JANS tool and guidelines
The Joint Assessment of National Health Strategies, or JANS, is a shared approach to assessing the strengths and weaknesses of a national health strategy or plan.
Countries use the JANS tool to:
- Enhance the quality and relevance of the national health strategy
- Increase confidence in the strategy and help inform decisions about funding, ensuring that funding is closely aligned to the national health strategy
- Reduce transaction costs at the country level and consolidate assessments and review processes across agencies
The JANS examines the soundness and feasibility of national health strategies in 5 areas:
- Situation analysis and programming: clarity and relevance of priorities and strategies selected based on a sound situation analysis
- Process: soundness and inclusiveness of development and endorsement processes for the national strategy
- Costs and budgetary framework for the strategy: soundness and feasibility of the financial framework
- Implementation and management: soundness of arrangements and systems for implementing and managing the programmes contained in the national strategy
- Monitoring, evaluation and review: soundness of review and evaluation mechanisms and how their results are used
The JANS offers a valuable contribution in endorsing decisions on: health systems strengthening activities; performance and characteristics of health systems inputs and processes; and funding priorities. It is structured around four principles:
- Country driven
- Built on existing in-country processes and experiences
- Independent
- Iclusive, involving civil society and other stakeholders in the health sector
Countries carrying out the JANS decide how best to apply these principles and use the tool to suit their specific context and stage of plan development.
