The tracer concept was applied to evaluate the delivery of family heal
th care and the training of family health workers. A retrospective eva
luation permitted linking the products of care to process, input and c
ontext, by isolating and analysing potential factors contributing to a
limited number of representative concerns. Contributory learning defi
ciencies identified in health workers, one input to health care as wel
l as a product of training, enabled the evaluation of training program
mes to be focused on related segments of the courses. The latter were
evaluated through a pathway analysis which followed the same deficienc
y model as the evaluation of health care. Links were thus established
between the traditionally compartmentalized training and service secto
rs in health.