Table 1 Examples of research questions for each evaluation type

Emergence

- How was the problem of accessibility and performance recognized?

- What were the debates surrounding the potential solutions?

- What motivated the choice to select these intervention arms instead of others?

- What were the positions of the different actors involved in the adoption of these intervention arms?

Performance

- Did the performance change in the different levels of health facilities? If so, why?

- Were the performance objectives met since the beginning of the intervention arms?

- Did the utilization rate of healthcare services change for the general population or vulnerable groups?

- Did the quality of healthcare services change for the general population or vulnerable groups?

- Did the level of motivation of health professionals change?

Fidelity

- Were the activities regarding the training of health professionals, the contracts, the monitoring, the payments, the user fee exemptions, and the CBHI implemented as initially planned?

- Were any of these activities added, modified, or omitted?

Processes

- How do stakeholders perceive the implementation of the intervention arms?

- Which factors facilitated or hindered the implementation of the intervention arms?

- What are the unintended processes and effects caused by the intervention arms?

- How did the intervention arms influence governance, management, monitoring, and leadership within the healthcare system?

- How did the intervention arms influence interpersonal relations, communication, and collaboration between stakeholders?

- How did the intervention arms influence the practices, behavior, and motivation of healthcare providers?

- How did the intervention arms influence the available resources, medical supply, and the infrastructure?

- How do the different components of the intervention arms interact?

Ethical considerations

- What are the ethical considerations related to the intervention arms?

- How was the community involved in the implementation of the intervention arms?

- How do stakeholders perceive the process of identification of the poorest that is conducted by the community?

Sustainability

- Which human, material, and financial resources necessary for the intervention arms' activities were integrated in the district's budget?

- Were the intervention arms adequately adapted to the context? Are they compatible with local practice?

- Is the implementation of the intervention arms in line with the priorities of the health authorities?

- Is there a cultural relation between the intervention and the stakeholders (e.g., rituals, symbols)?

- Did the interventions influence the healthcare system?

- How were the rules and procedures institutionalized?

Scale-up

- How were the stakeholders that can contribute to a scale-up of the intervention arms implicated? Are they favorable and committed to a scale-up?

- Do the intervention arms respond to a recurrent and persistent problem?

- Do the contexts in which the intervention arms were tested reflect the rest of the country?

- Could the human, material, and financial resources be mobilized to scale-up the intervention arms?