Refining Performance Improvement Tools and Methods: Lessons and Challenges

ods and tools have proven effective and are now widely used throughout the Americas, Europe, and parts of Asia. In the last five years, there has been increased interest and experience in applying these same approaches to health services work in low-resource settings around the globe. Recognizing that successful performance improvement processes require adaptation and tailoring in any given situation, interesting patterns of challenges and opportunities particular to health service delivery in low-resource settings are beginning to emerge. This article captures some of the knowledge gained through a growing body of field experience; in particular, it highlights a handful of tools and discusses existing challenges and opportunities for applying performance improvement methodologies in low-resource settings.