Other countries

Baseline Information and Analysis

Lesotho

A Qualitative and Quantitative Study on Community Health workers in Lesotho: It is estimated that, for developing countries to reach the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), scaling up the coverage of community-based health interventions is crucial. Yet, there has been strikingly little research on comprehensive assessments of the CHW system. While some early studies looked at what types of individuals would be best to choose for such positions and how to most successfully train such individuals in the initial phase of their careers, evidence on the incentives and sustainability of the CHW system are almost non-existent. The WB HRH program commissioned a study, both quantitative and qualitative in nature, that aims at (i) improving the understanding of the key issues surrounding CHW’ s, including incentives, sustainability, workload, accountability, reporting, and dynamics at the community level; and (ii) providing evidence to inform the decision-making process in strengthening community-based services in Lesotho. Feng Zhao, Task Team Leader for Lesotho, is leading the study.

Mauritania

Pilot Study evaluating the hardship allowance system in one region in Mauritania (First Phase):  The Mauritanian 2005-2015 «Politique Nationale de Santé et d’Action Sociale» outlined a strategy to set up an incentive system to lure existing health personnel out of Mauritania’s two main cities and into rural parts of the country. The so called hardship allowance system which became effective in January 2003 provides a premium over and above the normal salary to recognize best performers in the public health system outside of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou. The objective of the study is to measure the extent to which the “hardship allowances” system has been a success, to assess if it should be continued as such, fine tuned or cancelled, and to see if it should be included in the upcoming HRH strategy. In order to enable fine tuning the methodology prior to applying the evaluation to all regions in Mauritania (pending additional funding), this pilot study evaluates the hardship allowance system in one region (Assaba), answering the following questions: 1) Has Staff moved to regional hospitals and health centers as was planned? 2) Is the allowance really being paid to staff that has moved? 3) Did the hardship allowances system result in a change in health outcomes. The study was lead by Aly B. Sy.

Kenya

Study on Wage ceilings: This study focuses on health workers’ wage ceilings and the process determining the budgeted wage bill for health workers, contracting arrangements, and external funding of health worker salary and remuneration. As discussed above, such information is important both for designing policies and programs to manage outflows as well as for increasing the productivity of the existing stock of health workers. This proposed study will collect, analyze, and map out information on wage bill conditionalities and the process determining the budgeted health worker wage bill, public sector contracting arrangements, and donor funding of salaries. This process will identify problems and help “make the case” and pave the road for investments to improve health workforce performance and adequately manage and deal with outflows. Marko Vujicic is leading the study with general guidance from the Africa Health Workforce Team.

Development of National Strategic Plans, Policies and Programs

Guinea Bissau

Revision of the national plan for the Development of Human Resources: The Department of Human Resources from the Ministry of Public Health is going through a series of important reforms aiming at increasing the professional level of its staff and, consequently, the health status of the population by introducing fundamental changes in the recruitment and in the management of human resources as well as well as in the organization of functional structures.The National Plan for the Development of Human Resources for the health sector conceived in 1997 had several gaps, which remain fundamental areas for the quality of the management of human resources, such as the definition of professional profiles, the existence of a continuous education program, and an adequate institutional framework for a better functioning of the human resources. The inclusion of such areas and other elements which have aged with time and with a new reality constitute facts and factors of important relevance to consider, since it is planned to mobilize efforts and set on mechanisms to reverse the mentioned National Plan for the Development of Human Resources for the health sector, to update the information and to visualize the development of the sector in a way as to accompany the present and future proposals of the National Plan for the Sanitation Development. An international consultant, Paulo Ferrinho, has been hired to analyze and update accordingly the documents that have been produced until now by the Ministry and to help them finalize the aforesaid documents.

Liberia

National HRH Strategy Development The Bank has been asked to provide assistance to the government of Liberia on all aspects relating to the development of a national strategy on HRH. A detailed situation analysis was conducted to facilitate the development of the HRH strategy. TOR’s for the development of the Strategy were completed. These activities were led by Alex Preker.

Implementing Policy and Programs

TBA