The IDEAS baseline study of interactions between families and frontline workers and coverage of critical interventions for mothers and newborns was conducted in 2012 in Ethiopia. Its aim was to gather information about the frequency, quality, and equity of interactions that women have with frontline workers during pregnancy, delivery, and in the first 28 days after birth, and to estimate the coverage of life saving interventions that frontline workers are able to deliver to mothers and newborns. In the context of Ethiopia, frontline workers include the Health Development Army, Community Health Promoters and Traditional Birth Attendants working in communities, Health Extension Workers working at health posts and in communities, and nurses, midwives and doctors working in primary health centres. The findings represent a descriptive analysis of interactions and intervention coverage along the continuum of care. At least two years after baseline, an endline survey will be carried out to investigate the extent to which innovations implemented in the study area that aim to enhance family and frontline worker interactions (by making them more frequent, better quality, and more equitable) result in measurable increases in intervention coverage.