An Empirical Study on Performance Monitoring and Online Payment System (with Special Reference to ASHA Soft)

Abstract

In 2005, the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) established Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) to provide better health awareness and better services in rural areas. The ASHA programme has today emerged as the largest community health worker programme in the world. ASHA is a community level worker who functions as a health care facilitator, a service provider and generates awareness on health issues. Over the years it has been observed that there were no standard procedures for performance and payment monitoring of ASHAs. This resulted in lack of job satisfaction and job security in them. National Informatics Centre (NIC) Rajasthan developed ASHA Soft in 2014. It is a system for performance measurements and online payment of incentives to ASHAs across the state. It is an integrated online system which facilitates the department to gather beneficiary wise details of services given by ASHA to the community, to make online payment of ASHA into their bank accounts and generate various reports to monitor the progress of the programme. This study highlights the perception of ASHA Sahyoginis regarding working of ASHA Soft. It also aims to analyse the challenges which affects the working of ASHA Soft. Primary data is collected through interview schedules. ASHA Sahyoginis of Jasol and Pachpadra village (Barmer) were interviewed. It is concluded that ASHA Soft is a positive change in the programs of NRHM.