Number of Service Providers

number of service providers offering [specify the service] in the target area

This is an essential 'supply side' indicator assessing the number of service providers (such as repairers, commercial extension workers, companies offering house insulation, etc.) offering the promoted type of service(s) in a target area. It shows the extent to which the service is physically available to the potential customers.

Collect the following data by conducting individual interviews with the service providers operating in the target area. The best way to identify the maximum number of service providers is to use the "snowball sampling" methodology – asking service providers, customers or authorities whether they know of any service providers who do or do not provide the promoted service (and then visiting or calling them to verify the information). If you know that the service is provided by a very large number of service providers, use a representative sample of these providers.

 

RECOMMENDED SURVEY QUESTION (Q) AND POSSIBLE ANSWERS (A)

Q1: Do you provide / offer [specify the service]?

A1: yes / no

 

 

Calculate the indicator's value by summing up the number of service providers offering the given service.

Disaggregate the data by location and gender.

1) While the service providers might formally offer a given service, it often happens that the number of clients who use the service is very low due to their passivity, poor marketing and other factors. Therefore, consider changing the indicator to "number of active service providers..." where "active" means providing the service to a minimum number of clients over a certain period (for example, "providing chicken vaccinations to at least 30 families per month"). This threshold should be set based on the current number of clients served, so that you avoid setting it too high or too low.

 

2) If the service is not provided, it is recommended that you ask why it is not provided. Such data can help you increase the availability of the given service. 

3) When seeking to identify the number of service providers offering a specific service in the target area, it is often possible to obtain a list from business chambers, industry associations, or government records. Alternatively, “yellow pages” or similar business directories, which are still widely available in many countries, can be useful sources. For highly specialized services provided by only a few providers, it may also be possible to obtain precise data directly from these providers, as they sometimes maintain records of their service networks.

4) If you want to understand the extent to which a service is available in the various geographical areas targeted by an intervention, you can use the indicator Local Availability of Products / Services.