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
4
Triangulation Part 1 Planning
Which part of the process? What steps are involved?
Planning for Triangulation Identify key questions Ensure question is answerable/ actionable
Planning for Triangulation Identify sources gather background information Refine research question (as needed)
Conducting Triangulation Gather data/reports Observations from individual data sets Note trends across data sets develop hypotheses
Conducting Triangulation Check hypotheses identify additional data to be captured Summarize findings draw conclusions
Communicating Triangulation Present results and recommendations Outline next steps based on findings
5
Triangulation Part 1 Planning
Which part of the process? What steps are involved?
Planning for Triangulation Identify key questions Ensure question is answerable/ actionable
Planning for Triangulation Identify sources gather background information Refine research question (as needed)
Conducting Triangulation Gather data/reports Observations from individual data sets Note trends across data sets develop hypotheses
Conducting Triangulation Check hypotheses identify additional data to be captured Summarize findings draw conclusions
Communicating Triangulation Present results and recommendations Outline next steps based on findings

• 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
Which part of the process? What steps are involved?
Planning for Triangulation Identify key questions Ensure question is answerable/ actionable
Planning for Triangulation Identify sources gather background information Refine research question (as needed)
Conducting Triangulation Gather data/reports Observations from individual data sets Note trends across data sets develop hypotheses
Conducting Triangulation Check hypotheses identify additional data to be captured Summarize findings draw conclusions
Communicating Triangulation Present results and recommendations Outline next steps based on findings

• 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
Which part of the process? What steps are involved?
Planning for Triangulation Identify key questions Ensure question is answerable/ actionable
Planning for Triangulation Identify sources gather background information Refine research question (as needed)
Conducting Triangulation Gather data/reports Observations from individual data sets Note trends across data sets develop hypotheses
Conducting Triangulation Check hypotheses identify additional data to be captured Summarize findings draw conclusions
Communicating Triangulation Present results and recommendations Outline next steps based on findings

• 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