Selection of Phcs for Evaluation of Family Welfare Programme in a Developing Country : Alternative Methods and Applications

Abstract

The existence of large number of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and the paucity of resources (money, time and labour), often compel the policy makers to selecting a set of few representative PHCs as the spatial bases for evaluation of family welfare programme. In this context, this paid develops simple (non-stochastic and non-axiomatic) methods for selecting representative PHCs in different levels of programmers' performance, such as, good, average and poor levels of performance. The alternative methods are implemented for actual PHC data in the Chitradurga district of Karnataka State in South India. The empirical results indicate the operational validity of analytical methods and the sensitivity of selection of representative PHCs with regard to the methods. From the policy viewpoint, the alternative classifications of PHCs according to performance levels indicate the need for differential and area-specific approach to evaluation of famiIy welfare programme. Finally, subject to the availability of comparable performance data, the simple methods developed in this paper can be replicated for selection of PHCs elsewhere in developing countries.