Welcome Note

Welcome to the Centre of Excellence in Health Monitoring and Evaluation (COEHME), one of the Units within the School of Public Administration and Management at Mzumbe University. Dedicated to advancing healthcare data processes, COEHME serves as a collaborative platform for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners from East Africa and beyond. Our mission is to enhance the utilization of healthcare data, empowering stakeholders to make informed decisions and drive positive health outcomes.  COEHME aims to contribute significantly to improving health systems in the region and beyond.

We recognize the collaborative efforts of the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) and the Tanzanian Ministry of Health in 2012, which led to the establishment of COEHME. This initiative was born out of a shared vision to introduce a groundbreaking Master of Science in Health Monitoring and Evaluation program in Tanzania. At a time when monitoring and evaluation tasks were often overlooked or integrated into the responsibilities of government employees, COEHME’s creation marked a significant step towards strengthening these critical functions within the healthcare sector.

The Master of Science in Health Monitoring and Evaluation program has continued to serve as a vital platform for equipping postgraduate students with the essential knowledge, skills, and competencies needed to excel as monitoring and evaluation officers in both the public and private sectors. This program has been instrumental in nurturing a new generation of M&E professionals who are well-prepared to contribute to improving health outcomes through effective data analysis and evidence-based decision-making.

The successful implementation and experience gained from running the Master of Science in Health Monitoring and Evaluation program created both the demand and the foundation for developing a pipeline of skilled professionals at the undergraduate level. This led to the introduction of the Bachelor of Health Systems in Monitoring and Evaluation in 2022—the first program of its kind not only in Tanzania but also across East and Central Africa.

COEHME has successfully undertaken several key activities, including two Annual Conferences on Monitoring and Evaluation Best Practices (2019 and 2020) and over 20 short courses in health monitoring and evaluation. Additionally, COEHME at Mzumbe University was entrusted by the Government of Tanzania, through the then Ministry of Finance and Planning, to oversee the implementation of the Tanzania Covid-19 Response Plan (TCRP) as an external evaluator. COEHME’s mandate in this assignment was to conduct an independent assessment of the TCRP, with the overall objective of evaluating the effectiveness of its implementation. Specifically, the evaluation sought to document progress made, identify best practices and lessons learned, and highlight challenges encountered—providing critical insights to inform the design and implementation of similar programs in the future. Currently there are five major projects are currently underway.

We welcome you to our website and hope you find it useful. If you need any help, please feel free to reach out.

You are all welcome

Head of COEHME