Monitoring and Evaluating Progress
What gets measured gets done
Measurement and monitoring is an essential component of work to improve outcomes and reduce inequalities. Indicators and other measures help practitioners to identify and prioritise actions where need is greatest and to evaluate the success of their strategies.
IHE have provided consultancy services in the form of data and advice on how to monitor health inequalities and the social determinants of health. We have created guidelines for measurement in the early years, how to maximise scale and impact and how to monitor the impact of austerity and the economic downturn. We have provided advice to local places, countries and international bodies.
Global monitoring
We have advised on a number of measurement frameworks across the world.
As a first step, local practitioners may wish to look at the data available, and the opportunity to disaggregate the data by measures of socio-economic status. Where such data is not present then proxies could be utilised and data improvement strategies put in place.
If you would like advice regarding measuring inequalities or the social determinants of health, please get in touch.
A number of Marmot Places have created local indicator sets to monitor local inequalities and the impact of local interventions.
See indicator sets in each of the following Marmot Places reports:
- Greater Manchester
- Cheshire Merseyside (In 2024 this indicator set is under review and will be updated.)
- Gwent
- Coventry
- Leeds (to be published in summer 2024)
Indicators align with the 8 Marmot Principles and are developed in partnership with local places. The aim is to create local data sets able to be disaggregated based on data that is released annually. The aim is to benchmark indicators against regional, national, and peer comparators (i.e. Core Cities).
Monitoring in England: The Marmot Indicators
In 2011 IHE developed health inequalities indicators, which subsequently became annual ‘Marmot Indicators’ issued by Public Health England (now OHID). The indicators were published in 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2017.
Current Marmot Indicators are found in the Wider Determinants of health profiles, available for each local authority in England. The indicators include measures on:
1. School readiness: percentage of children achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception
2. School Readiness: percentage of children with free school meal status achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception
3. Average Attainment 8 score
4. 16 to 17 year olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) or whose activity is not known
5. 19 to 24 year olds not in education, employment or training
6. Unemployment (model-based)
7. Long term claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance
8. Individuals not reaching the Minimum Income Standard
9. Work-related illness
10. Fuel poverty (low income, low energy efficiency methodology)