Data-driven program adaptation and continuous improvement: A case study of the Adolescents 360 (A360) project in Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Tanzania

Abstract

Interventions benefit from ongoing continuous quality improvement during implementation to refine and strengthen them in response to changing contexts and emerging opportunities. This article reflects on the experience from the Adolescents 360 (A360) project in implementing user-centered, adaptive programming across Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Nigeria from 2018 to 2020. During this implementation period, A360 progressed through three distinct phases: an ‘optimization’ of project interventions in pursuit of efficiency and preparation for scale; a re-focusing on user-centered programming to go beyond efficiency and pursue greater impact; and a rapid course correction in response to the emerging COVID-19 pandemic. A360’s approach to data-informed adaptation evolved throughout these phases. From a hyper focus on cost-efficiency during optimization to a more expansive use of mixed methods data for adaptation during its second phase and finally iteration in response to an extremely restrictive service delivery environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article we reflect on how these periods of adaptation and course correction contributed to the evolution of the project’s interventions and provided significant lessons which the project has taken into its new investment phase. Balance is key – utilizing a range of mixed methods data instead of a singular focus on cost-efficiency, streamlining interventions while not compromising long-term impact, and retaining a user-focus even while considering sustainability.