EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
An easy-to-use tool for marketers to compare market performance across countries and adapt programs
In countries around the world, Population Services International (PSI) uses private sector approaches and marketing to foster healthy markets and increase use of affordable, high-quality health care products and services. While PSI was busy trying to solve global demand for family planning and modern contraception, they had a growing demand challenge of their own. The Program Analytics team found themselves as the gatekeeper to essential data on use and need that program planning teams, country offices and others beyond PSI staff needed in a format that was user-friendly.
SERVICES
- Consumer Insight
- Team and Stakeholder Engagement
- Data Visualization
- Strategic Communications
Since PSI’s planning process begins by diagnosing the market and understanding key market segments, it was essential that staff understand market need, current use, and related measures. They should also be able to generate their own analyses and identify how to best fill gaps in health markets. The Program Analytics team had the data, a draft tool, and a framework, but they needed a way to deliver the information to those who would design and deliver programs.
“That’s where we came in.”
We started by listening to feedback from internal users on the draft “Use/Need Tool” that presented market scale, equity, and method mix. Users wanted an automated version of the tool that would allow them to engage with results and inform market planning. They also needed results presented in accessible language and graphics that could be easily shared across teams and with external stakeholders Databoom then partnered with Visualst, a public-interest data design firm, to convert the large set of survey data on use/need and analysis tables into an easy-to-use tool. The objective was to let users interface only with the data they need and make it easier to digest and share results.
It is hosted as an Excel dashboard and shared via Sharepoint, the web-based collaborative platform for all PSI’s global offices, which makes the tool approachable and accessible to staff. Users can select their country of interest and get results for use/need by urban/rural area, method mix, geographic region, and marital status. Need to know if there is a difference by age group? You can see the same use/need information by country for women 15-29, or broken down by 15-24 and 25-49 years old.
WE ALSO DESIGNED SIMPLE, EXTRACTABLE
DATA VIEWS WITH EXPLANATORY
LANGUAGE TAILORED TO INTERNAL USERS
Staff can select the data they need and then simply copy-paste the most useful graphics into donor proposals, documents, and emails. Finally, we created a communications strategy to launch the tool internally. For now, the focus is on family planning, but the tool can be expanded to generate use/need results for other health markets where PSI works.
A KEY INSIGHT
Once data were available in an easy-to-use format, users could easily compare countries and categorize them into market groups based
on patterns in scale, equity, and method mix. They could then better understand market differences and learn how to adapt programs.
IMPACT
PSI staff are using the tool to break down markets and improve program design. Staff can easily see market gaps and potential, and better plan for coverage at scale. When they see big differences in use by age, urban/rural residence, marital status, wealth, or geographic areas, they can identify where inequity in health care coverage exists and where access, availability, and affordability are an issue. An imbalance in contraceptive method mix can alert PSI to skewed markets where informed choice and other factors are a concern. Staff have also found the youthspecific view helpful as they try to understand where markets could be strengthened to increase modern contraceptive use. For PSI and its stakeholders, the best programs are shaped by insights from use/need.
