This project aims to enhance data quality and promote its effective use in decision-making at primary healthcare units and district levels. By focusing on transforming the culture of data use, it examines health facility expectations, values, and behaviors while working closely with selected health facilities and districts in the Amhara region. Running from November 2023 to June 2026, the project progresses through three phases:

mid-fidelity prototyping (November 2023 – June 2024) to test desirability and efficacy,
high-fidelity prototyping (July 2024 – June 2025) to refine feasibility and scalability, and
piloting integrated interventions (July 2025 – June 2026) across three new regions to ensure contextual relevance and generate evidence.

Scope: Apply human-centered and behavioral science approaches to prototype scalable strategies to enhance the use of reliable RHIS data, to enable district and health facility-level HIS performance.

Work Plan/Activities: The work plan includes conducting Human-Centered Design (HCD) training for university researchers and regional health bureau staff. It also involves collecting baseline data and generating evidence to inform the project. Ideation, co-creation, and prioritization workshops will be facilitated to support prototype development. The prototypes will then be tested in two sprint phases, followed by the preparation of synthesis reports. In addition, demonstration sites, including innovation labs, will be established. Finally, a project implementation dissemination workshop will be organized and conducted to share results and lessons learned.

Methodology/Approach: The project will adopt a Human-Centered Design (HCD) and design thinking approach, using a variety of methods to understand human behavior and user needs. A key focus of the project is understanding end users’ preferences and ensuring their active engagement throughout all stages of implementation.

Capacity Building: ThinkPlace will deliver training on Human-Centered Design (HCD) and behavioral science methods to strengthen the CBMP cohort’s design capacity and enable them to apply design thinking in their daily work. The training will combine theoretical and practical approaches, allowing participants to learn both inside and outside the classroom and apply their knowledge in real situations. In addition, virtual training sessions will be conducted focusing on behavioral aspects that influence both short-term and long-term improvements in data quality and use performance.

Beneficiaries: The project will benefit the University of Gondar, as well as health facilities and districts within the Amhara region. Healthcare workers and researchers working within these institutions will also benefit from the project.

Project Outputs: The project outputs include conducting a Test Sprint-2 Facility Level Workshop at Gebriel Health Center. It also aims to improve data quality and data use practices at selected primary healthcare units and districts. In addition, the project focuses on testing, identifying, and selecting scalable behavioral interventions to improve Routine Health Information System (RHIS) performance. Furthermore, it supports the health system by generating scientific evidence with a focus on behavioral science.

Prototyping Behavioral Strategies for Enhancing Health information systems (HIS) Performance at District and Facility Levels in Ethiopia

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