Implementing Comprehensive HIV/STI Programmes with Sex Workers Implementing Comprehensive HIV/STI Programmes with | Page 165
6 Programme Management and Organizational Capacity-building
Data sources for programme design, monitoring and management
A. Special data-collection exercises
Mapping of sex workers and population size estimates are examples of special data-collection
exercises. They are necessary to start a programme, for budget and programme planning and for
deciding how many services to place, and where (see Section 6.2.6, part A). Size estimates are
also essential to estimating levels of coverage, using data on sex workers’ contact with fixed-site
or outreach services. Site-based size estimates, rather than country- or province-based estimates,
are crucial to developing a programme, as they help implementing organizations develop site-based
intervention plans. Mathematical size estimate exercises may be used to validate these programme
estimates. The size estimates are updated periodically, and remapping may be done if social, political
or economic forces lead to significant changes in the sex worker population.
Note: Maps and other data containing information about sex workers (e.g. location, type of sex work
practised) should be considered confidential and stored securely at a central location, such as a safe
space (drop-in centre).7 Programme planners and implementing organizations should guard against
the possibility of maps being obtained by law enforcement authorities or other groups who might
use them to locate and close sites or otherwise cause harm to sex workers. If these confidential
materials are disclosed, it is likely that the programme will lose the trust of the community.
Spot polling-booth surveys are another special data-collection exercise, used to assess reported
condom use with clients and regular partners, needle sharing, or access to HIV services for monitoring
progress.
B. Programme data not routinely collected during direct contact between sex workers and
programme services
Monitoring of infrastructure (e.g. number of safe spaces, number of clinics) and personnel
(e.g. number of people hired, trained and retrained by position, quality of training). These data are
important to monitor service provision over the predetermined geographic area, and human resources.
Monitoring the planned and unplanned turnover of community outreach workers is necessary to plan
trainings for new recruits as well as progressive capacity-building activities.
Data from enrolment of sex workers as they become affiliated with the programme: Upon
enrolment in the programme, the sex worker is assigned a unique identification code (which must
maintain the sex worker’s anonymity). Useful data to collect at enrolment include:
• Variables that describe the demographics of the sex worker: age, gender, type of sex work practised
(street-based, indoor, etc.), length of time in sex work.
• Variables that capture “baseline” behaviour: reported condom use at last penetrative commercial
sex; estimate of partner numbers per week; whether voluntarily tested for HIV in the last year, etc.
These data are useful to estimate sex workers’ expected condom/lubricant needs (based on the type
of sex work and average number of partners for penetrative sex) and give some gauge of risk in the
population for prioritization of services. The data may be triangulated with other data for programme
evaluation.
7 A safe space or drop-in centre is a place where sex workers may gather to relax, meet other community members, and hold social events, meetings or training.
See Chapter 3, Section 3.3, for details.
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