The Central government initiated empanelling independent individual and institutional monitors across the country.
The main objective is to undertake regular monitoring of major national programmes and special monitoring of specific interventions under the NHM, to identify areas for improvement following the review and to provide suggestions for addressing the gaps identified
The Independent National Monitors will be expected to visit districts, assess implementation of programmes/interventions and submit a review report highlighting key findings, actionable points and suggestions for improvements.
The checklist, framework and ToR for inspection and reporting will be provided by the Ministry.
The Independent National Monitors will undertake both primary data collection in the form of interviews and Focus Group Discussions with health officials, beneficiaries and the community.
State/district authorities will be informed so as to facilitate the review and provide information/records as needed. Secondary data collection will involve review of design documents, project reports, HMIS data and other relevant survey data.
The duration of visit will depend on the quantum of work and will typically involve not more than 5-7 days per month.
A team of two monitors will be deployed, except for small states/UTs. Institutional monitors will also constitute two member teams for field visits.
All districts in the country will be covered annually.
The performance of the Independent National Monitors will be appraised annually on the basis of the quality of work, timeliness and feedback from stakeholders. These will be used to extend contracts and identify monitors for special assignments.
NHM is a flagship programme of the Government of India which envisages achievement of universal access to equitable, affordable and quality health services which are accountable and responsive to people’s needs. The framework for implementation identifies systematic and high quality monitoring and evaluation as a priority for assessing the effectiveness of the Mission, identifying areas for improvement and initiating course correction
