What is Triangulation

1
What is Triangulation?

• Short-hand term for synthesis and integrated
  analysis of data from multiple sources for
  program decision making
• A powerful tool that can be used to
• Demonstrate program impact and areas of
  improvement
• Direct new programs and policy changes

2
Why Use Triangulation?

• Countries invest time and resources into
  collecting
• data and Strategic Information (SI)
• Patient tracking data PMTCT ARV program data
• Surveillance data ANC sentinel surveys, DHS,
  incidence testing
• Birth and deaths Vital statistics
• Research studies Quantitative qualitative
• However
• Too much data
• Information goes up but rarely comes back
• Data rarely examined side-by-side
• Analysis of data used for program planning and
  improvement, and policy-making is often
  overlooked

3
Triangulation Process
Planning Triangulation
Communicating Results
Conducting Triangulation
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Triangulation Part 1 Planning
5
Triangulation Part 1 Planning

• Stakeholder Involvement
• Interest from country
• Meet with stakeholders
• Develop In-country Working Team
• Question Identification
• Identify key questions of interest
• Identify data sources
• Refine research question(s)

6
Triangulation Part 2 Conducting

• Data Collection
• Point person to work in-country to gather data
• Collect all data possible
• Hypothesis Development
• Make observations within data sets and across
  data sets
• Note trends
• Develop hypotheses to answer key questions
• Hypothesis Checking
• Note evidence that supports or refutes
• Identify and gather more data, as needed
• Choose promising hypotheses

7
Triangulation Part 3 Communicating

• Summation of Findings
• Develop report of methods and findings
• Next Steps
• Identify any existing data to fill gaps
• Identify research needed to fill gaps
• Application
• Recommend policy /or program changes

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Botswana exampleNarrowing Key Questions
16
9
2
Key Questions
Final Question(s)
Key Questions

• Important
• Actionable

• Data Available
• Method Appropriate
• Feasible

9
Triangulation at IGH What We Do

• Conduct triangulation analyses
• Generate report of findings, recommendations and
  next steps eg
• Botswana Case Study http//www.who.int/entity/hiv
  /pub/casestudies/evaluation/en/index.html
• Malawi Analysis and Case Study (under review)
• Build capacity through in-country collaboration
• Joint analyses between UCSF and in-country
  partners
• Practicum-based training using country data and
  country analyses
• On-going mentoring with local collaborators to
  assure a transfer of skills and capacity

www.igh.org
10
Capacity Building ActivitiesTotal Triangulation
Analysis and Training duration is four to six
months

• Initial Stakeholder meeting
• Stakeholders introduced to methodology. Group
  collaboratively defines area of study and
  question for triangulation analysis
• Task-Force of national technical representatives
  created to guide triangulation
• Capture of Data
• Twinning with local collaborating researcher for
  in-country data-collation work
• Analysis
• Joint analysis with local collaborating
  researchers (long distance, in-country, or in San
  Francisco depending on capacity, budget, and
  schedule)
• Ongoing consultation and review by Task-Force
• Training Workshop
• For Task-Force members and selected technical
  personnel from national and provincial offices
• Emphasis on practicum-based approach using
  own-country data. Participants independently
  recreate refine triangulation analyses
• Final Stakeholder Meeting
• Presentation of findings to collaborators,
  informed by ideas and feedback of training
  workshop, jointly led by local collaborating
  researchers