Program design and management

1. Are the community health worker (CHW) selection criteria designed to attract respected and motivated individuals in the community with few competing responsibilities or job opportunities?

2. Is the combination of financial, in-kind, and social benefits for CHWs appropriate

a. To deter trained CHWs from leaving the program for other jobs?

b. To compensate CHWs for the amount of time required for their tasks, including travel?

c. Given the resource limitations and time horizon of the program?

3. Will CHW training incorporate opportunities for practice-based learning in the community?

4. Is regular supervision affordable and feasible given the number of supervisors and those supervisors’ existing responsibilities?

5. Is there a process in place to collect data on CHW program performance and to use those data in program monitoring, evaluation, and decision-making?

6. Is there a process in place for the CHW program to learn from failures and adapt over the life of the program?

Community fit

7. Are the tasks that CHWs will be performing viewed as valuable by the community? Do these tasks respond to the community’s priorities for health services?

8. How will the community be involved in CHW selection?

9. Will integration with formal health care services (e.g., CHWs working in a government health clinic or receiving a government salary) be viewed favorably by the community?

Integration with the broader environment

10. How are CHW activities different from those of existing health care providers? How will CHWs interact with (i.e., exchange information and resources with) the health care system?

11. How will political support from existing health care providers such as doctors and nurses be secured and sustained?

12. How will political support from relevant government agencies be secured and sustained?

13. How will the CHW program be funded initially and over the longer term?

14. Has a funding mechanism been established to which multiple parties will contribute?

15. Are there other programs or groups that would compete financially or politically with CHWs? What is the comparative advantage of CHWs relative to these competitors?