Organization - Leadership

  1. Does the MSRO have a full-time dedicated executive director?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  2. Are the executive director and board actively engaged in developing relationships with all stakeholders?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  3. Is there a robust volunteer base?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  4. Is the organization focused on impact and benefit to intended recipients rather than internal growth or throughput of inventory?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

Organization - Container Price to Value Ratio

  1. Is the focus on providing only needed and requested equipment and supplies?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  2. Does the MSRO provide product at a reasonable price for developing world beneficiaries?
    Very High Price High Price Moderate Price Low Price Free / Very Low Price

  3. Are multiple revenue streams developed to provide low priced, yet high-quality products to the beneficiaries?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  4. How much does the beneficiary organization pay for a container of surplus supplies/equipment?
    Very High Price High Price Moderate Price Low Price Free / Very Low Price

  5. Are complimentary items such as parts and supplies, operations and maintenance manuals purchased as necessary?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

Organization - Staffing

  1. Are key functions led by paid employees?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  2. Does the organization focus on building and inspiring a strong, empowered staff?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  3. Is there a focus on strong volunteer engagement and management?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  4. Is there ready access to biomedical engineers, beyond volunteer or week-end only support?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  5. What is the backlog for assessing biomedical equipment donations?
    No / Very Low Backlog Low Backlog Moderate Backlog High Backlog Very High Backlog

Stakeholder Relationships - Hospitals

  1. Does the MSRO have a business development plan that prioritizes how it can best serve target hospitals?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  2. Does the MSRO charge a pick-up fee for service, indicating its financial sustainability and commitment to quality / service?
    No Pickup Fee Very Low Pickup Fee Moderate Pickup Fee High (4) Higher (therefore more sustainable) Pickup Fee

  3. Does the MSRO deliver proactive messages for stakeholder groups across media channels (web-based, media, newsletter, email, etc.)?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  4. Does the MSRO engage hospital leaders and staff at multiple levels in the program on an ongoing basis?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  5. Does the MSRO clearly define what surplus is accepted and what isn�t, with a focus on most needed and fastest moving items?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  6. Are restrictions placed on the donation of specialized items that can�t be operated or maintained in developing world environments?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  7. Are there regularly scheduled pick-ups? Are collection bins with easily removable reusable bags provided? Are they conveniently located in appropriate departments?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  8. Does the MSRO provide ongoing hospital education to keep hospital staff aware of what constitutes appropriate surplus, the impact of appropriate donations and new developments?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  9. Are resource materials such as DVDs, impact stories, suggested policies and procedures, donation guides, etc., provided for reference?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  10. Is a priority put on cultivating and maintaining strong relationships with materials managers, storeroom personnel and key supply chain executives?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

Relationships with Beneficiaries and Humanitarian Organizations

  1. Does the MSRO focus on serving a limited number of regions/countries that correlate with their capacity, financial condition and expertise?
    Umteen Number of Regions Profuse Number of Regions Copious Number of Regions Numerous Regions Reasonable Number of Regions

  2. Does the MSRO conduct an in-depth needs assessment with beneficiaries?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  3. Is there a good process for validating requested items with beneficiaries to ensure usability and appropriate quantities?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  4. Does the MSRO determine inclusion of any accompanying items such as transformers, parts or manuals?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  5. Does the MSRO maintain a database of beneficiary organizations, needs, contacts, shipments, feedback etc.?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  6. Does the MSRO maintain partnerships with credible in-country health organizations?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  7. Does the MSRO have quality control measures in place to ensure that all donated items are used by licensed medical professionals to meet identified beneficiary needs?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  8. Is there regular follow-up with end recipients to measure impact and set the stage for future planning, evaluation and additional value creation?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

Corporate and Financial Partnerships

  1. Is there a clear business development plan prioritizing target partners for in-kind and financial donations?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  2. Does the MSRO have long-term and multi-tiered corporate relationships (regional and national) for product donation, financial support, volunteers?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  3. Are there strong community-based relationships with local social service agencies, civic organizations, colleges/universities and businesses?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  4. Do current relationships provide access to local funding, volunteers and in-kind donations?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

Sorting and Quality Management

  1. Are supplies sorted to individual item level with unique product codes?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  2. Does sorting differentiate between sterile and non-sterile supplies and equipment?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  3. Is there a priority on expediting the sorting of urgently-needed or short-dated items closer to expiration?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  4. Are expiration dates tracked and monitored to ensure that all short-dated items less than one year from expiration are not shipped in overseas containers?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  5. Does sorting take place in large, well-lit, clean workspaces?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  6. Do trained biomedical engineers evaluate the usability and maintenance needs of equipment?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  7. Is equipment accompanied by appropriate operating and maintenance manuals?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  8. Are volunteers trained to appropriately handle supplies and equipment based on the criteria established?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  9. Are the amounts of disposed of or recycled items tracked and reported to donors?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  10. Are items placed in standard-size boxes, containers and/or manufacturer case lot sizes?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  11. Are boxed supplies checked for quality prior to sealing?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  12. Do completed boxes go into inventory immediately?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

Shipping/Distribution

  1. Does the MSRO comply with current U.S. export regulations as well as the import laws of the recipient country?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  2. Is all required paperwork prepared for international shipments?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  3. Do shipments take place only after all paperwork has been approved?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  4. Does the MSRO utilize an appropriate third party such as an expediting agent or established NGO to assist with customs and port clearance in country of destination?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  5. Are solicitors/beneficiaries alerted when shipments arrive at port, and are they required to confirm receipt when shipments reach the final destination?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  6. Do appropriate in-country partners such as established NGOs and government agencies help facilitate distribution to multiple end-recipients?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

Inventory Management

  1. Does the MSRO have an information technology system in place to track receipts, expiration dates, weights and value of items?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  2. Does the MSRO�s system use technology to facilitate ordering, shipping, tracking and reporting such as a real-time view of inventory?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  3. What is the backlog for sorting donations?
    No / Very Low Backlog Low Backlog Moderate Backlog High Backlog Very High Backlog

  4. Is staff proficient with the technology, therefore understanding throughput, lead times and capacity?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  5. Does the MSRO have a separate process to receive case lots and enter these directly into inventory?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  6. Are there clearly-defined processes in place to select inventory for shipment, i.e., �First In, First Out,� or as specified by the beneficiary?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  7. Are there monthly pulls of short-dated inventory with less than one year to expiration?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

  8. Are random quality checks conducted to ensure labeling matches actual content?
    Very Low (1) Low (2) Moderate (3) High (4) Very High (5)

CONCLUSION

A systematic response to the issues identified in CHA�s 2010 MSRO study can help both our work, and the work of the MSROs. Fostering better tracking, reporting and evaluation of donations and providing a foundation to match supplies and equipment with actual needs of beneficiaries will help alleviate suffering in the developing world. This assessment guide, and the nine drivers it includes, is offered for your consideration, with the hope that by using this guide and creating a partnership mentality with your MSRO, you can ensure that your hard work and valuable donations have the intended impact. CHA hopes the drivers will become the litmus test for maintaining and creating partnerships with MSROs in addition to being the catalyst for our helping existing MSROs increase their capacity. Too, increasing interest by CHA members in creating new MSROs would be a positive outcome.

This is our call, let us all now respond.

Total ScoreOrganizationStakeholder RelationshipsOperations
LeadershipStaffingPrice / Value HospitalsBusiness / FinancialBeneficiaries Sorting / QualityInventory ManagementShipping / Distribution
MS90 111 111 111

These results were calculated 11:30 AM January 1st, 2012



Instructions

Assessing and Selecting High-Quality Medical Surplus Recovery Organizations

The following questions relate to the nine key drivers for effective medical surplus recovery organization practices. We hope they are useful as you ascertain the capacity of an MSRO you are currently, or could in future, partner with to share your medical surplus with the developing world.

To access the document, "Assessing and Selecting High-Quality Medical Surplus Organizations," which includes the nine drivers and expanded explanations for each, go to www.chausa.org/surplusstudy/.

Evaluation Metrics Venn Diagram





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