Consulting service
Outbreak Response Evaluation & After-Action Review
Turning outbreak experience into systems learning
The challenge
After every outbreak, the same questions arise: what worked, what failed, why did detection take so long, and are we ready for the next one? Without rigorous, independent evaluation those lessons evaporate — and the next outbreak repeats the same mistakes. Public health emergency management improves only when honest review becomes habit.
What we do
- Conduct After-Action Reviews using WHO-recommended methodologies — debrief, working group, mixed-methods
- Independent end-of-outbreak evaluations against IHR 2005 core capacities and Joint External Evaluation benchmarks
- Real-time intra-action reviews during prolonged emergencies, to course-correct mid-response
- Document review, key informant interviews, frontline worker focus groups and field site assessments
- Surveillance system performance evaluation — timeliness, completeness, sensitivity, specificity
- Costed action plans translating findings into priority interventions for system strengthening
How an engagement runs
A typical AAR runs 8–12 weeks from inception to final report. Larger multi-country or thematic evaluations run 4–6 months. Real-time intra-action reviews deploy within 2–3 weeks.
Why Celenara
Field deployment experience across multiple outbreak contexts in Africa, combined with formal training in public health emergency management and IHR 2005 frameworks. We have lived the response — we know the questions worth asking, the answers people are reluctant to give, and the difference between a polite report and one that drives change.
Is this the right fit?
Tell us the scope you are working with. If we are not the right people for it, we will say so and point you somewhere better.