In response to demand from PVOs implementing child survival projects, the CORE Monitoring and Evaluation Working Group presented a series of online lectures in 2006 on the use of Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) for monitoring and evaluation purposes. The lectures, targeted primarily to implementers of CS/MCH programs, are posted below for universal access. Each lecture was followed by a live, online session to answer specific questions from PVOs on the pre-recorded lectures.

Please note: To view the pre-recorded lectures, viewers must use a computer that is Elluminate Ready. First-time Elluminate users may reference this guide: Getting Ready for Elluminate Live Sessions

Sessions were facilitated by Juan Carlos Alegre, Project Hope/Chair, CORE M&E Working Group, and Bill Weiss, Johns Hopkins University. In addition, special guests were invited to scheduled follow-up live sessions based upon availability. Please see agenda and session dates below.

Session 1: Introduction to LQAS - Basic principles

Objectives: by the end of the session, participants should be able to have full understanding of the following:

• Choose sample size & decision rule
• What a sample of 19 can and cannot tell us
• How to use LQAS data for evaluation (baseline / final)
• How to use LQAS data for monitoring

Session 2: Data collection using LQAS

Objectives: by the end of the sessions, participants should be able to have full understanding of the following:

• How to randomly select communities that will be part of the survey
• How to randomly select households in those communities randomly chosen for the survey
• When to use parallel sampling and its implications

Session 3: Supervision Areas and Tabulation of Data in LQAS

Objectives: by the end of the session, participants should be able to have full understanding of the following:

• How to define supervision areas – criteria to use
• To be able to tabulate supervision area data to identify indicators needing attention at any point
• To be able to tabulate program level data to identify indicators needing across the program

Session 4: Analyzing Results

Objectives: by the end of the session, participants should be able to have full understanding of the following:

• How to calculate indicators for the entire catchment area
• How to calculate 95% Confidence Intervals for indicators
• How to calculate weighted coverage for the entire catchment area
• How to calculate weighted 95% Confidence Intervals for weighted coverage

Session 5: Using LQAS for Monitoring

Objectives: by the end of the session, participants should be able to have full understanding of the following:

• How to use LQAS for monitoring quality of primary health care services offered at the community/district level
• How to make management decisions at the supervision area level

Session 6: LQAS vs. cluster sampling: which one to choose?

Objective: by the end of the session, participants will be able to:

• Recognize and understand the pros and cons of selecting either LQAS or 30-cluster as a sampling methodology for monitoring and evaluation events