Table 1 Document Review Framework

1. The document

• Purpose (what is the main purpose of the document?)

• Type of document (is it a policy/strategy/planning document? Progress/assessment report? Training/guideline?

• Focus on newborn or stillbirth or both (does it mention newborn, perinatal care explicitly?)

• Geographic focus (what type of geographic area is the key focus of the document--National? Topography specific? Development region?)

2. Document development

• Process (what led to the formulation of this document? Why was the need felt to formulate this document?)

• Developers (which department, section formulated it?)

• Stakeholders (who were the stakeholders involved?)

3. Values, definitions and language

• Social or Medical focus (what is the key focus of the policy?)

• Key perspective/approach in deciding to reach perinatal care (right based, woman-centered, gender, etc.)

• Equity groups (have they targeted vulnerable groups or disadvantaged groups e.g. teenage mothers, scheduled castes/indigenous and ethnic minorities?)

4. Health outcomes and health access

• Prevention of stillbirths

• Prevention of neonatal deaths

• Access to care during pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, delivery, postpartum period

5. Strategies for action

• The strategies in providing perinatal and neonatal care such as at home, in community, and in health facility

• Care across the continuum from pre-pregnancy to postpartum

• Integration of perinatal and neonatal care with maternity and child survival and other interventions

• Inter-sectoral collaboration, collaboration across departments

• Other government departments and agencies involved such as UN, bi-lateral agencies, INGOs

• Specific target groups