Advancing Eye Care in the Pacific - Insights from the Evaluation of the Pacific Eye Institute Training Programme

The challenge

The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ is committed to reducing avoidable blindness and untreated vision impairment in the Pacific Islands by continually training eye care professionals to enhance Pacific-led services. A key effort in this mission is the Pacific Eye Institute (PEI) Training Programme in Suva, Fiji, which trains nurses and qualified medical doctors from across the Pacific, nominated by their Ministries of Health. The Foundation wanted an objective assessment of the programme's achievements, where to adjust and improve, and direction for future programmes.

What we did

• The Foundation partnered with Future Partners to evaluate the PEI Training Programme from 2016 to 2021, measuring its progress against the outcomes laid out in the Foundation's 2016-2020 Programme Strategy.

How we worked

Methodology: Conducted in late 2022, the evaluation used an adapted utilisation-focused approach to ensure findings were practical for decision-makers. A mixed-method strategy combined qualitative and quantitative data, including monitoring data, documentation, and interviews with 22 key informants from The Foundation, PEI, Fiji National University, and Colonial War Memorial Hospital, both in person and via video conference.

Outcomes