Record keeping and reporting is one way that an organization can track patterns in contraceptive use among its clients. Keeping records and preparing and analyzing reports are inexpensive and effective ways to determine clients' needs and use patterns, without doing a formal program evaluation. Client use, the last element of the contraceptive supply cycle, is thus dependent on keeping up-to-date records and is critical to the success of any commodities management operation.

An effective commodities management information system is particularly important because commodities management requires detailed monitoring in order to maintain a continual flow of contraceptive supplies to and from various distribution points and finally to the family planning client.

Record-keeping and reporting provides:

• Descriptive and quantitative information about contraceptive needs throughout the distribution network. Contraceptive supply levels are based on this data.
• A tool for supervising all commodities management personnel on a regular basis. Information on receipts, issues, delivery times, vehicle use, and storage conditions provides the means to assess staff performance.
• Data for evaluating the quality of supply services. In some cases, such an evaluation proves useful in demonstrating program impact, cost improvements, and the improved health status of the population.
• Assistance in projecting future supply needs in order to avoid shortages of critically-needed supplies.
• The data needed to improve the efficiency of supply services by helping to identify supply imbalances and product waste.
• Comparisons of different service delivery methods and data useful in conducting cost-effectiveness analyses.

The primary information that should be collected and analyzed routinely is:

• Stock on hand at each facility (by method and brand);
• Consumption/distribution from each facility (by method and brand).

This information can be collected by using simple records, forms, and reports

Records: Kept at each storage facility and outlet, these records are the "history" of the movement of supplies. These documents may also move from one unit to another to communicate specific information about supply needs, shipments, movement of supplies, etc. Copies of records are filed at various points in the distribution network, thus helping to form a "paper trail" for tracing the flow of supplies.

Reports: These summarize the data from records for planning and evaluation purposes. Reports are used to forecast supply requirements and to assess supply utilization.

The following examples of recording forms and reports have been provided as a guide to assist commodities managers in designing their own data collection forms. Although these forms should be viewed as generic samples, the information they request is generally required for any commodities management systems. An example of each of these forms follows the descriptions.

Inventory Control Card (ICC): This form should be kept at all storage facilities that manage a significant number of inventory items. The purpose of the ICC is to have an up-to-date and continuous record, in one location, of all transactions for each item in the inventory. The ICC records information concerning all receipt and shipment activities, as well as supply level adjustments following physical inventories. This information will enable commodities managers to recognize any major trends in inventory levels and distribution.

There should be a separate ICC for each contraceptive item and a separate ICC card for each different brand or formula noted in the item description. Each warehouse activity or entry should be listed on a separate line even if several inventory activities occur on the same day. It is not necessary to start a new form at the beginning of each month, but the "balance" column should always show the current inventory level.

Daily Activity Register (DAR): The register is designed to be used where contraceptives are dispensed to family planning clients. It provides a daily log of the number of client visits, subdivided by the types and quantities of contraceptives dispensed to each client on a monthly basis. When a new month begins, service providers should begin a new DAR. The DAR should be totaled on a monthly and quarterly basis.

Quarterly Report/Requisition: This form serves several purposes. It provides summary information from the DAR and ICC concerning the number and types of clients served and quantities of each type of contraceptive received and dispensed over a three-month period. It also shows corresponding quantities of contraceptives requested for resupply. Copies of this form can be sent to the regional program manager, the commodities manager, or supply facility, and a copy can be kept at the service delivery site. Sometimes these reports will be sent directly to the central headquarters, where data processing staff will enter them into a computerized system.

To complete the quarterly report/requisition form, the DAR and ICC forms will need to be kept up-to-date regularly so that at the end of each quarter the data can be aggregated and entered on the quarterly report. For each method, record the number of new clients and continuing users from the DAR forms of the previous three months, and fill in the total number of clients by adding new clients and continuing users together. From the ICC, record for each method the beginning balance, the quantities received and dispensed, any adjustments made, and the ending balance. Take the ending balance and convert it into months of supply. If you are using this form to requisition supplies, fill in the quantity requested for each contraceptive method.

Inventory Control Card

Daily Activity Register

Quarterly Report/Requisition

As the program manager, you are responsible for evaluating the performance of the commodities management system. Often a preliminary observation of program activities will give you a good indication of how well the system is functioning. Because all the components of the commodities management system are interrelated, if a problem is found in one area, it is likely to affect other elements in the system.

An evaluation should start with a representative sample of clinics to determine whether sufficient quantities of contraceptive supplies are on hand, whether storage facilities are well-run, and whether appropriate record keeping systems are in place. This initial inspection need not be detailed. If you have a strong initial impression that, in general, the contraceptives are in good condition and are available on a continuous basis, you can assume that the system is working, even if not in the most efficient manner.

However, if the system does not appear to be working well, you need to determine where the performance problems are occurring. A lack of supply activity data, or calculations that do not correspond to supply activities, may indicate that the system is not normally functioning as well as it appears at the time of the evaluation.

The following checklist will help you to determine whether all aspects of your contraceptives management system are in place and indicates some of the more frequent problems that affect the performance of commodities management systems.

Getting Contraceptives to the Client