The PBF Handbook: Designing and Implementing Effective Performance-Based Financing Programs

The PBF Handbook: Designing and Implementing Effective Performance-Based Financing Programs

Performance-based Financing (PBF) is a powerful means of increasing the quality and quantity of health services by providing incentives to suppliers to improve performance and achieve results. In support of the Millennium Development Goals, PEPFAR, the Global Health Initiative (GHI), and other important health initiatives, PBF can increase the use and quality of health services, stabilize or decrease the costs of these services, help use limited resources effectively, and improve staff motivation and morale, a proven incentive for staff retention.

In today’s dynamic development environment—with government institutions and local civil society organizations providing health services, the growth of complex multi-sectoral partnerships, the decentralization of public health functions, and country ownership of health and other services—organizations and countries throughout the world are increasingly using PBF to help make improvements in
health and development. PBF links an organization’s funding to its achievement of agreed-upon targets and may include bonuses if the organization exceeds those targets.

This PBF handbook has been designed for use by both program design officers at US Government (USG) agencies at the central and country levels as well as for PBF implementers at national and local levels. It is our hope that presenting this comprehensive overview of PBF from both the funders’ and the implementers’ perspectives will help to facilitate the design, implementation, and evaluation of PBF programs that enhance service delivery and create positive health outcomes.

The PBF Handbook is available in English, Spanish, and French.