Before you begin to collect data, it is important that you clearly understand the types of analyses you plan to undertake. By identifying the objectives for your tracking, you have already created an overall framework for thinking about your choice of data analyses. This page will help you determine what data needs to be collected for your specific analyses. 

1. Determine the data analyses.

While different entities within the financing system operate on different fiscal years, the recommended approach is to select a single year of analysis and then convert all the information to that year. Because government funding is usually the focus, the logical choice is to use the government’s fiscal year as your unit of analysis. See Example Data Analyses to Answer Questions and Meet Objectives of the Tracking Exercise for more information on analyses to consider.     

2. Prepare to collect funding data.

In general, you will need information on funding needs, commitments, and spending for contraceptive procurement.    

Funding Needs: The amount of financing the country’s family planning program needs for contraceptive procurement. The main source for this is the contraceptive supply plan.   

Funding Commitments: The amount of financing that a source of revenue says it will spend on contraceptives. Sources include:

• Annual budget report or workplan
• Verbal commitment (via press release or meeting minutes)
• Contraceptive supply plan. 

Information on commitments can be recorded in the template Data Sources on Contraceptive Financing Commitments.  

Funds Spent:The amount of financing actually used on contraceptives. A list of suggested sources of information on spending is available here.

Information on spending can be recorded in the template Sources of Data on Spending on Contraceptives.

3. Collect data.

Once you complete a list of potential sources of information on funding needs, commitment, and spending, you can develop a data collection plan using the associated Data Collection Plan template. The data collection plan should identify, for each funding source or agent, the data source for obtaining funding information, and the name of the team member that will take the lead in collecting the information.

Now that you’re ready to collect the data, use the Interview Guide for Collecting Information on Commitment and Spending and these templates to record the following:

Funding Needs: Use the template Funding Needs for Subsidized Contraceptives, Historical and Projected.

Funding Commitments: Use the Worksheet for Collecting Information on Commitments.

Funds spent: Use the Worksheet for Collecting Information on Spending.