Accounting System: A system for collecting, recording, processing, and reporting all financially related transactions. Two common systems are cash accounting and accrual accounting.
Accrual Accounting: An accounting system that records revenue when it is earned, expenses when they are incurred, and costs of using fixed assets such as buildings or equipment (as opposed to Cash Accounting).
Action Plan: Developed by a manager and his or her staff, an action plan lists program goals and objectives, and activities that will be implemented in order to achieve the objectives. An action plan often covers a time period of a year, indicates the person(s) responsible for implementing each activity, shows when each activity is due to be completed, and indicates the financial resources required.
Activity Planning: The process of defining activities, planning the sequence of those activities, and identifying the resources (human, financial, and material) that will be used to carry out those activities to achieve the desired results.
Advisory Board: A group of external experienced professionals who are charged with the responsibility of advising the senior management of an organization or program. An advisory board is usually structured more informally than a board of directors but may have similar responsibilities, such as helping senior management to formulate the organizational mission and policies, defining strategic directions, and providing general oversight of the financial health of the organization or program.
Appointment Card: A card provided to the family planning client showing the date and time of her next scheduled visit to the clinic, the address (and telephone number, if available) of the clinic, and often the name of a contact person. Using an appointment system helps clients remember when to return for a follow-up visit, helps the clinic staff to plan and provide services more efficiently, and can help to reduce the time a client spends waiting for services.
Assessments: Studies used for analyzing a present situation against an ideal situation, identifying areas for improvement, or learning more about the situation in order to define a course of action. (See also Situation Analysis.)Average Lead Time: The average length of time between placing an order for contraceptives or commodities and receiving the supplies ordered.
Average Monthly Consumption (AMC): The average number of units of a specific type or brand of contraceptive that are dispensed in a month. The average is usually based on quantities that have been dispensed over a period of six months.
Balance Sheet: The financial report that summarizes the value of the assets, liabilities, and reserves of an organization at a specific point in time.
Bar Chart: A graph that represents data or sets of data in vertical or horizontal bars so that the relationship between the data can be seen and interpreted more easily. Bar charts can be used to analyze most types of service data and help to show the differences between several different categories of data such as number of contraceptive users, non-users, and discontinuers.
Barriers to Services: National or local governmental laws or policies, professional practices and procedures, administrative regulations, or other official or unofficial rules that block people from receiving services because of age, gender, marital status, parity, financial ability, residence, etc.
Baseline Survey: A survey that is conducted at the start of a project to determine the level of key indicators against which future results are compared.
Benchmarking: A technique in which a set of indicators and sub-indicators are established, against which performance or progress towards objectives can be measured. Benchmarking can also be used to compare a process or activity in one organization with similar processes or activities in another similar organization for the purposes of improving the effectiveness and efficiency of a program.
Benchmarks: Established objectives or criteria that must be achieved over a specific period of time. Benchmarks are often set as incentives for a program to reach its short-term objectives which, when reached, qualify the program to receive additional funding or other forms of program support.
Bin Card: See Stock Card.
Board of Directors: Often a legal requirement for a nonprofit or for-profit organization, a board of directors is generally composed of a group of professionals with diverse skills and experience and is charged with the responsibility of overseeing the stability of the organization. Because board members are not employees of the organization and their membership is generally voluntary, boards can effectively and objectively guide an organization since no financial gain is involved. Areas of responsibility include: developing a strategic plan, supporting the leadership and growth of the organization, providing financial oversight, maintaining community and government relations, ensuring that high-quality services are provided, and managing its own board activities
Brainstorming: A group activity which allows people to quickly generate ideas, raise questions, and propose solutions on issues.
Business Plan: Often developed for the purposes of finding funding for a program or project, a business plan details the goals, activities, income sources, other financial resources, and expected revenue that will be generated from the business or activities.
Capital Costs: Costs of acquiring, constructing, or renovating fixed assets such as land, buildings, and large equipment (as opposed to Operating Costs).
Cash Accounting: An accounting system that records revenue when it is received and expenses when they are paid (as opposed to Accrual Accounting).
Cash Flow Projection Worksheet (also known as Cash Flow Forecast): A monthly projection of cash receipts and disbursements used to identify potential excess and shortages of cash funds.
Cross-Tabulation: A table or chart used for simultaneously displaying summary data pertaining to two or more different sets of variables.
Cross-Training: Training staff to perform the functions of other staff members, so that when some staff are too busy or sick, other staff can help perform their job functions.
Daily Activity Register: The daily log of the number of client visits to a clinic, sub-divided into the types and quantities of contraceptives dispensed to each type of client (new or continuing user). The number of client visits and the number of each type and brand of contraceptive dispensed should be totaled daily.
Data Analysis: The process of examining data and finding patterns or trends. This provides managers with new information about their programs and services and helps them to make better management decisions.
Decentralization: A process of transferring responsibility, authority, control, and accountability for specific or broad management functions to lower levels within a organization, system, or program. See Deconcentration, Delegation, Devolution, and Privatization.)
Deconcentration: In program decentralization, deconcentration means that some management functions, such as developing program budgets, are transferred from the central level to lower-level field units within the same agency or organization, but the overall control of the program remains at the central level.
Delegation: In program decentralization, delegation means that the central level transfers the responsibility for specific managerial functions, such as developing and conducting management training, to organizations or agencies that are outside the regular bureaucratic structure, and thus these functions are only indirectly controlled by the central government.
Devolution: In program decentralization, devolution refers to the transfer of power to newly created or strengthened sub-national units of government, the activities of which are outside the central government's direct control. In this approach, the responsibility, authority, and accountability for a program are usually transferred to a provincial or municipal government.
Direct Costs: Those costs that are directly associated with, or attributable to, a specific activity or department (such as training or tuition fees for a training program, seminar, or conference; contraceptive product costs; staff salaries and wages; costs of purchased services, etc.). Such budgeted costs should be clearly identifiable in an activity plan.
Discontinuation Rate: Discontinuation rates can be measured for each contraceptive method offered by a clinic, for several methods offered, or for all the methods offered by a clinic or program. The rate is calculated by dividing the number of discontinuers of a method or methods (for a specific period of time, such as a year) by the total number of users of that or those same methods, including those who discontinued the method(s), during the same time period. Multiplying the result by 100 provides the percent discontinuation of that or those methods for time period chosen.
Effectiveness: The extent to which a program has made desired changes or has met its objectives through the delivery of services.
Efficiency: The extent to which a program has used resources appropriately and completed activities in a timely manner.
Emergency Order: An order for contraceptives or commodities that is placed out of the normal ordering schedule, usually when stocks have run dangerously low due to an unforeseen increase in demand. Emergency orders are usually placed for a quantity that will bring the stock levels up to a level that will last until the normal reorder time, taking into account the amount that will be dispensed in the interim.
Endowment: A financial gift or gift with considerable financial value which may be sold or invested to produce additional income through interest, rent, or dividends and then used at a future time for institutional needs.
Evaluation: A study of a program in which any number of different processes may be used to gather and analyze information to determine whether the program is carrying out the activities that it had planned and the extent to which the program is achieving its stated objectives (through these activities). Evaluation results can be used to learn in what areas the program is most effective and what modifications should be made to improve the program.
Expenditures: Expense payments made in cash or checks.
Expenses: All the costs incurred in operating a program. In an accrual system, an expense is recorded in the accounting system when it is incurred, before cash is paid.
External Environment: The prevailing conditions in the country or region that affect the development and implementation of the family planning program including demographics, culture, policy, economy, health, market characteristics, and sources of funding and commodities.
Financial Audit: A formal periodic examination of accounts and financial records of an organization or program, generally performed for the purposes of verifying that funds were used as they were intended and in accordance with standard financial management practices.
Financial Management: A process of implementing and managing financial control systems, collecting financial data, analyzing financial reports, and making sound financial decisions based on the analyses. Financial management requires knowing how to read and interpret three key documents: a cash flow projection worksheet, a balance sheet, and an income statement.
Financial Position: The financial status of an organization at a particular point in time. The financial position indicates the organization's overall financial situation, taking into account current assets and liabilities, and projected income and expenses.
Financial Reporting: An established system for periodic reporting on financial transactions and financial status of an organization or program.
Financial Statement: The financial reports covering a period of time (month or year) that summarize the income and expenses for the period (Income and Expense Reports), and the assets and liabilities (Balance Sheet) at the end of the period.
First-to-Expire, First-Out (FEFO): A supply management system whereby contraceptives with the earliest expiration date are distributed first and contraceptives with later expiration dates are distributed only after the earlier-dated supplies have been issued.
Five-Table System: Often used in mobile, community-based approaches, the five-table system is a program that provides integrated maternal and child health and family planning services at one, temporary location. In this system, a table is set up for each of five services: registering the child; weighing the child; recording the results on a growth chart; providing health information (such as nutrition, oral rehydration, immunization, breastfeeding, child spacing/family planning information); and providing any necessary medical treatment, contraceptives, or a referral to a fixed health facility as needed.
Flowchart: A chart used to analyze a process or activity that shows the sequence of activities, steps, and decision points that occur in a particular, discrete process, such as registering a client in a clinic. By defining a beginning and end point for the process and analyzing each step in the process, managers can identify problem areas and potential improvements in order to reach the desired outcome(s).
Focus Group: A planned and guided discussion among a group of participants for the purpose of examining a specific issue or issues. This is a qualitative method of gathering information. Results of focus group discussions are often complemented with or serve to further explain quantitative data collected through surveys or other quantitative methods.
Follow-up Visit: See Revisit.
Frequency Table: A chart used to record the number of times a particular event or occurrence takes place in a given time period, such as number of new acceptors and revisits during each month of the previous year, or for each reason cited for not using contraception, the number of people stating those reasons, etc.
Functional Responsibilities: The types of work responsibilities that a person or group is accountable for performing, such as planning, monitoring, evaluating, providing medical services, training, etc.
Fund Raising: The process of seeking financial support from community groups, local or central government units, local or international donor organizations or individuals, and others.
"Funnel" Approach: Used to describe an approach to delivering integrated services, the "funnel" approach depicts an agency or organization that separates its various programs vertically at the national and district levels, but integrates the programs and services at the clinic/community level. (See also "Hourglass" Approach.)
General Administration: Activities or, in the case of a budget, expenditures associated with the normal course of doing business, such as postage, freight, photocopying, telephone, utilities, bank charges, vehicle registration, and other usual and customary administrative costs (excluding personnel costs).
Goals: The proposed long-range benefits of the program to the selected population, defined in general terms.
Grants: Funds or donations given to an organization or program for the purpose of carrying out specific programs or services. Grants are usually provided by governments and local or international donors.
Historical Data: Data collected from past reports, such as contraceptive distribution reports, daily activity registers, inventory cards, etc.
"Hourglass" Approach: Used to describe an approach to delivering integrated services, the "hourglass" approach depicts a combined vertical and integrated program in which staff at the national level are divided into separate divisions for family planning, immunization, infectious disease control, nutrition, and maternal health. At the regional or district level, however, programs are coordinated by one or two individuals, and at the service provider level staff are again assigned to separate programs. (See also "Funnel" Approach.)
Household Survey: A survey that collects information about the occupation(s) of a couple, the contraceptive method they use and/or have used in the past, whether the woman is pregnant or breastfeeding, recent births, total number of births and deaths, and other information concerning a couple's reproductive health and family planning history that is of interest to the program. Household surveys are used to establish the level or the indicator against which future results are compared.Identification Codes: A series of numbers or letters used in a management information system to help differentiate specific locations of services (or clinic type), types of visits (first visit, revisit, procedure visit), types of services or contraceptives provided (IEC, IUD insertion, pill resupply), and other categories of data. To be useful, the same identification codes should be used consistently by all people who use the management information system.
Indicator: A certain condition, capability, or numerical measure which, when recorded, collected, and analyzed, makes complex concepts more readily measurable and allows managers and evaluators to compare actual program results with expected results.
Indirect Costs (also known as Overhead Costs): The operating costs of an organization which are shared by more than one activity or department (such as building maintenance and utility expenses).
Information System: A standardized system for collecting, recording, interpreting, analyzing, reporting, and disseminating data so that the data are available to be used for making critical management decisions. In a family planning clinic, this normally refers to collection and reporting of programmatic and financial information connected with providing client services and operating a facility. (See also Two-Tier Information System.)
In-Kind Contribution: A non-financial contribution or form compensation such as materials, goods, or services.
Inreach: In family planning, this involves using resources within a health facility to improve the understanding and knowledge of the facility's family services (as compared with Outreach). Inreach addresses missed opportunities to provide information about the facility's family planning services to staff, clients, and potential clients in all departments of the facility. Inreach activities include improving linkages and referrals between departments, posting signs about services throughout the facility, and orienting staff from other departments to the family planning services.
Insertion Visit: Generally used to describe a visit made by a client for the insertion of an IUD or contraceptive implant. Different types of visits are often designated by a program or clinic so that specific costs may be assigned or fees charged for each type of visit.
Institutionalization: The internalization by an organization or program of an activity, system, or practice, to the extent that the activity, system, or practice will continue to operate in spite of personnel turnover, and independently of external inputs or involvement.
Integration/Integrated Services: This refers to a program that combines family planning services with maternal and child health, nutrition, immunization, and other reproductive health services, such as control and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases
Intermediate Outputs: Medium-term results that are critical to the achievement of long-term results. For example, the number of workshops or courses held is a medium-term result that is critical to achieving the long-term result of producing qualified providers.
Internal Environment: Leadership, policies, systems, technology, financial capability, etc., that influence the effectiveness of an organization or program. Other factors in the internal environment include: management structure, management systems, staff capabilities, etc.
Internal Organization: The internal structure and arrangement of an organization or program as it pertains to the allocation of and relationship between different functional areas such as planning, budgeting, financial management, supervision, and others. The internal organization of a program is particularly important as programs become more decentralized and/or integrate several programs into a single program.
Inventory: The amount of stock (contraceptives, commodities, and other clinic supplies) that is on hand (for use by a program or clinic) at a given point in time
Job Description: A document that at a minimum lists the job title and provides a description of the tasks and responsibilities of the position, the direct supervisory relationships with other staff, and the skills and qualifications required for the position.
Lead Time: The amount of time (usually expressed in months or weeks) that it takes for a shipment to arrive once an order has been placed.
Lead Time Quantity: Based on past records, the amount of contraceptive stock that will be dispensed during the time between placing an order and receiving new stock.
Line Graph: A graph that represents data or sets of data that have been collected over a period of time. The data are plotted on a graph corresponding to standard intervals of time and a line is drawn connecting the data points. The line in the graph allows managers to see trends in the data (an increase, decrease, or no change) over a period of time. Line graphs are often used to analyze trends in new acceptors, continuing clients, dropouts, new acceptors using a particular method, and others. Line graphs (updated regularly) help managers to follow a trend over a period of time and take actions to manage the trend.
Logistics Management: See Contraceptive Supply Management.
Long-Acting Methods (also known as Long-Term Methods): Contraceptive methods that remain effective for a relatively long period of time. Experts may differ in the methods they include under this term. Some experts include only IUDs, implants, and injectables, some also include oral contraceptive pills, and some include voluntary sterilization.
Maintenance Cost: Generally refers to the cost of maintaining a facility and may include repairs, cleaning, rent, taxes, insurance, etc.
Management Accounting: Collecting information from the financial accounting system and other financial data (such as budgets) and combining this information with statistical data (such as service outputs) to produce information which is useful for making managerial decisions.
Management Components: The basic elements used to analyze the way an organization functions. The four basic management components are mission, strategy, structure, and systems. (See also Mission Statement, Strategy, Organizational Structure, and Management Functions/Systems.)
Management Functions/Systems: The basic management functions of program planning, budgeting, determining staff roles and responsibilities, training, supervising staff, managing resources (including money, contraceptive and commodities supplies, and other program equipment or services), monitoring program activities, evaluating program achievements, and managing the provision of client services.
Managing Board: A formal group of advisors who provide general strategic and financial oversight to an organization and are responsible for maintaining and promoting the stability and sustainability of the organization.
Mapping: A process by which information or data are laid out on a diagram or representation of a community, village, or other defined territory for the purposes of tracking changes in the data.
Market Analysis: An examination of the environment in which an organization or program provides or sells goods or services. A market analysis typically includes conducting a survey of its current clients (their needs, satisfaction with services, socio-economic status, etc.), a survey of the community (to learn more about potential clients and the existing demand for services), and a survey of the other family planning service providers in the area (the types of services they provide, the cost and quality of services, etc.). This information provides a program or organization with critical information about underserved populations in their area, the level of access to services, feedback on clients' satisfaction with services, the ability of clients to pay or the amount they can pay for services, and other information about the role the program should play in relation to other service providers in order to maintain a competitive edge. Having the ability to address these factors serves to strengthen program sustainability.
Marketing: The activities related to designing and pricing goods and services so that they are bought or used by the public, informing the public of the available services and their prices, and promoting the value of those goods and services for the purpose of generating demand.
Matrix (also known as a Comparison Table): A chart used for analyzing two or more sets or types of information (such as the number of users of each contraceptive method by type of client, such as new acceptor or revisit). A comparison table can also be used for comparing organizational processes or activities against a set of criteria that reflect organizational priorities, resources, and constraints to help managers prioritize areas for improvement.
Mature Stage: The fourth and last stage of organizational development, during which an organization develops its ability to effectively manage the organization and adjust its mission, strategy, structure, and systems in response to internal and external challenges in order to increase sustainability. (See Stages of Organizational Development.)
Max/Min (Maximum-Minimum) Stock Level: Assigned minimum and maximum stock levels designed to ensure that a program doesn’t run out of contraceptive supplies and also doesn’t become overstocked. Minimum and maximum levels are expressed in terms of a certain number of months' worth of supply.
Maximum Quantity: The maximum quantity is the largest amount of stock (of each contraceptive item) that a facility should ever have in inventory. The quantity should be set high enough to maintain adequate stock between orders and low enough to prevent overstocking and wastage due to expiration. It is calculated separately for each contraceptive item and consists of the minimum quantity of stock plus the amount that is used between regular orders. (A formula for calculating maximum and minimum stock levels and quantities can be found on pages 10 and 11 of Volume I, Number 4 of The Family Planning Manager, "Improving Contraceptive Supply Management.")
Medical Record: See Client Record.
Membership Fees: Fixed fees charged to clients or members of an organization, usually on a yearly basis, entitling them to a range of services.
Method Mix: A summary, usually represented in percentages, showing the proportion of all users (of a general or specific population) that are using each contraceptive method.
Micro-Manage: The practice of providing unnecessary and excessive oversight in the management of staff and staff activities.
Minimum Quantity: The minimum quantity is the least amount of stock (of each contraceptive item) that a facility should ever have in inventory. The minimum quantity should be set high enough to prevent shortages and stock-outs, even if deliveries are late or demand unexpectedly increases. The minimum quantity is the safety stock quantity plus the amount of stock used between placing and receiving an order. (A formula for calculating maximum and minimum stock levels and quantities can be found on pages 10 and 11 of Volume I, Number 4 of The Family Planning Manager, "Improving Contraceptive Supply Management.")
Missed Opportunity: An occasion that offered a chance for a beneficial activity to occur (service provision, employee feedback, etc.) but was overlooked.
Missing Client: See No-Show Client.
Mission Statement (also known as Organizational Mission): A brief general statement describing the type of organization, its main purpose, and its values. The mission of an organization provides the rationale for defining goals and objectives.
Monitoring: The process of periodically checking the status of a program, by observing whether activities are being conducted as planned.
Monthly Summary of Family Planning Activities: The form used to record the monthly totals for all the data collected on the Daily Family Planning Activity Records. Generally, the clinic manager keeps one copy and another copy is sent to the program supervisor who aggregates the monthly data for all the clinics in the region or district.
Months of Supply (also known as Months' Worth of Supply): This term is used to express the amount of a supply on hand (of a specific contraceptive or commodity) in terms of the number of months that quantity would last if it is dispensed at current (average) rates. It is the quantity on hand (of the specific contraceptive or commodity) divided by the average monthly consumption (AMC) of that item.
Mutually Accountable: A situation in which multiple parties or individuals are jointly responsible for the outcome(s) of an activity or activities.
Quality Management: Quality management involves monitoring products or services to ensure that suppliers and providers are following accepted standards to meet desired outcomes and, if problems are observed, are taking the actions necessary to improve the products or services.
Quality Management System: In family planning, a system that brings together in a harmonizing and reinforcing manner the various activities that help to assure and continuously improve the quality of family planning services throughout a service-delivery network. In an effective quality management system, supervisors at all levels must have updated knowledge and skills in both service delivery and management areas.
Staff Motivation: The personnel activities of an organization or supervisor that are designed to reaffirm the importance of the staff's jobs to the achievements of the program and to improve the skills, motivation, and qualifications of employees. Such actions or activities include training, positive and constructive feedback on a regular basis, appreciation for their work, and engaging them in problem solving.
Staff Responsibilities: The specific responsibilities or set of responsibilities of different staff positions for which staff can be held accountable. Such responsibilities can usually be quantified, such as providing counseling to an average number of clients over a specific period of time, or providing medical services to a district clinic three days a week.
Staff Roles: The broad responsibilities attached to different staff positions. For example, the roles of managers include leadership, understanding, problem solving, advice, and encouragement.
Stages of Organizational Development: The four stages that characterize the development of an organization: Emergence, Growth, Consolidation, and Mature. These stages are based on the principle that organizations develop in a systematic way over time and portray distinct characteristics during each stage in relation to mission, strategy, structure, and systems. (See Emergent Stage, Growth Stage, Consolidation Stage, and Mature Stage.)
Start-Up Organization: Usually a small organization in the early years of its development. Many start-up organizations are characterized by highly creative leadership, highly innovative initiatives, and a small, highly committed and motivated staff.
Status of Supplies Chart: A worksheet for calculating the average monthly consumption (AMC) and the maximum and minimum stock quantities. The status of supplies chart allows managers to record on a single chart information about the desired minimum and maximum stock quantities for all types of contraceptives based on recent consumption patterns.
Stock Card (also known as Inventory Control Card or Bin Card): The form used to record all stock transactions (contraceptives received or dispensed) and the quantities of contraceptive currently in stock and on order. A separate stock card should be maintained for each type and brand of contraceptive.
Stock on Hand (also known as Balance on Hand): The quantity of each contraceptive or commodity in stock at any given time.
Stock on Order: The quantity of stock of each contraceptive that has been ordered but has not yet been received (by the clinic or facility).
Stock Position: The number of months of supply that you have available at any given time for a single type and brand of contraceptive or commodity. The stock position is calculated by dividing the quantity of stock on hand by the average monthly consumption of that contraceptive or item.
Stockout: A situation in which a program or clinic runs out of supplies of one or more contraceptive methods (or other drug or equipment supplies) and does not have any supplies on hand to serve the client.
Strategic Management: A way of managing the direction of a program by identifying the specific services that the organization is best suited to deliver and the population groups the organization can most effectively serve, and by making a realistic assessment of available resources for carrying out the work. Strategic management requires managers to think strategically, ask questions such as "Is the program doing the right things?" and consider and anticipate trends in the external environment that will affect the achievement of organizational goals.
Strategic Plan: The document that is the result of long-range (strategic) planning. It usually covers a minimum period of five years, sets forth the mission and goals of the program, prioritizes strategies, and formulates the financial basis for achieving the goals.
Strategic Thinking: A critical management skill that requires having the ability to assess a program in relation to its mission, its future goals, and the external environment in which it works. Strategic thinking requires managers to examine whether their programs are "doing the right things" in order to achieve their mission.
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