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of the performance of the mental health system. The Government should also ensure
that information is available to support KPI tracking. Currently, information that
specifically showcases and addresses the mental health needs of the population
is generally scattered, missing, or outdated. Furthermore, there are no regular
data sources that assess patients’ use, experience, and treatment outcome from
mental health services. The Government should determine a set of regularised and
systematised data sources from which to collect population mental health data and
to create a plan for the implementation of data collection.

The Government must also engage in system-level data analysis and synthesis to
understand the gaps in service provision for vulnerable populations and potential
policy interventions. Key areas for data analysis include: (i) reviewing and updating
at-risk groups and relevant interventions in consideration of changes in the society
triggered by notable events such as the COVID-19 pandemic; (ii) pushing for a
systematic and regularised evaluation process for interventions that assesses their
effectiveness and proposes ways forward; (iii) examining the economic cost of
mental health care and assessing the cost-effectiveness of different strategies and
recommendations. It is also incumbent on the Government to set up regularised
documentation and tracking of progress in these arenas, thus highlighting the
importance of an iterative M&E process whereby all steps are repeated regularly.

Furthermore, the Government should use collected data and syntheses to review and
update mental health policies and plans with actionable objectives and timeframes.
With reference to the regularly disseminated ACMH work report that demonstrates
regular progress monitoring of the implementation of policy recommendations, the
Government should publish a clear implementation plan, which includes measurable
targets, specific timeframes, and resource planning. The Government may explore
empowering the functional mental health unit to coordinate the execution of the
implementation plan under the predetermined timeline.

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