States review maternal deaths and recommend prevention strategies, but the impact of that work is not well understood. 

Maternal mortality remains a critical public health challenge in the United States. State-based maternal mortality review committees (MMRCs) play an important role in identifying causes of maternal deaths and recommending strategies to prevent them. But these committees have few ways to evaluate their work and learn whether their recommendations lead to real change. Without that evidence, MMRCs can struggle to demonstrate effectiveness, secure sustained funding, and advocate for the changes they identify.

NORC is providing tailored evaluation resources, training, and one-on-one support to help MMRCs assess and strengthen their work.

In partnership with the CDC Foundation, we are delivering evaluation support to MMRCs through three connected components: evaluation resources, hands-on training, and one-on-one technical assistance.

The evaluation resources—developed in partnership with CDC and committee representatives—are concise guides and templates that help committees plan and carry out evaluations of their work. We are also leading an interactive workshop for committee members to walk through evaluation strategies and gather feedback firsthand. Following the training, we will provide individual technical assistance, from document reviews to tailored guidance, helping committees work through the specific evaluation challenges they face.