Do Networks facilitate innovation, learning and sharing? An evaluation of the Quality-of-Care Network (QCN) in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Uganda

The Quality-of-Care Network (QCN), launched by WHO and partners, links global and national actors across several countries to improve maternal and newborn health. We examine if QCN facilitated learning, sharing and innovations within and between network countries. We evaluated the QCN in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Malawi and Uganda. We conducted a total 227 qualitative interviews with QCN actors iteratively across a 3-year period from October 2019 to March 2022. We also reviewed all accessible QCN documents. Sharing and learning opportunities were evident through a number of virtual and in-person platforms such as meetings, conferences, webinars, and websites. Conferences and webinars have been hosted on online resource libraries such as the quality-of-care network website. These provided access to materials on strategies and approaches shared by different countries and actors. Innovations were also evident in some countries like Ethiopia. Innovative software applications aimed at boosting the capacity of service providers were developed and these were adopted by countries such as Bangladesh. Locally, there had been strengthening of learning collaborative meetings, coaching and mentorship. Regular meetings such as Stakeholder Coordination Meetings and Learning Collaborative Sessions provided an opportunity for stakeholders to strategize, as well as share and learn approaches within the network. The network has promoted coordination among stakeholders. Similar approaches to sharing and learning such as Learning Collaborative Sessions were evident across the study countries. Innovations were not as apparent across countries and most of the learning and sharing approaches were similar to those from broader, pre-existing maternal health approaches, adopted from an era preceding the QCN. There was evidence that the introduction of the QCN improved the functionality and visibility of learning and sharing platforms.