Table 2 Examples of projects implemented by trainees

Reducing patient waiting time for clients attending the ART clinic at a regional referral hospital

September 2008 – February 2009

To reduce the patient waiting time to receive ART services at the clinic from six hours to four hours so as to improve quality of health care services at the clinic.

· The average waiting time at the ART clinic reduced from 348 minutes to 220 minutes, a 36.8% reduction in overall clinic waiting time.

· Specifically, there was also a 42.4% reduction in waiting time at the Clinician & Laboratory stations (waiting time reduced from 257 minutes at baseline to 148 minutes at the end of the project)

Consolidating the M&E System at a local NGO

October 2008 – March 2009

To contribute to the continuous improvement of the M&E function through consolidating the M&E system

· Defined the purpose and scope of the M&E system

· Developed the M&E Matrix

· Reviewed the logical framework

· Reviewed report formats

· Documented the critical reflection schedule

· Designed a schematic presentation of the M&E system

· Defined indicators & documented indicator reference sheets

Enhancement of the performance tracking system at a government department

September 2009 – February 2010

To improve the performance tracking system for effective tracking of programme performance

· Developed an M&E coordination mechanism

· Developed the M&E System

· Harmonized and agreed on key performance indicators

· Developed M&E Matrix

· Developed the Results Chain

Reducing the turn-around time for voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) clients at a University-based health facility

October 2009 – March 2010

To reduce turn round time for VCT client by 50%, thus improving access to and use of VCT services by staff and students

· Turn-around time for VCT reduced by 48%, from 122 to 63 minutes

· There was a 10-fold increase in number of testers

· VCT record handling was streamlined

· Team spirit was enhanced

· Staff are more kin on documentation of activities than before

Improving quality of HIV/AIDS and related data at a district local government

September 2010– February 2011

Improve completeness of in-patient reporting from the district to the Ministry of Health from 53% to 85% & out-patient reporting from 84% to 100%

· In-patient reporting completeness improved from 53% to 82.8%

Improve timeliness of reporting from the district to Ministry of Health from 75% to 100%

· Outpatient reporting completeness improved from 84% to 96.5%

· Timeliness of reporting improved from 75% to 80%

· Improved district ranking in national district league table from 61^st to 45^th during the project period.

Enhancing data management by improving the client identification system at a local NGO

October 2010 – March 2011

Improve data management through improving the client identification system

· The proportion of client charts with one consistent identification number increased from 11% to 100% during the project period

· The proportion of clinic charts with two numbers decreased from 61% to 0%