Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning

- Background

The Government of Odisha, through the Department of Health and Family Welfare, will implement the ABDM-Enabled Care Coordination (AECC) initiative in Keonjhar District. Swasti provides technical assistance to the District Administration and the District Health Society. Keonjhar serves as the demonstration district for a model that the State intends to replicate. AECC Aims To Build a Connected, Citizen-centred District Health System Using The Infrastructure Of The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). The Initiative Integrates Five Components

Into a Unified Architecture

- Health Information System (HIS): Implemented across public health facilities.
- Care Coordination Centre (CCC): Supports navigation, referrals, follow-ups, and grievance redressal.
- Red-Amber-Green (RAG) Governance Dashboard: Supports district-level monitoring and review.
- Population Health and Wellness Score (PHWS): Published at Gram Panchayat and ward levels.
- ABHA-based Citizen Identity: Links health records across facilities.

The pilot will begin at Padampur Community Health Centre (CHC) and subsequently expand across the district. The Government will use the lessons from Keonjhar to plan and implement State-level scale-up. Evidence must therefore be collected systematically and objectively, covering what works, what does not, the costs involved, and the conditions required for successful replication.

- Position Purpose

The Documentation Specialist and MEAL will be responsible for establishing and maintaining the evidence base for AECC in Keonjhar. The role will design and implement the monitoring and evaluation system, document how the model is implemented and adapted, and translate lessons into actionable material to support State-level scale-up decisions. The role will also ensure that citizens' experiences and feedback are recognised as evidence alongside system-generated data. The position will work closely with the Project Lead, Health Administrator, and Data and Digital Lead in Keonjhar. The Data and Digital Lead will be responsible for the digital systems, data quality, and RAG Governance Dashboard.

The Documentation

Specialist and MEAL will focus on what is measured, why it is measured, and what has been learned.

By the end of the engagement, the District Health Society should have ownership of a functioning monitoring and evaluation (M&E;) framework, a body of documented learning, and the capacity to sustain both.

- Key Roles and Responsibilities
- Documentation of the Pilot and Lessons for State Scale-up
- Design and implement a process documentation plan for the pilot. Record how each AECC component is established, what adaptations are made, the reasons for those adaptations, and the time, human resources, and financial resources required.
- Document the baseline situation at Padampur CHC and subsequent facilities to enable assessment of changes over time.
- Capture lessons at each phase gate through structured reflection processes, including pause-and-reflect sessions and after-action reviews with district and facility teams.

Document enabling factors, barriers, and unintended effects.

- Document citizen and patient journeys, as well as the experiences of frontline workers and facility staff, using interviews, case stories, and observation.
- Develop a State-level scale-up readiness package covering lessons learned, minimum conditions for replication, costing, implementation sequencing, and potential risks.
- Maintain a decision log documenting key design and implementation decisions made with the District Administration, including the rationale for each decision.
- M&E; Framework Development and Implementation
- Develop and strengthen the AECC Theory of Change and M&E; framework,



aligned with the project results framework and relevant State and national health programme indicators.
- Define indicators across inputs, processes, outputs, and outcomes. In collaboration with the Data and Digital Lead, prepare indicator reference sheets specifying definitions, data sources, frequency, disaggregation, and responsibility.

- Include implementation outcomes relevant to scale-up, such as adoption, fidelity, reach, acceptability, cost, and sustainability.
- Establish baselines and targets, conduct routine monitoring, and undertake field verification and supportive monitoring visits to facilities.
- Track progress against the results framework and prepare the monitoring sections of donor reports.
- Ensure that data are disaggregated by sex, age, social group, and geography wherever possible to identify equity gaps.
- Research and Evaluation
- Support the design and implementation of baseline, midline, and endline assessments, as well as operational or implementation research associated with AECC.
- Serve as the district focal point for the independent evaluation. Facilitate access to data, sites, and stakeholders while safeguarding the independence of the evaluation.
- Support PHWS measurement cycles through methodology review, field-level quality assurance, and interpretation of results.
- Ensure that all research and evaluation activities adhere to ethical standards, including ethics committee approval where required, informed consent, confidentiality, and compliance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
- Contribute to research protocols, analysis plans, manuscripts, and engagement with academic and research partners.
- Accountability to Citizens and Stakeholders
- Establish and monitor community feedback mechanisms. Analyse grievances and feedback received through the CCC and grievance cell to identify recurring issues and track their resolution.
- Support the publication of PHWS and other results at Gram Panchayat and ward levels in formats that communities and local representatives can understand and use.
- Facilitate participatory reviews with community structures, including Jan Arogya Samitis, Gaon Kalyan Samitis, and Self-Help Groups, wherever appropriate.
- Ensure that findings and feedback are shared with the communities and staff who contributed them.
- Capacity Building of Stakeholders
- Assess capacity-building needs related to M&E;, documentation, and data use for decision-making among District Health Society staff, facility in-charges, and block teams.
- Design and deliver training, mentoring, and on-the-job support on monitoring, review meetings, documentation, and evidence use.
- Support the planning and quality assurance of AECC orientation and refresher training programmes.

Assess their effectiveness through pre- and post-training assessments and follow-up.

- Strengthen the capacity of Government-designated staff to manage the M&E; framework as part of a phased handover before project closure.
- Knowledge Management and Dissemination
- Establish and maintain the district repository of AECC materials, including field manuals, standard operating procedures (SOPs), playbooks, templates, reports, and communication materials.
- Develop knowledge products, including learning briefs, case studies, policy notes, photo and video documentation, and articles for publication.
- Plan and support learning and dissemination workshops at district and State levels, and contribute to national forums wherever appropriate.




- Ensure that all knowledge products comply with consent requirements, privacy safeguards, and Government communication protocols.
- Coordination and Reporting
- Work closely with the Project Lead, Health Administrator, Data and Digital Lead, CDMO office, and facility in-charges in Keonjhar.
- Coordinate with the State Programme Management Unit (PMU) and other partners on shared indicators, evaluation, and documentation.
- Submit monthly progress reports to the Project Director and lead the preparation of quarterly and annual learning reports for Swasti and the donor.
- Qualifications and Experience
- Educational Qualifications
- A Master's degree in Public Health, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Population Studies, Statistics, Demography, or a related field.
- Training in monitoring and evaluation, research methods, or knowledge management will be an added advantage.
- Professional Experience
- A minimum of 6–8 years of relevant professional experience, including at least four years in MEAL, research, or documentation within public health programmes.
- Experience in designing and implementing M&E; frameworks, including Theories of Change, results frameworks, and indicator systems, for donor-funded or Government programmes.
- A demonstrated track record in documentation, including process documentation, case studies, learning briefs, reports, or peer-reviewed publications. Applicants will be required to submit writing samples.
- Experience using both quantitative and qualitative research methods, including survey design, interviews, focus group discussions, and data analysis.
- Experience working with district or State health systems and supporting or managing evaluations is preferred.
- Exposure to digital health or ABDM-linked programmes, and prior experience in Odisha, aspirational districts, or tribal-majority districts, will be an added advantage.
- Skills and Competencies
- Excellent English writing and editing skills, with the ability to adapt evidence for Government officials, technical audiences, and communities.
- Strong understanding of M&E; concepts and evaluation approaches, including implementation research and mixed-methods approaches.
- Proficiency in data analysis tools such as Microsoft Excel and Stata, SPSS, or R, and qualitative analysis software such as NVivo, ATLAS.ti, or equivalent tools.
- Knowledge of research ethics, informed consent, confidentiality, and data protection practices.
- Ability to facilitate reflection sessions, workshops, and participatory reviews.
- Solid training and mentoring skills, with the ability to work with staff with varying levels of experience.
- Curiosity, critical thinking, and a commitment to reporting challenges and failures as transparently as successes.
- Language Requirements
- Proficiency in written and spoken English is required.
- Working knowledge of Odia and Hindi is preferred, given the community-facing nature of the documentation responsibilities.
- Reporting and Performance Management
- The Documentation Specialist and MEAL will report to the Project Director, Swasti, and coordinate day to day with the Project Lead, Keonjhar.
- The role will work functionally with the CDMO office and the District Health Society within the governance arrangements established by the District AECC Steering Committee.
- Contract Duration and Extension
- The initial appointment will be for one year.
- The contract may be extended annually, subject to the availability of project funds, satisfactory individual performance, and project requirements.
- Duty Station and Travel
- Primary duty station: Keonjhar, Odisha.
- The role will require frequent travel to facilities and communities within the district, as well as periodic travel to Bhubaneswar for State-level coordination and dissemination activities.

📌 Documentation Specialist and MEAL (Odisha)
🏢 swasti health resource center
📍 Odisha