Tool · Field epidemiology
STEPS FETP Scale-up Decision Aid
Scalable Training Estimation and Planning System for Field Epidemiology Training Programmes in India.
The problem
Planning the scale-up of Field Epidemiology Training Programmes requires balancing programme design, cost, and expected health benefit under a budget constraint. STEPS lets planners test scale-up options and see the implications for endorsement, perceived value, cost, and indicative benefits.
Intended users
Policymakers and partners planning FETP scale-up in India, developed through work at the University of Newcastle in partnership with the World Bank.
Inputs
- Programme design: tier, career incentive, mentorship intensity, delivery mode, expected response time, cost per trainee per month, cohort size, and number of cohorts.
- Settings: value assumptions, planning horizon, completion rate, and exchange rate for display.
Outputs
- Predicted endorsement of a configuration versus opting out.
- Perceived programme value (a willingness-to-pay style measure) per trainee and per cohort.
- Programme, mentor-support, and opportunity costs per cohort, and a national simulation.
- Saved scenarios with export for reporting.
Methodological basis
Endorsement and perceived programme value are generated by a mixed-logit preference model estimated from a discrete choice experiment with stakeholders. Costs combine harmonised templates, and health benefits use simple epidemiological multipliers. The tool is transparent about which figures are estimates and which are assumptions.
Developer
Developed by Dr Mesfin Genie, Newcastle Business School, the University of Newcastle.
Limitations
Outputs are indicative and depend on the assumptions supplied. The averted-outbreak cost savings are drawn from the literature rather than from field estimates, and the tool is intended to support discussion rather than to replace detailed appraisal.