The monitoring of community mothers has regional dimensions.
That is, study–work sessions are organized by region, and staff from
the ICBF and other organizations visit regions periodically to moni-
tor activities.
Evaluation: A Strategy for Improving the HCB Program
The government of Colombia has evaluated the HCB program on sev-
eral occasions. As noted previously, the program was first evaluated
formally in 1996, and subsequent smaller evaluations were included
in several complementary studies: the Quality of Life Survey, con-
ducted in 1997 and, most recently, in 2003 (DANE 2003); and the Na-
tional Registry of Community Mothers (ICBF 2004c), already noted.
In addition, the HCB program was referenced in an evaluation of
the impact of Families in Action, another program designed to imple-
ment the government’s social policy. This evaluation showed that
Families in Action favorably improved the nutritional and care con-
ditions of children participating in the program. In this study, the
HCB program was viewed as a complementary social program that
had a positive impact on the families of these beneficiaries.
Because of its objectives, the Quality of Life Survey (DANE 2003) is
an important periodic survey carried out in Colombia. The objectives
were to:
- Conduct an updated measurement of the socioeconomic condi-
tions of Colombian society in order to describe and analyze the
social structure. The Quality of Life Survey must produce results
at the household and individual levels, with respect to the ef-
fect on them of social policies, and at the global level, with re-
spect to the evolution of social differences and the degree of in-
equity in our society. - Confirm the impact of poverty, as well as the relevance that the
different component factors have on the impact. The survey
should contribute to the formulation of policies and the design
of actions to reduce poverty levels.
142 Beatriz Londoño Soto and Tatiana Romero Rey