Ngamiland in north
• Mobile-based data system
 Track referrals
 Deliver information to providers
 Case histories

7. Referral System Monitoring
Unit
• Gender Affairs Department
(Ministry of Labour & Home
Affairs), Government of
Botswana
• Central focal point for the
referral system
 Monitor system performance
 Data dissemination to
stakeholders

8. Data collection, analysis &
reporting
• Data collection
 Mobile-based system using simple
phone
 Point person(s) in each agency
responsible for entry
 Information to be collected in simple
way, fast

9. What is the mobile-based System?
• Utilizes 3 technologies: SMS, GPRS
& EMRS
 GPRS= 2.0 G
 SMS= Short Messaging Service
 EMRS= Electronic Medical Record System
Application available via simple, inexpensive
phone with data storage (microSD)

10. Client
Database
Initiating
Provider
Receiving
Provider
1. Enroll a
new client via
GPRS data
form
2. Automates
SMS to receiving
provider with
unique Client ID
3. RP queries
unique Client ID
via SMS and
receives
information on
client
4. Automates
message to IP when
client receives service
or they have not
received service after
specified time
Client information can be added or queried at any time by
credentialed providers using GPRS or SMS and Unique ID.
Mobile-based system

11. Mobile-Based System
• Uses simple forms to
collect information
• Allow service provider
to add in client
information
• Allow service provider
to choose receiving
agency

12. Mobile-Based System
• Web-based
application also
developed

13. Challenges
• Lack of SOPs & GBV training within agencies
 Ensure CBT around confidentiality when training
staff on SOPs, and point person in agency
• Point person for referrals
• Ability to use mobile-based system
• Capacity of agencies to deal with extra
referrals (no one to receive cases) and
immediate requests (like court documents)

14. How does this fit with other
HIS data in Botswana?
• Three Ones Principle
 UNAIDS mechanism for
organizing rapid growth of
disparate efforts into one place
• Third One: National level M&E
System
 Single M&E plan for GBV
 National level M&E system for
GBV

15. National level M&E system for GBV
• One M&E plan for GBV prevention & response
 Track gov’t/donor spending & coordination between
sectors (health, justice, police, education, social
welfare)
 Assure all communities included
 Evaluate programmatic/policy effects
 Identify best practices
 Address repetition & gaps

16. Three Ones for GBV:
Botswana
• One Strategic Action Plan
• One National Coordinating Authority
 Gender Affairs Department
• One M&E system
 Based on mobile technology for activities as
appropriate
 Data from all GBV-related programs & services across
sectors
 System designed to generate reports easily, high data
quality

18. MEASURE Evaluation is a project funded by the U.S.
Agency for International Development and implemented
by the Carolina Population Center at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partnership with
Futures Group International, ICF Macro, John Snow,
Inc., Management Sciences for Health, and Tulane
University. Views expressed in this presentation do not
necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the U.S.
Government.
MEASURE Evaluation is the USAID Global Health
Bureau's primary vehicle for supporting improvements
in monitoring and evaluation in population, health and
nutrition worldwide.

19. www.measureevaluation.org