Session 3: A prototype record keeping system

Purpose:

Trainees will review a record keeping system developed for use in community nutrition projects. The system can be simplified or expanded, depending on the need for information and the educational level of project workers.

Time: 1/2 hour

Materials

- Copies of "Prototype Record Keeping System"

1. Road to Health Chart
2. Family Record
3. Daily Activity Log
4. Community Report
5. Charts for Data Analysis
6. Summary List of Program Records and Reports

Steps:

1. Distribute the "Prototype Record Keeping System."

Explain that CEDPA has used this basic system in programs in Nepal and Kenya. The important characteristics of the system are:

- It is designed to collect only the information required to monitor and evaluate specific project objectives and activities.
- Each level of record keeping leads to the next.
- Records are designed to help the mother, worker and manager analyze and use the information on them to analyze and improve their efforts.

2. Review each element of the "Prototype Record Keeping System," beginning with the "Road to Health Chart." (The "Road to Health Chart" can be substituted for by a simple card on which arm circumference or weights are recorded.)

Discuss:

- Characteristics of each form
- Who completes it
- What is done with it
- Examples of how it is filled out and how information on it can be used to identify problems and progress

3. The final page of the " Prototype Record Keeping System" lists, in diagram form, the project's records and reports, by whom they are completed and who keeps or receives them. Review this with trainees.

4. Summarize: The record keeping system presented in this session focuses on documenting project activities and results. Each project should develop its own system for record keeping and reporting. This prototype system demonstrates the need for:

- Simplicity
- Limited data collection
- Data related to problems and interventions
- Collection and analysis of data by those who need it to make critical project decisions

HANDOUT

PROTOTYPE RECORD KEEPING SYSTEM

1. Road to Health Chart
2. Family Record
3. Daily Activity Log
4. Community Report
5. Charts for Data Analysis
6. Summary List of Program Records and Reports

1. Road to Health Chart

A Road to Health Chart with basic information about nutrition, immunization status and illness is completed for each child. This chart is put in a plastic envelope and given to the mother. The mother brings her children's cards with her to each growth monitoring activity.

2. Family Record

Village health workers or volunteers keep a record on each family in their area. The information recorded on the card is directly related to the specific program's objectives.

For example, if prevention of diarrhea is a priority objective, information about the occurrence of diarrhea, distribution of ORS packets and home treatment may be routinely collected. For nutrition status, the measurements and cutoff points used by the program would be recorded, i.e., arm circumference less than 12.5, between 12.5 and 13.5, or greater than 13.5, or red, yellow, green.

The advantage of this type of family record is that it displays priority information about each child and mother in chronological order. We can see, at a glance, what has happened to the nutrition and immunization status of a child, the family planning acceptance of the couple, etc.

The Family Record can be printed on heavy paper and kept as a card. Or, it can be printed and bound as a register. A sample Family Record is illustrated on the following page.

2. Family record

Instructions :

Women :

Reproductive Status - Write one of the following : Breastfeeding, Pregnant, Family Planning, At Risk
Family Planning/Method - Write the method used

Children under 5 years - Complete one block foe each child in the family under 5 years old.

III - 2, 22

A/C = Arm Circumference - Write the child arm's circumference.
Weight - enter either the actual weight of the child or the nutrition classification of weight for age from the growth chart.
Immunization - At the time of registration, mark all vaccines that a child has taken. At every other contact, mark only new vaccines taken.
Diarrhea during last two weeks? - Write yes next to this question if the child has had diarrhea during the past two weeks.
Ask the mother how diarrhea has treated. If the mentions ORS, write yes next to the question "If yes, treated with ORS?"

3. Daily Activity Log

Workers, dispensaries/clinics keep a daily record of special project services and activities. At the end of each month, these daily records are used to complete the monthly report.

Example:

4. Community Report

Information for the Community Report is taken directly from family records and the daily activity log.

5. Charts for Data Analysis

Supervisors and managers keep information from village reports on separate charts in order to track progress and identify problems.

Charts can be made to compare activities and results in the same village over time. They can also be made to compare activities and results in several villages.

Examples:

6. Summary List of Program Records and Reports