IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/epplan/v38y2013icp28-32.html

Selection of sustainability indicators for health services in challenging environments: Balancing scientific approach with political engagement

Author

Listed:
  • Blanchet, Karl
  • Girois, Susan

Abstract

Sustainability evaluation has become a key component of international health. However, evaluators have faced a number of challenges linked to the lack of consensus on the meaning of the concept of “sustainability”. This paper aims to describe a methodology, the Sustainability Analysis Process, based on several conceptual frameworks and tested in five different countries in the physical rehabilitation sector. The methodology consists of five successive steps: (i) overview of the context; (ii) system boundary; (iii) consensus vision of sustainability, and derivation of stakeholder perspectives; (iv) selection of sustainability indicators and characterization and analysis of local system sustainability; and (v) verification and modification. The paper also discusses the place of the evaluator and researcher in the process: the methodology aims to help evaluators objectively measure the level of sustainability of a health system with the challenge of dealing with a subjective notion, the concept of sustainability, and a diversity of actors. The Sustainability Analysis Process also aims to capture the dynamics of systems by repeating the process on a regular basis. The methodology highlights the need for evaluators build consensus amongst stakeholders on a common vision of the future of a health system.

Suggested Citation

  • Blanchet, Karl & Girois, Susan, 2013. "Selection of sustainability indicators for health services in challenging environments: Balancing scientific approach with political engagement," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 28-32.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:epplan:v:38:y:2013:i:c:p:28-32
    DOI: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2012.11.003
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149718912000869
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2012.11.003?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chambers, Robert, 1994. "Participatory rural appraisal (PRA): Analysis of experience," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 22(9), pages 1253-1268, September.
    2. Deryck R. Brown, 1998. "Evaluating institutional sustainability in development programmes: beyond dollars and cents," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 10(1), pages 55-69.
    3. Izac, A-M. N. & Swift, M. J., 1994. "On agricultural sustainability and its measurement in small-scale farming in sub-Saharan Africa," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 11(2), pages 105-125, November.
    4. Chambers, Robert, 1994. "The origins and practice of participatory rural appraisal," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 22(7), pages 953-969, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sharma Aashi & R. Rajesh, 2025. "Integrating social sustainability into supplier evaluation using data envelopment analysis," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 355(1), pages 783-803, December.
    2. Chye Ing Lim & Wahidul Biswas, 2015. "An Evaluation of Holistic Sustainability Assessment Framework for Palm Oil Production in Malaysia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(12), pages 1-27, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Alix-Garcia, Jennifer M. & Sims, Katharine R.E. & Costica, Laura, 2021. "Better to be indirect? Testing the accuracy and cost-savings of indirect surveys," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    2. Gladwin, Christina H. & Peterson, Jennifer S. & Mwale, Abiud C., 2002. "The Quality of Science in Participatory Research: A Case Study from Eastern Zambia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 523-543, April.
    3. Ross, Heather M. & Pine, Kathleen H. & Curran, Sarah & Augusta, Dawn, 2022. "Pathway mapping as a tool to address police use of force in behavioral health crisis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 306(C).
    4. Cathy McIlwaine & Caroline Moser, 2003. "Poverty, violence and livelihood security in urban Colombia and Guatemala," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 3(2), pages 113-130, April.
    5. Loader, R. & Amartya, L., 1999. "Participatory Rural Appraisal: extending the research methods base," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 73-85, November.
    6. Chilombo, Andrew & Van Der Horst, Dan, 2021. "Livelihoods and coping strategies of local communities on previous customary land in limbo of commercial agricultural development: Lessons from the farm block program in Zambia," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    7. Moriarty, P & Lovell, C, 1998. "Groundwater Resource Development In The Context Of Farming Systems Intensification And Changing Rainfall Regimes: A Case Study From South East Zimbabwe," Overseas Development Institute Archive 295999, Overseas Development Institute.
    8. Thompson, John, 1995. "Participatory approaches in government bureaucracies: Facilitating the process of institutional change," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 23(9), pages 1521-1554, September.
    9. Mushtaq Memon & Shunji Matsuoka, 2002. "Validity of contingent valuation estimates from developing countries: scope sensitivity analysis," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 5(1), pages 39-61, March.
    10. Owens, Trudy, 2004. "External Support During the Transition Phase: Roles for Humanitarian Aid and Development Assistance from a Village Perspective," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(10), pages 1711-1733, October.
    11. Shane Cronin & Mike Petterson & Paul Taylor & Randall Biliki, 2004. "Maximising Multi-Stakeholder Participation in Government and Community Volcanic Hazard Management Programs; A Case Study from Savo, Solomon Islands," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 33(1), pages 105-136, September.
    12. Glyn Williams & Manoj Srivastava & Stuart Corbridge & René Véron, 2003. "Enhancing pro-poor governance in Eastern India: participation, politics and action research," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 3(2), pages 159-178, April.
    13. Adolwa, Ivan S. & Zingore, Shamie & Mutegi, James & McNee, Matthew & Akorede, Bolaji A. & Masidza, Denver & Murrell, T. Scott & Ndungu, Samuel Mathu & Nchanji, Eileen & Cook, Simon & Oberthür, Thomas, 2025. "Delivering nutrient management impact through farmer-centric research: a systematic review of innovation systems in African smallholder systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 229(C).
    14. Schleicher, Michael & Souares, Aurélia & Pacere, Athanase Narangoro & Sauerborn, Rainer & Klonner, Stefan, 2016. "Decentralized versus Statistical Targeting of Anti-Poverty Programs: Evidence from Burkina Faso," Working Papers 0623, University of Heidelberg, Department of Economics.
    15. Das, Barasha Rani & Bhuyan, Manash Jyoti & Deka, Nityananda & Bhattacharya, Prasanta, 2025. "Assessing homestead agroforestry-based livelihoods in Sivasagar District of Assam, India, using livelihood significance index (LSI)," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    16. Joel Scriven, 2012. "Developing REDD+ policies and measures from the bottom-up for the buffer zones of Amazonian protected areas," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 14(5), pages 745-765, October.
    17. Masahiro Shoji & Keitaro Aoyagi & Ryuji Kasahara & Yasuyuki Sawada, 2020. "Motives behind community participation: Evidence from natural and artefactual field experiments in Sri Lanka," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(5), pages 577-600, December.
    18. Tumaini, Ubaldus J. & Mustalahti, Irmeli & Maro, Aristarik H. & Lwoga, Edda T., 2025. "Actors' participation and power manifestations in tax regimes of small-scale tree growing," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    19. Astleithner, Franz & Binder, David & Bingemer, Josefine & Bojanovsky, Isabel & Czingon, Claudia & Enz, Iris & Feiner, Georg & Gneist, Cornelius & Haindorfer, Raimund & Kogler, Raphaela & Kroneder, And, 2009. "Indikatoren zur sozialen Nachhaltigkeit im Tourismus: Explorative Erkundungen in zwei Regionen in Peru," ÖFSE-Forum, Austrian Foundation for Development Research (ÖFSE), volume 42, number 42.
    20. Palash Kamruzzaman, 2020. "Exploring the Nexus Between Participation and Empowerment," Journal of Development Policy and Practice, , vol. 5(1), pages 32-53, January.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:epplan:v:38:y:2013:i:c:p:28-32. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/evalprogplan .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.