Facility managers’ views on contraceptive data management in primary healthcare facilities in the Tshwane District, South Africa

Introduction Contraceptive data are critical for determining the proportion of women of childbearing age who are protected from unintended pregnancies. These data must be of high quality to assess the performance of, and guide improvements in, family planning programmes. Purpose This study explored facility managers’ views on the management of contraceptive data in the Tshwane District, South Africa. Methods The study was conducted in 11 primary healthcare facilities in the Tshwane District, South Africa, using a qualitative exploratory design. The sample consisted of 11 purposively selected facility managers. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews using an interview guide developed by the researchers. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Three themes were generated. Theme 1 showed that facility managers provided leadership in contraceptive data management by ensuring availability of resources and capacitating healthcare providers. Managers supervised and monitored data collection processes to strengthen data quality assurance. Theme 2 reflected mixed perceptions of supportive supervision from health information officers, with some managers reporting satisfaction while others reported gaps in consistency and responsiveness. Theme 3 showed that most managers considered contraceptive data to be of acceptable quality and accuracy, largely due to verification practices at facility level. The data were mainly used for monitoring family planning programme performance and for contraceptive supply management. Conclusion The study demonstrates that facility managers play an active role in strengthening contraceptive data quality through leadership, supervision, and verification. However, their efforts are constrained by behavioural challenges among healthcare providers and inconsistent organisational support from district structures. Improving data quality requires strengthened collaboration between facility managers, health information officers, and district management, supported by structured supervision, continuous training, and adequate staffing for data management.