The IDEAS project aims to improve the health and survival of mothers and babies through generating evidence to inform policy and practice in Ethiopia, Nigeria and India. IDEAS uses measurement, learning and evaluation to find out what works, why and how in maternal and newborn health programmes.

The IDEAS team consists of 20 research and professional support staff, based in Addis Ababa, New Delhi, Abuja and London. Get to know all team members and their specific areas of work. Delve into our resources section and find a wealth of information, ranging from journal papers, to research briefs and reports. Our blog will let you read first-hand insights from researchers and team members and their day-to-day work, as well as innovations in the field of maternal and newborn health.

We are also delighted to present you the Informed Decisions for Actions in Maternal and Newborn Health (IDEAS) 2010 – 2017 Report, outlining the IDEAS approach and key achievements of Phase 1. IDEAS research during Phase 1 was based on four learning questions, with an underlying theory of change. In this report you will be able to read about the outputs achieved by the IDEAS project, which include 17 data sets, 27 reports, 19 journal articles, 10 research briefs, and 5 infographics. Some of our work from Phase 1 will continue in future, such as the valuation of the Community Based Newborn Care (CBNC) programme in Ethiopia.

Together with our partners around the world we have now entered a second phase with research looking into:

• Improving coverage measurement;
• Tracking progress in coverage of life-saving interventions;
• Support to the local use of data in decision-making;
• Understanding the mechanisms underlying quality-improvement;
• A study of sustainability

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