Measuring health facility stockout rates is a way to assess the performance of health commodity supply chains. As more countries transition to automated logistics management information systems (LMIS), more reliable data is available to make routine decisions. However, there has been a lack of consistency in how stakeholders define which facilities “offer” a family planning method and therefore which facilities should be included in the stockout rate.
The Active Site Rule (la Règle du Site Actif) is a business rule that aims to address this challenge and assist USAID supply chain project implementers, USAID missions, ministries of health, and other stock managers of family planning and reproductive health commodities to improve their supply chain planning. By defining “active” and “inactive” sites, the rule improves the consistency and reliability of the stockout measure and helps decision-makers to prioritize supply chain assistance at the last mile.
This video series discusses stockouts, explains the Active Site Rule and its purpose, and guides users through scenarios and aspects to consider as they apply the rule.
Part 1: Introduction to the Active Site Rule
This video is an overview of stockouts, the business rule, and its purpose and uses.
English
French
Part 2: Understanding How to Apply the Active Site Rule
This interactive series of narrated slides guides users through the key aspects and scenarios to consider when applying the rule, as well as limitations and special situations to keep in mind.
English narrated slides (script)
French narrated slides (script)
Assessing the Use of a Business Rule Approach for Health Facility Stock Status
The Active Site Rule approach to measuring health facility FP/RH stock status aims to increase trust in stockout data and facilitate follow-up actions to improve stock management.
This paper, The Active Site Rule for Contraceptive Stockout Rates, examines the rule’s impact on data quality and the implications for its rollout through two case studies in Nepal and Malawi.
